Update to Library Hours

Both buildings are open from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays this summer.

Bill Library is closed on Sundays until autumn.

Ledyard Public Library is receiving a $20,000 grant from the American Library Association’s Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities to improve library services for residents with disabilities

Thank you to those who came to our Community Conversations to share their experiences and ideas of what we can do to improve our building and library services for people with disabilities. We look forward to enhancing the following areas of the library:

• Installing an automatic door opener at Gales Ferry Library
• Strengthening our collection offerings
• Upgrading technology to aid with programming and events
• Funding programs for all ages to meet local disability needs

Contact Jennifer Smith, Library Director, with any questions at 860-464-9917 or jsmith@ledyardlibrary.org

Meet Beth Nemchek, Our New

Library Assistant

Beth joined the Ledyard Library team in June. After decades of working with preschool children, she turned to her lifelong love of books and landed a dream job as a Library Assistant! Although a fairly recent arrival to Ledyard (2017), Beth and her husband are really enjoying the area after living in several other states. Beth’s main reading interests are medieval history (the War of the Roses and Tudor reigns), historical fiction, crime novels, and famous crime history. She also enjoys knitting, listening to audiobooks, thrifting, and long leisurely walks.

New Photocopiers at Your Library

Library staff is excited to announce the Bill Library and Gales Ferry Library have brand new photocopiers to meet all your business suite needs! New features include self-service faxing, color photocopying, and much more.

Library staff is here to assist you when needed.

Fees remain the same:

Black and white copying/printing = 10 cents per side

Color copying/printing = 50 cents per side

Faxing = $1 per side

Scan to email or scan to a file = free

We are very grateful to the Library Commission and Town of Ledyard for making this public service upgrade possible. Thank you!

Thank you

Both staff and patrons at Bill Library are thoroughly enjoying this beautiful bouquet, brought to us by a very generous patron! We appreciate your thoughtfulness so very much.

Share your summer adventures with us! Visit the library to take advantage of the weekly programs and special events for all ages that allow you to find your voice. Participate in our summer programs for a chance to win great prizes!

If you participated in the Children and Teen Summer Adventure Program or the Adult Summer Reading Program, please take a moment to click below or stop by the library and fill out this very short survey. We really appreciate your time to share your thoughts with us!

Children's Summer Adventure Program

Find Your Voice: Read! Make! Explore!

Last Day to Log Adventures: August 19

Ages birth – 18

There is still time to sign up and log adventures in our Summer Adventure Program! Anything that participants Read, Make, or Explore can be logged. When participants log adventures, they pick which prize they would like to enter to win. Prizes this year include, but are not limited to, karaoke machines, remote control cars, flybar robot pogo balls, and a jumbo Pokemon Pikachu Building Set. Be sure to log your adventures by 5:00 p.m. on August 19! The winners of the prizes will be contacted directly on August 23. Thanks to everyone who participated in a great summer adventure program! 

Books and Blankets Storytime

Wednesday, August 2

4:00 p.m.

Bill Library – Outside

All Ages

Drop in and join Mrs. Burt for an outdoor storytime! Bring a blanket and be ready for stories, songs, and lots of fun. Then, when storytime is over, pop over to check out the Ledyard Farmer’s Market. We will be inside if it is raining or extremely hot.

Rockin' Tots

Friday, August 4

10:30 a.m.

Bill Library

Ages Babies – 5

Drop in and join Mrs. Quada to explore movement, rhythm, and music at the library.

PaCK: Pets and Caring 

Tuesday, August 8

10:30 a.m.

Gales Ferry Library

Ages 4-18

This program is designed for kids interested in pets. A CT Humane Society educator will share a pet-themed book and then lead an interactive discussion about safe and kind interactions with the type of companion animal featured in the book. Important note: The CT Humane Society Educator will not bring live animals for safety, allergy, distraction, and fear concerns. Instead, they use life-size plush pets for hands-on demonstration and interactive learning.

LEGO Story Starter Workshop  

Tuesday, August 15

3:00 p.m.

Gales Ferry Community Center

Ages 6-11

Participants will create a unique personal story by using LEGO design tools and tablet-based computer animation software. They will create their very own storyboard/comic strip. This program will foster creative thinking, computer animation skills development, story construction and sequencing, and design thinking. Marc Cournoyer, Education Program Coordinator for 4-H Youth Development, will facilitate this program.

Teen Summer Adventure Program

Find Your Voice: Read! Make! Explore!

Last Day to Log Adventures: August 19

Ledyard Public Library is proud to run a Summer Adventure Program where we encourage teens to log their adventures during the summer! Anything that participants Read, Make, or Explore can be logged. When participants log adventures, they pick which prize they would like to enter to win. Prizes this year include, but are not limited to, karaoke machines, vinyl record players, Star Projector Galaxy Lights, and Amazon gift cards. 

Be sure to log your adventures by 5:00 p.m. on August 19! The winners of the prizes will be contacted directly on August 23. Thanks to everyone who participated in a great summer adventure program!

Creation Station: Fun with Plastic Lace  

Thursday, August 3

10:30 a.m.

Gales Ferry Library

Ages 10 – 18

Mrs. Burt was feeling a little nostalgic for her summer camp days and decided to get the plastic lace out! Participants will learn to weave the lace together to make either a keychain or lanyard. 

Teen Trivia: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Saturday, August 5

2:00 p.m.

Bill Library

Ages 12-18

Do you know everything about TMNT? Test your skills and you may be the winner of a $10.00 gift card. Sign up individually or in teams to participate.

Teen Book Club: All CT Reads Event

Wednesday, August 9

4:00 p.m.

Bill Library

Ages 12 – 18

A program of the CT State Library, All CT Reads is a year-long initiative to promote lifelong reading, learning, and connection. We are happy to participate in this initiative during our summer programming. Participants will read and discuss Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed. Register today and then pick up your book at the Bill Library circulation desk.

Adult Summer Reading Program

Find Your Voice

Ends August 26

You still have time to participate in the Library’s Adult Summer Reading Bingo! Pick up a Bingo card at either Bill or Gales Ferry Library, read books from any of the categories, and receive your entries into our prize drawing. Remember, you do not have to complete rows or columns to earn prize entries. Each square you complete counts!

The final day we will be accepting entries for the prize drawing is Saturday, August 26. Winners will be announced the following week.

Cookbook Club

Tuesday, August 1

12:30 p.m.                        

Gales Ferry Community Center

Join us this month as we explore dishes for the season with The Complete Summer Cookbook: Beat the Heat with 500 Recipes That Make the Most of Summer’s Bounty by America’s Test Kitchen and Sweet and Tart: 70 Irresistible Recipes with Citrus by Carla Snyder. Come taste summer!

Tech Days

Tuesday, August 9

By appointment between 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Bill Library

Thursday, August 17

By appointment between 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Gales Ferry Library

Do you need help with a computer, tablet, e-reader, or some software? Do you want to learn how to use specific websites? Are you unsure of how to utilize the library's digital resources? Assistant Librarian Matt Novosad will be able to assist with your technological questions and concerns. Appointments are in 30-minute blocks.

After you register, the library will contact you to confirm your appointment and the details of your tech inquiry. If the available dates and times are not a good fit for your schedule, please reach out to schedule an appointment at a more convenient time.

Please bring any relevant devices and passwords for your email or other accounts with you.

Take and Make: Seed Art

Wednesday, August 16

Anytime between 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Gales Ferry Library

Stop by to pick up this seed art craft. It is a unique way of expression that is a form of folk art and so fun to do. All materials provided.

Senior Book Discussion

Wednesday, August 23

10:30 a.m.

Ledyard Senior Center

Adult 55+

Come share in this fantastic story, Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Read the story of a young destitute girl and her journey to become one of Japan’s most notable Geishas. Be transported as it delves into history, culture, longing, exploitation, and personal triumph.

The Bill Library and Gales Ferry Library now have World Language collections for children, teens, and adults. These items are mostly written in Spanish but include other languages as well.

Beth

Figures in Silk by Vanora Bennett

Erica

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Erin

Hidden Gem words and pictures by Linda Liu

Jackie

Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Jen

The Umbrella words by Beth Ferry and pictures by Tom Lichtenheld

Laura

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson

Matt

Afterlives: A Novel by Abdulrazak Gurnah

Click on the above book titles to place a hold online, or give us a call and we can place the hold for you.

Though the weather has been less than cooperative, our Ledyard Seed Library users have been having success in their gardens. Thanks to JC, Kathryn, Ron, Sharon, Roberta, Jen, and Michael who sent in photos of their gardens and produce. If you’d like to share photos of your gardens (using our Seed Library seeds), please send them to Laura at lnorcia@ledyardlibrary.org.

Annual Book Sale

Thursday, August 18 – Sunday, August 27

Bill Library

We appreciate your book donations! We are unable to accept them after July 29 at the Bill Library to allow the Friends of the Library time to prepare for the Annual Book Sale. You can still donate books at the Gales Ferry Library.

August 9: Book Lovers Day! See signage in the library and on Facebook for more details.

We are looking for volunteers to help with the annual book sale. Can you help with setting up, running the cash register, and/or cleaning up after the sale? Contact Sarah (contact info below) if you are interested and available to help.

Setup:

Saturday, August 12: carry shelves and books upstairs between 10:00 a.m. –

5:00 p.m.

Sunday, August 13: shelve books for the book sale between 9:00 a.m. –

5:00 p.m.

• Saturday, August 12 – Thursday, August 17: put books on shelves during library hours. (Thursday, August 17, the library is closed due but staff is there 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Ring the doorbell.)

Book Sale Hours:

• Friday, August 18, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Member night and $10 entry for nonmembers
• Saturday, August 19, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Sunday, August 20, 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Monday, August 21, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, August 22, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, August 23, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Thursday, August 24, closed
• Friday, August 25, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, August 26, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, August 27, 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Cleanup:

           Sunday, August 27: box up books and carry shelves down at 6:00 p.m.

           Monday, August 28: assist with loading books for book pickup at 10:00 a.m.

The Snowflake Festival Silent Auction Committee is looking for donations of themed baskets, gift certificates, ribbon, cellophane tape, etc. for the November silent auction fundraiser. It is very helpful if the baskets are wrapped and accompanied by their value and a list of contents. Please contact Andrea Buka at aahbuka@gmail.com, Jan Dawson at bsktladee@gmail.com, or Laura Norcia at lnorcia@ledyardlibrary.org if you have any questions or would like to help with the Silent Auction. We appreciate your support.

Sarah Desormier, President

860 464-9538, New email: FOLLpresident@gmail.com

Ledyard Library at the Farmer's Market

Wednesday, August 30

4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Farmer's Market

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Open House at Bill Library

Follow the bubbles! Mrs. Burt will have bubbles, a craft, and a way for you to sign up for a library card at the market! There will also be an open house and tour of the Bill Library after the market. Stop by the library to get the scoop on all the happenings at your library. This is a fun town event, and we hope to see you there!