Meet Heather Doughty, our new Administrative and Technical Services Assistant!

Heather is a former resident of Ledyard and is happy to return to the community. Her first career was with the U.S. Coast Guard Band as a professional musician. She played French horn around the world and retired after twenty years of active duty service. One of her passions is reading; there isn’t one genre that is her favorite, but she tends to lean toward mysteries and suspense thrillers. Her e-reader is filled with quirky fiction, horror, contemporary romance, and a few fantasy and sci-fi novels. She lives in New London with her husband, Bryan. Their three children, Brynn, Hayden, and Bryson, are thriving young adults. In addition to her family, she enjoys editing fiction books, walking, traveling, and baking and decorating cakes.

It's close to the end of our Children's and Teen Summer Adventure Program. We are blown away by all of the adventures everyone has been having and encourage you to log as many as you can before August 6. The winners will be announced on August 10! Here are some adventures that have been logged.

Mason D: Today my mom and I went mini golfing. We had so much fun. When we got home, I went swimming because it was hot outside. I finished reading The Last Kids on Earth book tonight. It was really good. I am going to start reading the Diary of a Wimpy Kid tomorrow night.

Elsie W: I finished a book written in 1960. It was a science fiction called Tom Swift. Since it was written long ago, the words were spelled differently. I thought it was amazing that they set up an air bubble at the bottom of the ocean.

Kate D: Today I created a new playlist with my family. There are all types of music in it: rock, pop, reggae, instrumental. Some of the songs are really old and really new, our music tastes are very different. All together we thought of 120 songs to add! The playlist will be great for future road trips since there’s something for everyone!

Grace G: Today I went rock climbing with my grandparents. One of my brothers and cousin also came. I went on the medium level one and just barely reached the top! The rock wall was 32 feet tall. It was a little scary looking down. It takes a lot of arm strength and mental strength to get to the top.

Jacob L: I got a special award for my troop. It’s called the Worthy Life award, and I got promoted to the Navigators section of the troop!!

Take and Make Monday

Bill Library and Gales Ferry Library

Available on a first-come, first-served basis

August 1 is our last Take and Make Monday for the summer. This has been a very popular program so don’t hesitate to stop by the library to get your activity. For our last kit, we are giving away stitch art as well as hot wheels science experiments. 

Creation Station

Thursday, August 4, 10:30 a.m.

Gales Ferry Community Room

Ages 6 – 18

This will be our last Creation Station of the summer and we are paper quilling sea creatures. There are still a few spots left and trust us when we say that this activity is fun and relaxing. 

A big THANK YOU to our Summer Volunteers!

We really appreciate all of the help we get from our teen and adult volunteers. They help shelve books, assemble the take and make crafts, assist with programs, log adventures that get turned in, and more! Without their help, Mrs. Burt would have been lost. Thanks for all you do! If you’d like to be a volunteer at the library, please email Mrs. Burt at sburt@ledyard.lioninc.org.

Ledyard Cookbook Club

Tuesday, August 2, 12:30 p.m.

Gales Ferry Community Center

Join us in sharing recipes from salad books: The Complete Salad Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen and Around the World in 120 Salads by Katie Caldesi. 

Ledyard Senior Book Discussion

Wednesday, August 24, 10:30 a.m.

Ledyard Senior Center

This month, we will be discussing the book Carrying Albert Home: The Somewhat True Story of a Man, His Wife, and Her Alligator by Homer Hickam. It's a book that will make you laugh, cause you to question where you are supposed to be in life, and who you are meant to be with.

New members are always welcome! Click on the book cover to place your hold.

Lisa's picks:

Taste: My Life through Food by Stanley Tucci

Stanley Tucci delivers a comically dry-witted portrayal of his life through food, beginning with his Calabrian family origins and his mother’s elaborate home cooking. We hear about Mr. Tucci’s love affair with food: the preparation, the cooking (of course), the smells, the taste, and the ingredients. This book contains many recipes; you’ll enjoy every literary bite!

Why We Swim (audiobook) by Bonnie Tsui

*Adult Summer Reading Program – Adventure or Beach Read category

Why do we swim? New York Times contributor Bonnie Tsui attempts to answer this age-old question in a journey that takes her across the world to interview the swimming greats, coaches, teachers, and mentors that brought swimming to the forefront of modern sports.

Jen's picks:

The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein

This fun, fast-paced adventure is full of excitement around every corner especially after seventh grader Jake McQuade mistakenly ingests the world's first knowledge pill! Suddenly, he is spewing facts and teaming up with his friends to try and save his middle school before it is shut down.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

A fun, quirky tale involving the curious adventures of Linus Baker, a case worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, as he dutifully responds to a highly classified assignment at the Marsyas Island Orphanage.

It’s time to explore! From July 1 to September 5, Connecticut children age 18 and under, plus one accompanying Connecticut resident adult, can visit participating museums free of charge through the Connecticut Summer at the Museum program. Before you visit, check each participant’s website for specific program details and ticket availability. Click here for more information.

The Ledyard Public Library has several museum passes available for checkout all year long! Most passes offer either free admission or a discount to a variety of CT museums. Thank you to the Friends of the Ledyard Library for funding our museum passes. Click here to view the list.

We are thrilled with all the great photos you’ve been sending us of your vegetable, flower and herb gardens. Keep them coming! We’d also love photos of what you are harvesting and your favorite summertime recipes using fresh veggies, fruits, and herbs. Please send them to Laura at lnorcia@ledyard.lioninc.org, and I will share them with our community. Happy harvesting!

Save the Date

Friends of the Library Book Sale

September 8 - 16

Bill Library

The Friends of the Ledyard Library are entering into their very busy time of year. We are in need of a variety of volunteer help, be it a onetime event, a few events, or ongoing. First up is the Annual Book Sale at Bill Library. This will be the first large sale to happen since 2018, and we have missed this as an important fundraiser. 

Here are some opportunities to volunteer and the dates of the sale:

Saturday, August 27, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. -- Help needed for moving book shelves

Monday, August 29, evening -- Assist the scout group with bringing donations upstairs

Tuesday, August 30, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. -- Drop-in cashier training at the Bill Library

Tuesday, August 30 through Wednesday, September 7 -- Books placed on shelves during regular library hours

Wednesday, September 7, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. -- Member night and $10 entry for non-members

September 8 through 16 -- Regular book sale

Saturday, September 17, 10:00 a.m. -- Clean up

You can also support The Friends through Amazon Smile. Each purchase gives a percentage to the Friends, and it doesn't cost you any extra. Please go to Smile.Amazon.com and look for The Friends of the Ledyard Libraries.

Thank you for your continued support!

Sarah Desormier, President

860-464-9538, Friends@Ledyard.lioninc.org