Update to Library Hours

Closed on Friday, November 11 for Veterans Day

Closing early on Wednesday, November 23 at 5:00 p.m.

Closed on Thursday, November 24 for Thanksgiving

Closed on Friday, November 25 for the day after Thanksgiving

Meet Allie Lang, our new Assistant Librarian!

Allie recently moved to Colchester, CT from Massachusetts where she grew up. She is currently pursuing her Master's Degree in Library Science at St. John's University and will graduate this December. Prior to pursuing her passion for librarianship, Allie was a community liaison dietitian in Boston where she developed a love for community engagement and event planning. She lives with her partner, Adam, their dog Freyja, and their two cats Oliver and Susan. In her free time she loves reading, listening to podcasts, learning how to play the piano, and watching scary movies or documentaries. Her favorite book is A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra and she enjoys reading books from many different genres, fiction or non-fiction. Allie is so excited to join the team at Ledyard Public Library and to serve the community of Ledyard. 

Magazine Collection Updates

All magazines at Bill and Gales Ferry Library are now available to check out (even the most current issues). Library staff has worked hard to make both collections more accessible to better serve you! Be sure to check out our magazines next time you visit either library.

Bill Library Association

The Bill Library Association trustees came together last week for their annual pot-luck dinner and meeting. Last fiscal year, the Bill Library Association Inc. presented a scholarship to graduating senior Leilani Weilbacher.

Trunk-or-Treat

Our jungle library safari was a big hit at the Trunk-or-Treat collaborative event this past Friday! Thanks to Ledyard Parks and Recreation for inviting us to join in this town wide festive evening.

Fall Fun Fest

We had a great time over the weekend at our Fall Fun Fest! Some of the favorite activities included listining to spooky stories, making Dracula dentures, and creating DIY orbeez stress balls.

Giggles and Wiggles

Wednesdays, November 2, 9, 16, 30

(No storytime on November 23)

10:30 a.m.

Bill Library

Ages Infant – 3

Great stories, fun finger plays, and lots of dancing. Registration is not required, however space is limited to the first 15 families.

Preschool Storytime

Thursdays, November 3, 10, 17

(No storytime on November 24)

10:30 a.m.

Gales Ferry Community Room

Ages 3 – 5

A fun and energetic storytime! Learning stations will be offered at the end of each storytime to actively engage, entertain, and build the skills of the children who participate. Registration is not required, however space is limited to the first 15 families.

Graphic Novel Book Club

Monday, November 28

4:00 p.m.

Bill Library

Grades 2 – 5

El Deafo by Cece Bell will be available to pick up the month before we meet to discuss the books. Our meetings will be discussion based but there will also be time for trivia and we will occasionally do some drawing.

Lord of the Rings Trivia

Tuesday, November 8

2:00 p.m.

Bill Library

Grades 7 – 12

Do you and your friends know everything about the Lord of the Rings? Test your skills and you may be the winner of a ten dollar gift card. Sign up in teams or individually to participate.

Sweets and Treats: A Cooking Class for Teens

Monday, November 14

5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Ledyard Congregational Church

Grades 7 – 12

Alex Rose, a professional chef will lead participants in creating something with apples. Everyone will go home with some sweet treats and will have learned some new skills in the kitchen. 

Thank you to all of our teen volunteers who assisted in making our Fall Fun Fest event such a success!

Giving Tree: Give a Child A Book

November 1 – December 7

It's that time of year! We are sponsoring a Holiday Giving Tree for the children and teens of Ledyard and Gales Ferry. Gift tags will be hanging on trees at both Bill Library and Gales Ferry Library. You may purchase a book for a child OR the library will choose and buy a book with a $14.00 donation. The books will be given out at the annual toy drive that benefits local families in need. Please return an UNWRAPPED book and tag by December 7th.

We thank you in advance for your generosity and if you have any questions you can reach out to Stacey Burt at [email protected].

Ledyard Cookbook Club

Tuesday, November 1

(First Tuesday of each month)

12:30 p.m.

Gales Ferry Community Center

For the month of November, we are going to make recipes from Tieghan Gerard’s two cookbooks: Half Baked Harvest Cookbook and Half Baked Harvest Every Day: Recipes for balanced, flexible, feel good meals. There is quite a variety and these recipes promise to be fun and delicious! Copies of these titles are available at the Gales Ferry Library.

Stock Discussion

Tuesday, November 1

7:00 p.m.

Gales Ferry Library or Zoom

Harry Pearson is back for a final discussion about today’s stock market. Topic for November: The Use of Technical Indicators to Measure Market Conditions. Participants are encouraged to bring investment ideas and questions to this session.

American Presidents Book Discussion

Tuesday, November 8

7:00 p.m.

Bill Library or Zoom

This month we will be discussing Grover Cleveland. Our discussions include a historical perspective on the American Presidents as we learn about their trials and achievements in the Presidential Office.

What Women Need to Know Before Applying for Social Security

Wednesday, November 9

6:00 p.m.

Zoom

What are some of the unique challenges women face when making Social Security retirement income decisions? What is the advantage of an individual retirement account for retirement income planning? Attendees will learn the answers to these two questions along with a complimentary analysis of their Social Security and Retirement Income Plan.

Make a “Found” Poem

Thursday, November 10

10:30 a.m.

Gales Ferry Library

A creative way to express your gratefulness this Thanksgiving is to take what is in your family’s hearts and create a poem that is beautiful, humorous, uplifting or all three. This is a wonderful family tradition and creates a keepsake for everyone.

Senior Center Book Club

Wednesday, November 16

10:30 a.m.

Ledyard Senior Center

12 Van Tassel Drive, Gales Ferry

For the month of November we will be discussing We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. “A beautifully written mystery, packed with unforgettable characters. An intricately woven portrait of small-town intrigue where old and new sins collide.” Jane Harper

Mohegan Tribe History: 1600s-1700s

Thursday, November 17

10:30 a.m.

Zoom

An outreach and Tradition specialist from the Mohegan Tribe will discuss the history of the tribe during the 1600s and 1700s, touching on the life of Samson Occom. This program is hosted by Stonington Free Library and co-sponsored by the Public Library of New London along with Bill Memorial, Mystic & Noank, Waterford Public, Groton Public, Ledyard Public, and Otis Library. 

Couponing Basics

Monday, November 28

6:30 p.m.

Bill Library 

Looking to save money on groceries and more? Join us to learn how to maximize savings with couponing methods. We’ll discuss types of coupons, how to stack coupons, and how to read coupon fine print.

TumbleBooks: Interactive e-Books for Kids!

Have you heard of Tumblebooks? Ledyard Public Library is proud to offer our patrons unlimited access to this great resource. TumbleBooks are animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they’ll love. TumbleBooks are created by taking existing picture books, adding animation, sound, music and narration to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you. There are many categories including story books, chapter books, graphic novels, non-fiction, and more. Puzzles and games accompany each book and reinforce concepts from the books, allowing for a fun and educational learning experience. You can access TumbleBooks from the Ledyard Public Library website—try it today!

Silent Auction Basket Bidding

Beginning Tuesday, November 1 - Thursday, November 17

Books & More Silent Auction, craft sale, bake sale, and gift quality book sale

Saturday, November 19

9:00 - 3:00 p.m.

We are in full preparation for the upcoming Books & More sale, an important fundraiser. Please consider donating a themed basket, or a few small items to fill in a basket. We are in need of baskets that men would be interested in, and for teens. Feel free to think out of the box, and be creative! 

We would appreciate donations of handmade craft items as well. Hats, mittens, scarves, table runners, and quilts are popular, as are wood crafted items.

Bake sale items can be dropped off in Fri, Nov. 18. Breads and cookies, cakes, pies, brownies and more sell well. Please label the item and note if there are nuts.

The baskets will be on display in both library buildings beginning November 1st, and bidding sheets will be out with them. All items will be at Bill Library on Sat. Nov. 19th, when bidding will continue until 3:00 pm. We will also have a bake sale and a craft sale, along with a selection of gift quality books.

Remember to visit the ongoing book sales at both libraries - in the meeting room at Bill Library, and the Book Cellar at Gales Ferry Library, each of which are open during normal library hours. All sales go towards support of the library. We are currently not accepting donations at either location. We will begin accepting donations of books, DVDs, CDs, puzzles, and games in good or new condition at Bill on November 28, after Books & More.

Sarah Desormier, President

860 464-9538, [email protected]

Key Dates:

Current: Drop off basket donations and craft items

November 1 - 17 Silent Auction Basket Bidding, both buildings 

Friday, November 18 Drop off bake sale items

Saturday, November 19, 9 - 3 p.m. Books & More Silent Auction, craft sale, bake sale, and gift quality book sale

Monday, November 28 Book sale donations accepted at Bill Library

What we need:

Themed baskets for Books & More

Basket filler items

Homemade crafts

Bake sale goods

Donations for new Annual Book Sale Signs