Update to Library Hours

The Library is closed September 4 for Labor Day

Sunday hours at the Bill Library begin October 1

2023 Summer Reading Wrap Up

Wow, what a great summer at the library! Thank you to all who participated in either our youth Summer Adventure Program or our adult Summer Reading Program. We loved hearing about your summer reading adventures.

We had a total of 312 youth participate logging over 5,580 adventures along with 56 adult registrants who completed 499 bingo squares!

Pictured above are some of our prize winners. Congratulations to all!

Ledyard Public Library at the Farmer's Market

On August 30, the Ledyard Community Relations Committee collaborated with the library at the Farmer's Market. Mrs. Burt brought along bubbles, free books, and a craft for kids!

Attendees also learned more about all the free library offerings including programming for any age, online access to eBooks using Libby, and ways to learn a new language with Mango.

September is

Library Card Sign-Up Month

What can you do with a library card?

• Learn a new language using Mango
• Discover a new adventure in our travel section
• Create a 3D project and print it at the library
• Connect with others at one of our programs

Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month



Are you ready for National Hispanic Heritage Month? Celebrated from September 15 to October 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month honors the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the world. Stop by your library to learn something new.

Blue Star Families Welcome Week

Blue Star Families is an organization dedicated to proactively improving military families’ sense of belonging in their communities despite their transient lifestyle. Ledyard Public Library is celebrating Blue Star Welcome Week September 23-October 1 and invites military families to join in our programs throughout the week, as well as all year round!

Libraries Transforming Communities Grant Update

We are working on details to coordinate the installation of an automatic door at the Gales Ferry Library. This building improvement will ease access to our facility.

In addition, we have started to order items for the collection that will strengthen our current adult large print offerings and also enhance areas of our youth collections.

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

Baby Storytime

Mondays, September 11, 18, 25

10:30 a.m.

Gales Ferry Library

Baby Storytime welcomes newborns-18 months and their caregivers to participate in songs, fingerplays, bounces, and more! Register each week you would like to attend due to limited space.

Giggles and Wiggles: Toddler Storytime

Wednesdays, September 13, 20, 27              

10:30 a.m.

Bill Library

Giggles and Wiggles is a fun, active storytime for children ages 18 months-3 and their caregivers. There will be stories, fingerplays, music, and more! Registration is not required. However, space is limited to the first 20 families.

Preschool Storytime

Thursdays, September 14, 21, 28              

10:30 a.m.

Gales Ferry Community Center

Join us for stories, songs, rhymes, and fun for ages 3-5 and their caregivers. Play stations at the end of each storytime actively engage, entertain, and build the skills of the children who participate. We meet in the children’s room of Gales Ferry Library before storytime begins. Registration is not required. However, space is limited to the first 15 families.

Creative Creatures: A PeaceLove Workshop for Kids

Wednesday, September 13             

6:00 p.m.

Bill Library

Ages 6 -12

Participants will explore their feelings and times they have felt those feelings, then create a creature that represents their exploration by using recycled materials. This is a fun and easy craft project for kids who love to create!

Rockin’ Tots

Friday, September 15                   

10:30 a.m.

Bill Library

Explore movement, rhythm, and music at the library. For ages newborns-5 and their caregivers. No registration is required.

Create Cloud Dough

Saturday, September 23              

10:30 a.m.

Bill Library

All ages

Drop in to Bill Library to make cloud dough! This program is for all ages, and no registration is necessary. This program is made possible with help from the Friends of Ledyard Library.

Graphic Novel Book Club

Monday, September 25: Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega                    

4:00 p.m.

Bill Library

Ages 8 - 11



Books will be available for pick up at Bill Library at the beginning of the month the club is meeting. We will discuss the book and different activities are planned.

Woodturning with the Eastern CT Woodturners

Saturday, September 9       

10:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Gales Ferry Community Center

Ages 12 and up



Learn about the art of woodturning! Members from the Eastern Connecticut Woodturners will be at the Gales Ferry Community Center to help participants "turn" a beautiful pen out of wood. This is a FREE event for ages 12 and up and registration is required. However, walk-ins are welcome if space is available.  

PUT THIS ON YOUR CALENDAR!

LitLoot! Fall Box

Sunday, October 1: Registration opens

Wednesday, November 1: Receive box

Ages 12 – 18

Sign up to receive a box with specially selected books, a craft, stickers, treats, and more! This is a very popular program that fills up quickly, so please be sure to mark the registration date on your calendar. This program is made possible with help from the Friends of Ledyard Library.

Cookbook Club

Tuesday, September 5

12:30 p.m.                        

Gales Ferry Community Center

Our recipes this month come from the Boston-based chef Joanne Chang and her books Flour, too; Baking with Less Sugar; Myers + Chang at Home; and Pastry Love. She opened her restaurant, Flour, in Boston, and we are going to see what her recipes are all about. 

Tech Days

Tuesday, September 5

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

Bill Library

Thursday, September 7

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

Gales Ferry Library

Do you need help with a computer, tablet, eReader, or some software? Do you want to learn how to use specific websites? Are you unsure 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, 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.

One Book, One Region Book Discussion

Friday, September 8

2:00 p.m.

Bill Library

The selection this year is What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City. Come and discuss with us the journey of Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha and her team, who worked for the rights of infants, children, and all residents of Flint, Michigan, when something every person needs, healthy water, was in jeopardy. This book is engaging, reads like a novel, and is such an important book for everyone. Multiple copies of the book are available at both library buildings.

Winter Sowing presented by Barbara Duncan

Saturday, September 9

3:00 p.m.

Bill Library

Learn about winter sowing for your garden in this hands-on workshop. You will learn how to sow native wildflowers, perennials, and annuals for planting the following spring. All materials will be provided.

Barbara Duncan is an avid gardener and has served as president of both the Ledyard and North Stonington Garden Clubs.

History of Oktoberfest with Em Sauter

Monday, September 11

6:00 p.m.

Bill Library

Join the Ledyard Public Library in welcoming Em Sauter, beer historian and award-winning cartoonist of the website Pints and Panels, as she explores the history of this iconic Bavarian festival in an illustrated presentation.

This program is made possible with help from the Friends of the Ledyard Library.

Origami Crane Mobile

Saturday, September 16

11:00 a.m.

Gales Ferry Community Center

Join us at the Gales Ferry Community Center to make an origami mobile that is natural and elegant. Origami cranes symbolize peace, love, and hope. We will be guided to fold paper cranes and string them onto natural wood to create a gentle, flowing mobile. This program is made possible with the help of the Friends of Ledyard Library.

One Book, One Region Finale with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha

Wednesday, September 20

7:00 p.m.

Palmer Auditorium at Connecticut College

270 Mohegan Ave Pkwy, New London, CT

Don’t miss the opportunity to attend the OBOR Finale with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the author of What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City. She will open up about her fight to get safe drinking water for the people of Flint, Michigan. A prolific speaker and humanitarian you do not want to miss!

Adult Board Game and Book Club

Saturday, September 23

2:00 p.m.

Bill Library

Come to the Bill Library on the fourth Saturday of every month to try out different board games and talk about a related book of your choice.

September's Game: Wingspan

We encourage patrons to read any avian-themed book to read and discuss with the club. However, this is not a requirement to play, and beginners are always welcome.

Senior Book Discussion

Wednesday, September 27

10:30 a.m.

Ledyard Senior Center

Adult 55+

Come discuss The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal! It's a fun book with important topics and something for everyone. Life hasn’t always been kind to these ladies but they find their way. It is a fun journey! Books are usually handed out at the previous meeting or can be picked up at the Ledyard Gales Ferry Library. We meet the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Ledyard Senior Center. Contact Andrea at 860-464-6943 or aholbrook@ledyardlibrary.org with any questions.

Drop-In Genealogy

Wednesday, September 27

1:30 p.m.

Bill Library and Zoom

Are you interested in delving into your family history but don’t know where to begin? Join the Ledyard Library’s Genealogy Club! Each month, we will have a reading selection that utilizes and discusses pertinent methodologies for genealogists such as microhistory.

Feel free to bring any research you have already conducted or questions you have to share with the group.



We welcome both beginner and experienced genealogists!

Silent Movie Day

Friday, September 29

1:00 p.m.

Bill Library

This year, the Ledyard Public Library is celebrating National Silent Movie Day with a screening of two classic silent films: A Trip to the Moon (Dir. Georges Méliès, 1902. Runtime: 14 minutes) followed by The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Dir. Robert Wiene, 1920. Runtime: 74 Minutes). Never seen a silent movie before? This is your chance to start exploring the early years of cinema! Popcorn provided.

You can access your library account online to place holds, renew materials, and keep track of what you have read. Head to ledyardlibrary.org and click on Library Catalog to get started.

Interested in learning more? Ask a librarian or give us a call!

Erin

Touch the Brightest Star words and pictures by Christie Matheson

Jen

Chasing Ice film by Jeff Orlowski

Laura

Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

Matt

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

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

Have you ever wondered what “seed saving” is all about or why you would save seeds? Now is a great time to learn. Supplies needed are paper bags, envelopes, labeling markers/materials, and a dedicated space to work. Spring and early bloomers are setting seed, and dead-heading to encourage additional blooming is a good way to get started. Examples of flower seeds to save are columbine, feverfew, borage, and dianthus. With vegetables, only heirloom varieties should be saved. We have a wide selection of books on seed saving that provide information about why saving seeds is important, as well as detailed instructions and tips to guide you along the way. Stop by Ledyard Public Library to get started on learning the ins and outs of developing this important and rewarding skill.

If you used seeds from our seed library, this is the last call to send photos of your garden and produce. We love sharing them! Please send photos to Laura at lnorcia@ledyardlibrary.org.

A huge thank you to all who helped with the annual Book Sale at Bill Library! The sale takes all year to prepare for with many hands to make it run smoothly. I’ll have the final results soon. We appreciate those who have stopped in, and a special thank you to those who shopped more than once.

September 18 is Read an eBook Day. In honor of Read an eBook Day, we are asking for donations. Can you spare 18¢ per eBook you have read in September? How about $1.80? Dare we ask for $18? Any amount is appreciated. Please put your donation in an envelope marked eBook Fundraiser and bring it to either Library building.

October 12 is our next Friends meeting at Bill Library. All are welcome at 7:15 p.m.

November 18 is our Snowflake Festival (formally Books and More). Preparations are underway. We need helpers for setup on November 17 and 18 and clean-up crews, cashiers, and helpers to finalize the silent auction and notify the winners on November 18. We are also accepting donations of gift cards, special items, and wrapped themed baskets. The deadline for these is October 13 so we can be ready for bidding to begin on October 27. If you can volunteer or you or your business would like to donate, email SilentAuctionFOLL@gmail.com or call Jan Dawson at 860-912-3235. All proceeds benefit Ledyard Library and its patrons. 

Remember to visit the ongoing book sales at both library buildings – in the meeting room at Bill Library and the Book Cellar at Gales Ferry Library, each open during normal library hours. All sales go towards supporting the library.

Sarah Desormier, President

860 464-9538

FOLLPresident@gmail.com (note the new email)

Ledyard Social Services serves as an Intake Site for TVCCA Energy Assistance. Ledyard and Gales Ferry residents in need of heating assistance may contact Social Services at 860-464-3222 to book an appointment. Please click on the link below for program requirements.

Energy Assistance | Ledyard, CT - Official Website