Many thanks to all of you who came to our public planning hearings at the end of May.

We received valuable feedback on both the strategic plan and the main library building program. Both documents will go to the Library Board for their review on June 13 and then the nuts and bolts of planning for the library system's future will begin in earnest.

But first, Summertime! There will be music outside the main library on Thursday evenings in June and July (with our auditorium as an indoor back up). Children's Summer Reading programs kick off with some rocket launching courtesy of the Discovery Museum, and we hope to have our PopUp library on the road by the end of June.

Hot Fun in the Summertime.

Chris

American Job Center Career Coach 

Free Job Search Assistance

Monday, June 3
10:00 - 12:00 
1:00 - 3:00 
Curb in front of library

  American Job Center Southwest

Saturday, June 1

10:00 - 11:00 am

Studio One

Register -  Registration is limited to 30 participants.

Saturday, June 22

11:30 - 2:00 pm

Main Library Auditorium

A light lunch will be provided by the Library.

Register

The author of 40 nonfiction and fiction books, Dr. Jan Yager will discuss How to Self-Publish Your Book. This detailed guide by a seasoned author and publishing exec clearly shows how to write and publish your book - in ebook, print, and audiobook formats - as well as sell and promote it, including foreign rights, so it meets professional standards. Whether you are an aspiring author considering the self-publishing option, or a published author whose work has been released by commercial houses, How to Self-Publish Your Book will help you to navigate the exciting, but potentially overwhelming world of self-publishing.

Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or
[email protected].

Peter Antonucci

Sunday, June 23

2:00 - 3:30 pm

Main Library Auditorium

Register

AuthorSpeack welcomes Peter Antonucci who will discuss his debut novel Billionaire's Paradise: Ecstasy at Sea, just in time to become your first beach read of the season. Antonucci beckons readers aboard as he masterfully spins a fast-paced tale about the ultrarich world he knows, having been a litigator in the New York City offices of two of the largest law firms in the world before retiring at age 52 to sail around the world on a megayacht and write books.

Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Friday, June 28

12:00 - 1:30 pm

Main Library Auditorium

Register

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Part 3 - Jane Seymour - Friday, July 26                Register

Part 4 - Catherine Parr - Friday, August 30            Register

For the eighth year, Norwalker and MusicToChina founder Steve Serasis, has partnered with the library to build community through music, with the new "Hello Summer" 2019 Concert Series. Hop on board and say Hello Summer with us!

All concerts will take place from 7:00 to 8:30 pm in front of the Library on Mott Avenue. All concerts are free and open to the public.

Concert Schedule:

• Thursday, June 6 - Adam Currie Band
• Thursday, June 13 -  Bruce James & Co - 60's & 70's songs, and originals
• Thursday, June 20 - Fake ID - classic party rock
• Thursday, June 27 - Reggae Culture - reggae classics
• Friday, July 5 - Defcon 3+2 - Defcon 3 becomes Defcon 5, rock &roll (First Friday)

In a collaborative effort, the library and concert producer Steve Serasis welcome community partners, Tuff Lawn Service-Fairfield County Tick Control, DiScala Construction and BJ Ryan's BanC House as co-sponsors of this year's concert series. 

Friday, June 21

4:00 - 5:00 pm  - Christina Conners will perform a melodious mix of storytelling and songs, in Studio One. 

Conners' most recent album is called "Dream Bigger: Songs of Hope, Healing and Inspiration." All songs on this album were written by noted Norwalk composer David Friedman, whose music can be heard in many hit Broadway shows and Disney movies

6:00 - 7:30 pm - Moses Brothers Band, who will embark on a musical voyage from Madagascar to China.

The Moses Brothers have been a Fairfield County presence for over a decade. John has opened for the likes of B.B. King, Marshall Tucker, The Neville Brothers and Earl Scruggs, and has  played his banjo at the White House and on the Great Wall of China. Bill has mastered the fiddle, slide guitar, and close harmony singing. His influences range from Ry Cooder to The Stanley Brothers. 

SEO controls how easy it is to locate your business, and mobile devices are increasingly dominant. We focus on the practical steps to implement on your website, social platforms, and online directories to improve "organic" (non-paid) standings on Google, other search engine pages, on maps and mobile devices.

• This program will demonstrate SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and Local Search basics, including:
• How to set up your business up on Google Business listings for local search
• Best practices in creating and editing relevant and recognizable content
• Best practices in website structure and navigation for SEO
• The proper use and research of keywords
• Using analytics to measure results and refine content to improve your search standings

Presenter: Jeff Seaver 

Jeff Seaver runs Seaver Interactive, a digital marketing and website design firm in Westport, CT. He has been building websites and creating online content for over 25 years and is an accomplished designer, artist and computer expert. Jeff has taught at the graduate school level and lectures widely on technology.

Presenter : Jon Dupree

Jon Dupree runs Calibrate Marketing in Danbury, CT. Jon's experience combines over 20 years in sales and marketing in the B2B world with extensive technological knowledge. He develops marketing strategies for startups and small businesses that improve results and ROI in email, SEO and search and social media, including in-house mentoring and training. He holds an Economics degree from Syracuse University and is a certified ISO 9000 auditor.

Wednesday, June 26

6:00 - 8:00 pm (check in starts at 5:30)

Main Library Auditorium

* How to incite "branded search" on Facebook, and close the deal on Google

* Customizing your Audience on both platforms

* Using Insights and Analytics to measure results

* Targeting your brand name as a keyword to test CTR and conversions

* How to unify messaging across brand channels

* Re-targeting using what visitors are searching for

Bring your lunch and join Reference Librarian Susannah Violino for a lively discussion of  The Shepherd's Life by James Rebanks.

Some people's lives are entirely their own creations. James Rebanks' isn't. The first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, his family have lived and worked in the Lake District of Northern England for generations, further back than recorded history. It's a part of the world known mainly for its romantic descriptions by Wordsworth and the much loved illustrated children's books of Beatrix Potter. But James' world is quite different. His way of life is ordered by the seasons and the work they demand. It hasn't changed for hundreds of years: sending the sheep to the fells in the summer and making the hay; the autumn fairs where the flocks are replenished; the grueling toil of winter when the sheep must be kept alive, and the light-headedness that comes with spring, as the lambs are born and the sheep get ready to return to the hills and valleys.

The Shepherd's Life the story of a deep-rooted attachment to place, modern dispatches from an ancient landscape that describe a way of life that is little noticed and yet has profoundly shaped the landscape over time. In evocative and lucid prose, James Rebanks takes us through a shepherd's year, offering a unique account of rural life and a fundamental connection with the land that most of us have lost. It is a story of working lives, the people around him, his childhood, his parents and grandparents, a people who exist and endure even as the culture - of the Lake District, and of farming - changes around them.

Many memoirs are of people working desperately hard to leave a place. This is the story of someone trying desperately hard to stay.

Books Sandwiched In meets the last Thursday of every month.

For further information, please contact Susannah Violino at (203) 899-2780 ext 15115, or [email protected]

Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance Tuesdays 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Auditorium Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance is an evidence-based fall prevention program that transforms traditional martial arts movements into a therapeutic regimen aimed at improving postural stability, awareness and mindful control of body positioning in space, functional walking, movement symmetry and coordination, range of motion around the ankle and hip joints, and lower-extremity muscle strength

Low Impact Aerobics with Linda Tuesdays & Thursdays   1:30 - 2:30 pm  Teen Room Linda Lombardo is known to local residents for her work as a Silver Sneakers instructor, Linda has been a Business Education teacher with the New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Greenwich and Stamford Public School Systems for over 20 years. She is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a health fitness instructor, personal trainer and nutrition counselor. Stop by on Tuesday or Thursday to welcome Linda and try out a new version of Low Impact Aerobics.

QiGong by Bill Wrenn Wednesdays 5:30 - 6:00 pm Main Floor Reference Area

For additional information, please contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext 15133 or [email protected]

How do I Get in the Game?

It's simple, just register and play! Game begins 6/15 and ends on 8/31. Contact the Norwalk Public Library at 203-899-2780 x 15131 or the Rowayton Library at 203-838-5038 with any questions.

Click here to see our 2019 Summer Reading Lists!

Did you know that our own Norwalk, Connecticut has been the home of a great number of industries? Some local companies were involved in supplying parts and supplies for the military during both World War I & II. The Norwalk Iron Works Corporation originally produced compressors and then went on to manufacture steam pumps and engines which are used in many parts of the country.

The Norwalk Lock Company, used coal for energy which eliminated the need for proximity to the river and enabled them to build next to the railroad tracks in South Norwalk which allowed for easy transportation of their products. The invention of the Yankee Apple Paring Machine was a tremendous success, helped the floundering company during the 1857s, as did the need for institutional locks in state prisons and hospitals. In the 1880s, the company patented a compressor superior to any in existence at that time. The US Navy used the Norwalk Iron Works compressor for steering ships and refrigeration, among other uses in both World War I &II.

Lockwood Manufacturing Company produced hardware for builders.   Located on Day Street, below Raymond Street and almost reaching Water Street, the company opened in 1888 with Henry Lockwood as president. Washington Village had later been built on the property and is currently being replaced by a new affordable housing project. An early submarine manufactured by Lake used components supplied by Lockwood Manufacturing.

Roth & Goldschmidt started the R & G Corset Company in 1880. The building they had occupied has been repurposed into condominiums on Ann Street. According to Charles Selleck in Norwalk After 250 Years, 50 dozen corsets were manufactured in 1900, and the company was still growing. The company began on Water Street, but due to the increase in business, moved to Ann Street. 
R & G also had offices on Broadway in New York City. The corsets were an important apparel for the nurses of the Red Cross.

There were many more companies in Norwalk, which were also involved in the war effort. If you would like to read about and learn more on this subject, come and visit the Norwalk History Room, and/or use the following resources:

Norwalk by Charles M. Selleck (both online and in print in the History Room) https://archive.org/details/ldpd_8661434_000

Romance of Norwalk  by Elsie N. Dannenburg

Historic SoNo by Tod Bryant for Discover Norwalk online  https://discovernorwalk.com/historic-sono/

Information on the USS North Dakota: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_North_Dakota_(BB-29)

Information on Simon Lake and the Lake submarine:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Lake

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/nj/county/atlantic/Simon%20Lake.htm

Norwalk by Deborah Wing Ray and Gloria P. Stewart

If you wish to find out more about the Norwalk History Room, please go to our webpage on the NPL website: http://www.norwalkpl.org/162/Norwalk-History-Room

Our first online records are postcards of Norwalk scenes, most dating from the beginning of the 20th century. We will follow these with regular additions from our collection of thousands of documents and photographs. Search by keyword or use the advanced search feature.  The postcards can also be viewed randomly. 

The Norwalk History Room and archive combines the library's former Local History Collection with the archival collections of the former Norwalk Museum. The lower level of the main library building at 1 Belden Avenue houses this large array of published and unpublished books and papers, photographs and maps, and more, covering over 300 years of Norwalk history.

The mission of the Norwalk Public Library History Room is to preserve the archival materials, including manuscripts, photographs, maps, newspapers, and books, which illustrate the history of Norwalk, Connecticut. This History Room online database will further our goal of promoting knowledge and appreciation of the long history and rich cultural heritage of the Town of Norwalk. 

NPL has partnered with drivers-test.org to bring you the current CT DMV driver's practice tests for free! Included are car, motorcycle, CDL practice test, and the driver's manuals for each test. Also included are accessibility tools    that let users hear selections read aloud, make them into MP3s, translate pages into other languages, magnify text, and mask portions of the screen for greater visibility on the practice tests.  

This driver education program contains the following CT-specific information: