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Executive Director's Letter
Dear Library Patrons,
A recent review of attendance during the Smithsonian's "Human Origins: What Does It Mean to be Human?" substantiates the public's enthusiasm for thoughtful exhibits and programs.
Total visits for January 2016 were 7,429 adults and children, while January 2017 saw 17,885. Norwich public schools, NFA, individual visitations and attendance at programs all account for this phenomenal increase. The residual impact is also apparent in February.
While not every experience offered by Otis Library carries the imprimatur of the Smithsonian, Otis works hard to find innovative programs that draw together disparate parts of the community and encourage thoughtful exchanges between community members. When we describe Otis as a center of community activity or community center, this is what we have in mind. From the variety of activities offered at Otis Library it is also clear that while the is an audience for traditional library programs people are also gravitating towards program niches because they satisfy narrower interests better, and we all have some narrow interest. Our challenge is testing, experimenting, and identifying the specialized and less traditional programming elements without neglecting the programs that appeal to broad audiences. It is a challenge we relish.
Robert Farwell
Executive Director
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Free Tax Assistance
Otis Library is partnering with TVCCA VITA to provide free assistance with tax returns. TVCCA VITA offers free tax preparation, fast electronically filed tax returns, IRS-trained and certified volunteer tax preparers, and financial education and budgeting workshops.
Tax return assistance is offered at Otis Library by appointment only on Wednesdays, 11:00am - 2:00pm, from February 8 through April 12. Limitations apply. Please call TVCCA at 860-425-6597 for more information and to make an appointment.
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Chess Tournament
Otis Library will host the Norwich Chess Open on Saturday, March 25, in the Millie and Martin Shapiro Community Room. The entry fee for this United States Chess Federation (USFC) tournament is $30, on-site only. The structure of the tournament is 3-SS, G/30 d5. Registration is 10am - 10:20am. Round 1 begins at 10:40am, Rounds 2 and 3 as soon as possible. First prize is $240, second prize is $120; based on 12 entries. Open to all ages and ratings.
A Free Non-Rated Beginners Section is open to players who have never been a USCF member. Register 11 am - 11:15 am. 3-SS, G/15 d5. Top three win prizes.
For further information, contact Rob Roy at 860-742-5562 or
[email protected] . This event is sponsored by The Friends of Otis Library.
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The Friends of Otis Library Book Sale is Coming Soon!
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Global Road Warrior
Global Road Warrior is a world-class e-content database offering country-by-country information on 175 nations and territories.
Topics for each country include society and culture, travel essentials, business culture, communications and more. Global Road Warrior also promotes cross-cultural understanding through comparative studies.
Business people engaged in international trade, students researching country reports and patrons planning international travel will all find what they need within this site.
To access the Global Road Warrior, visit Otis Library's
website.
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Programs for Adults
Feeling a little lost with all the new technology? Maybe even some of the old technology? We are ready to assist you with one-on-one instruction tailored to your specific needs. Topics include basic computer skills, navigating the internet, e-mail, e-readers, and Microsoft Office. Assistance will be provided by appointment only on Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm. Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information or to make an appointment.
Technology Classes are offered in Spanish on Mondays between 5pm - 8pm by appointment only. Please call (860) 889-2365, ext. 100, to register.
Drop-In Chess
Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm in the Business Center
Players of all ages and skill levels are invited to play chess. Use one of our chess sets or bring your own.
Drop-In Knitting Group
The Rows City Knitters meet every Friday at 10am in the Meeting Room. All skill levels welcome! For more information, call (860) 889-2365, ext. 128.
Sponsored by the R. S. Gernon Trust
The Writers Workshop will meet 2nd and 4th Saturdays of January, February and March at 10:30am in the Meeting Room. This program will be facilitated by Writing Instructor Mary Lu Higgins.
The bi-weekly monthly meetings in a small, personal environment will motivate and support the writer. Each workshop will provide a short lecture, a creative exercise, discussion and positive feedback. Both new and experienced writers are welcome. Registration is required; call (860) 889-2365, ext. 128.
Wednesday, March 8, 5pm.
Join us in the Meeting Room for great conversation and refreshments as we discuss
Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. Copies of the book are available to borrow at the Front Desk. No registration required.
Women's History Month Tea
Saturday, March 18, 12pm
Otis Library, in partnership with the Norwich Free Academy History Department, is hosting a Women's History Month Tea in the Community Room to celebrate this year's theme of "Women in Science." Join Norwich Free Academy students as they portray groundbreaking women in history! Tea and desserts will be served. Free event; registration is required. Call (860) 889-2365, ext. 128, or
register on our online
calendar. Recommended for children grades 5 and up, teens, and adults.
Otis Library will host historian and naturalist Dr. Kevin Dann in the Millie and Martin Shapiro Community Room.
In honor of the 200th anniversary of Henry David Thoreau's birth, Dr. Kevin Dann is walking from New York City to Concord, Massachusetts. Performing
Captain of a Huckleberry Party - his provocative celebration of Thoreau in riddle, rhyme, and story - in 13 towns along the way, he hopes to inspire a new generation of Americans to take up Thoreau's practice of enlivened observation of nature and enlightened citizenship.
Dr. Kevin Dann is the author of 10 books, including
Bright Colors Falsely Seen:
Synaesthesia and the Search for Transcendental Knowledge;
Across the Great Border Fault: The Naturalist Myth in America; and
Lewis Creek Lost and Found. His latest book,
Expect Great Things: The Life and Search of Henry David Thoreau, will be available for sale and signing. Dr. Dann has taught at Rutgers University, University of Vermont, and SUNY. He wrote, produced, and acted in Brooklyn's first immersive street mystery,
Enigma.
This program is free and open to the public. No registration required.
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Programs for Tweens and Teens
All programs are offered at no charge to the public. Registration is required for some programs. Please register in person at the Front Desk; by calling (860) 889-2365, ext. 100; or you may register for our programs via our
online calendar.
Anime Club of Otis Library (grades 5 and up)
Wednesday, March 15, 6pm - 7pm
Pocky & Paint Party: Japanese Art Class! Express your creativity through Japanese-themed art projects as you snack on Pocky. Please
register. Program will take place in the Young Adult Department.
Women's History Month Tea
Saturday, March 18, 12pm
Otis Library, in partnership with the Norwich Free Academy History Department, is hosting a Women's History Month Tea to celebrate this year's theme of "Women in Science." Join Norwich Free Academy students as they portray groundbreaking women in history! Tea and desserts will be served. Free event; registration is required. Call (860) 889-2365, ext. 128, or
register on our online
calendar.
Tween Advisory Board: Rick Astley Party (grades 5 - 8)
Wednesday, March 22, 6pm - 7pm
This month: Rick Astley Party! Share your ideas and participate in program planning! Have fun with students your own age. Get ready to dance and show off your moves as you roll to Rick! Program will take place in the Community Room.
Tween Book Club (grades 6- 8)
Monday, March 27, 6pm - 7pm
Sponsored by the Norwich Recreation Department - thank you!
To celebrate Youth Art Month we will read
Under The Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald. What's hiding under the egg? Only two people know about the masterpiece hidden in the Tenpenny home - and one of them is dead. There will be pizza and related activities. Please
register. Pick up a copy of the book at the Front Desk. Program will take place in the Story Room.
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Children's Programs
All programs are offered at no charge to the public. Registration is required for some programs. Please register in person at the Children's Desk; by calling (860) 889-2365, ext. 114; or you may register for our programs via our
online calendar.
Open Art Clinic (ages 5 - 12)
Wednesdays, March 1 & 15, 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Sponsored by Attorney Bart Sayet and Ms. Lori Lindfors & the Norwich Recreation Department - thank you!
Create a cool work of art at our Open Art Clinic! Express yourself by making a take-home project with a variety of art materials. No registration required.
Mother Goose & More (ages zero to 23 months)
Mondays, March 6, 13, 20, & 27, 10:30am (program); 11am - 12pm (playgroup)
Funded by the Norwich Recreation Department - thank you!
Enjoy 30 minutes of rhymes, songs, and other activities for the very young, then stay (or not) for a one-hour open play group. Older siblings are welcome! No registration required.
Recipe for Success (ages 8 - 11)
Saturday, March 11, 11am - 12pm
Rainbows are always lucky, especially when made out of healthy fruit! Create your own rainbow and join in other fun activities! Please
register.
Toddler Storytime (ages 2 - 3, with adult)
Tuesdays, March 14 - May 16 (no class April 11), 10:30am - 11am
Sponsored by the Norwich Recreation Department
Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, and a simple craft with your child! Space is limited; please
register.
Preschool Storytime (ages 3 - 6)
Thursdays, March 16 - May 18, (no class April 13), 10:30am - 11:15am
Children enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, and a craft while their grownups wait in the Children's Department. Space is limited; please
register.
Music With Margie (ages 2 - 5)
Thursdays, March 16 & 30, 12:30pm - 1pm
Join this joy-based music and movement class with your child. Register for one or both classes
online or at the Children's Desk.
Bella! Therapy Dog Extraordinaire (all ages)
Saturday, March 18, 11am - 12pm
Courtesy of Ms. Pepin - thank you!
Visit and read to our very favorite therapy pub, Bella. No registration required.
Kids Imagine Book Club (grades 3 - 5)
Monday, March 20, 6pm - 7pm
To celebrate Youth Art Month, we will read
A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet. Please read the book before the meeting. The book explores the life and work of an amazing artist. There will be pizza and a watercolor activity inspired by the artistic journey of Horace Pippin! Please
register. Meeting will take place in the Story Room. Pick up a copy of the book at the Front Desk.
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Storytime (ages 3 - 5, with grownup)
Saturday, March 25, 10:30am - 11:15am
To celebrate Youth Art Month we will be having a colorful storytime! Who doesn't love the color purple, especially after reading the delightful book
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson? There will be stories, art and perhaps even some purple food! Each child will receive a copy of the beloved classic to take home. Please
register; space is limited.
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Delicious Discussions Author Series
Our next Delicious Discussions Author Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, March 15, and will feature Harry Haskell, author of
Maiden Flight. Please join us at Michael Jordan's Steak House at Mohegan Sun from 12 - 1:30pm for this fantastic event and celebrate Women's History Month!
The Delicious Discussions Author Series is an ongoing partnership with Bank Square Books and Michael Jordan's Steak House. The luncheon is generously sponsored by Guinan & Houle, LLP, Attorneys at Law.
Maiden Flight is the true story of the Wright sister who in 1926 left her world-famous and intensely possessive older brother to marry newspaper editor Harry Haskell, the man she loved, and suffered the unhappy consequences. An international celebrity in her own right, Katharine Wright embodied the worldly, independent, and self-fulfilled New Woman of the early twentieth century, yet she remained in many ways a Victorian. Torn between duty and love, she agonized for months before making her devastating break with Orville at age 52.
Tickets are $40 and include lunch, dessert, a paperback copy of
Maiden Flight and author signing. Reservations are required. To purchase tickets, contact Kate McDonald, Development Manager at (860) 889-2365, ext. 127 or [email protected] or visit:
Harry Haskell is the grandson of Henry J. (Harry) Haskell, husband of Katharine Wright. He is the author of
Boss-Busters and Sin Hounds:
Kansas City and Its Star, The Early Music Revival:
A History, and editor of
The Attentive Listener: Three Centuries of Music Criticism. He lives in Guilford, Connecticut.
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Sponsored by Wheeler Library and Diana Hunt
Otis Library has partnered with Wheeler Library to share a Seed Lending Library open to all! How does it work? Choose one or two seed packets from the box at the Front Desk. They are free - really! If you would like more, you may browse the collection at Wheeler Library, 101 Main Street, in North Stonington. No residency required. To learn about Wheeler Library's Seed Lending Library, visit their
website.
Change your mind, or have more than you need? Bring them back to Otis Library or Wheeler Library and we will make them available to other gardeners. At the end of the season, if your plants have made seeds for you, please bring some to Wheeler Library, so that they may continue to sponsor the Seed Lending Library.
We would love to see photographs of your plants from the Seed Lending Library! Please share them with us, and we may post them to the Otis Library Facebook page!
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Shoutbomb - Text Us!
Receive text messages when:
- Items you requested are ready for pickup
- Items you borrowed are almost due
- Items you borrowed are overdue
Text the library to:
- Renew your items
- Search for an item
Sign up for free! (Standard texting rates apply)
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CORE: A Shared Calendar of Regional Events
Looking for things to do this weekend? Visit the CORE calendar! CORE is a collaborative of organizations based in eastern CT with a shared goal of providing the community one regional go-to calendar of events for all things happening in the area. Be sure to check back often as it is updated daily!
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Hours
Monday & Wednesday 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Closed on Saturdays in July & August
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