In This Issue:

May 2019

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The Norwalk Library will be closed
Sunday, May 26 & Monday, May 27 in honor of Memorial Day
 Greetings!

Did you ever notice that every association you have-work, family, friends, community, has an ending ceremony in May? Your library family is no exception.

We start the month off with the Friends' semiannual book sale. (Please note that the Friends Café "cake lady" Nijole Potts will soon be opening a permanent café in the main library. Stay tuned next month!)




Then Norwalk 2.0 launches year three of Iconic Norwalk at the main library on May 17.The next day at both the South Norwalk branch and the main library is the semiannual Norwalk Reads children's book giveaway.


At the end of the month, just after Memorial Day, you will be asked to comment on the library's strategic plan and building program. Come to the main library on May 28 either at 2:00 pm or at 7:30 pm to tell us what you think.These plans will determine the course of our library's services and facilities for years to come.

Chris
Art Display  display
Watercolor Art Exhibit at NPL April 14 - May 18
Spring into Art and Nature with Local Artist Noreen Normand



Noreen Normand's interest in the arts developed while she was a student at Bay Path College, but it wasn't until she retired that she was able to devote time and energy to the art of watercolor. She began by studying with Bedla Szabo, and took drawing classes with Frank Post at Norwalk Community College. She also studied under Barbara Lawless and Eddie Nino at the Westport Center for Senior Activities, and Richard Rauh, and continued to develop her skills under several local artists. Her love of gardening and flower arranging led her to painting botanicals and floras before expanding to landscapes and seascapes.

Normand is a member of the Black Rock Art Guild (BRAG) and the Fairfield County Arts Association (FCAA). Her works have been exhibited at The Mayors Gallery - Norwalk City Hall, Independence Hall, Fairfield, Westport Center for Senior Activities, Weston Senior Center, Harborview Art Show - Saugatuck, Norwalk Public Library, Atria of Darien, SoNo and The Seaport Association, Fairfield University Book Store.
May Programs & Events  events

Iconic Norwalk 2.0

Friday, May 17
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Main Library Studio One

With over 2500 images submitted over two years, this project has really highlighted the best places in Norwalk. Come join us at the Norwalk Library to hear the details, and see the winning entries, plus all the rest of the entries. 

Co-sponsored by Norwalk Public Library

Norwalk Public Library Creates Opportunities for
Indie-Published Authors
The Norwalk Public Library is pleased to join in the announcement of a local author contest that will accept submissions of adult and young adult (YA) fiction, to be recognized as the top independently-published eBooks in Connecticut.
AuthorSpeak  AuthorSpeak
Family Tree: Rooted in Survival
Rebecca Freimann

Sunday, May 19
3:00 - 4:30 pm
Main Library Auditorium
A light lunch will be provided courtesy of the library.


AuthorSpeak at Norwalk Public Library welcomes Rebecca Freimann who will discuss her book Family Tree: Rooted in Survival.

 Family Tree: Rooted in Survival tells the never-before - told true story of three family branches and their struggles to survive the horrors of the Holocaust. Family members are separated from one another and must find the will to survive on their own. Will their will be enough to withstand the Nazi crimes against humanity? Will they find one another again and be able to make a life after survival? 

Rebecca Freimann grew up in Orange CT. Her grandparents were residents of Norwalk and owned Neustaedt Jewelers until their retirement. Rebecca currently lives in NY and works as a special education teacher. This is her first book.

Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or 
Free Performance of 'The Secrets of a Mockingbird'
Actress Prudence Wright Holmes in 
One-Woman Show

Monday, May 20
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Main Library Auditorium


Norwalk Public Library is pleased to announce the return of Prudence Wright Holmes in a solo performance of "The Secrets of a Mockingbird". A light lunch will be provided courtesy of the library.

Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, was one of America's most beloved, but reclusive authors. In this one-woman show, we learn of her close relationships with her father and her childhood friend, Truman Capote, until they both broke her heart. She never wrote another book - until she did.

Prudence Wright Holmes has appeared in the films: Sister Act I and II, with Whoopi Goldberg; Kingpin, with Woody Harrelson; Dreams, with Annette Bening; My Own Love Song, with Renee Zellweger; After Life, with Liam Neeson; and God's Pocket, with Philip Seymour Hoffman. On Broadway, she appeared in Happy End, with Meryl Streep; Lettice and Lovage, with Maggie Smith; Inherit the Wind, with George C. Scott; and The Light in the Piazza. She wrote and performed her critically-acclaimed solo show Bexley, OH! at New York Theatre Workshop. She is currently touring her solo show, Call Me William, the Life and Loves of Willa Cather, as well as her interactive murder mystery, Agatha is Missing.

Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or  clahey@norwalkpl.org.

Breaking Kola:
An inside View of African Customs

Catherine Onyemelukwe

Wednesday, May 22
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Main Library Auditorium
A light lunch will be provided by the Library.


AuthorSpeak welcomes Catherine Onyemelukwe who will be discussing her book Breaking Kola:An Inside View of African Customs.

Breaking Kola An Inside View of African Customs Breaking Kola a sign of hospitality , respect and community in Igbo culture, has become familiar and beloved ceremony for Catherine. During her twenty-four years in Nigeria she participated in breaking kola with family and friends hundreds, of times. She continues to share in the ritual on her frequent visits back to the country where she married, raised a family, and has children and grandchildren. 


Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or
clahey@norwalkpl.org.
Libro Spring Book selection. 
Co-sponsored by  the National Organization of Italian American Women 

Love that Moves the Sun
by Linda Cardillo

Thursday, May 23
7:00 - 8:15 pm
Main Library Auditorium


The author has very graciously agreed to lead the discussion on her book. Linda will also be signing and selling copies of the book that evening.

Discover love's profound terror and fierce beauty as Vittoria Colonna ignites the spirit of Michelangelo.

"Cardillo's . . . latest book is a sweeping historical epic and a sensitively observed exploration of the passionate friendship between Colonna and Michelangelo . . . . Ambitious in scope, the narrative covers 1500 to 1547, shifting between their relationship and Colonna's childhood and adolescence on the island of Ischia, her marriage to Ferrante and his betrayal of her trust, and her development as a poet. . . . A stirring and emotionally resonant portrait of a pivotal relationship in the life of Michelangelo." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Linda Cardillo's Love That Moves the Sun centers on Vittoria Colonna and Michelangelo Buonarroti, and is an elegant portrayal of the friendship between the poet and the artist who stirred her from solitude. Intimate and perspective-driven, it explores faith, love, and the lines where public and private life converge." -- Clarion Review (Five Stars)

"... an intimate, rich, engrossing glimpse into the life of one of the most celebrated poets of the Renaissance and her extraordinary relationship with Michelangelo." - Susanne Dunlap, author of Émilie's Voice and Liszt's Kiss.

He was the genius of his age; revered sculptor, painter, architect and poet; fiercely devoted friend; beleaguered artist to the popes; and a pilgrim in search of an elusive redemption.

She was an acclaimed poet; dutiful daughter; adoring yet betrayed wife; powerful political voice; spiritual seeker; suspected heretic; and the only woman Michelangelo ever loved.

Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or 
clahey@norwalkpl.org.
Wives of Henry VIII
A four part series

Catherine of Aragon 

Friday, May 31
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Main Library Auditorium


The Norwalk Public Library is pleased to present a four-part series, "Wives of Henry VIII," about four of the six wives of the King of England, who reigned from 1509 - 1547. Historian and Reference Librarian Ramona Garcia will present a fascinating view of Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour and Catherine Parr, all of whom left more than a passing influence on the monarch's life.

If you love historical fiction, romance and intrigue, you won't want to miss the real stories behind the fiction! Save the dates, and register now for these programs. The first program in the series, "Catherine of Aragon," will take place on Friday, May 31, at 12 noon, in the Main Auditorium, located at 1 Belden Avenue, Norwalk. A light lunch will be provided courtesy of the library.

Known throughout Fairfield County for her dynamic history presentations, Ramona Garcia works as a part-time Reference Librarian. She has a PhD in history, and has taught European  history at the college level. She has presented conference papers in the United States and Great Britain, and has been published in her field of English history.

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Part 2 - Anne Boleyn - Friday, June 28                 Register

Part 3 - Jane Seymour - Friday, July 26                Register

Part 4 - Catherine Parr - Friday, August 30            Register

Studio One Workshop studio
Click to register for the May 4th workshop            Click to register for the May 6th workshop
Business Workshops  business
A free SCORE Small Business Workshop co-sponsored by The Norwalk Public Library


Website Design for Small Business

Wednesday, May 15
6:00 - 8:00 pm (check in starts at 5:30)
Main Library Auditorium


What makes a business website work? What doesn't? This presentation examines the inner workings of a successful web presence, including design, content and usability. We explore options for building and managing your own website, as well as overviews on domain names, search engine optimization (SEO) and designing responsively for mobile screens.

This workshop will explore:
  • Website home page design & usability
  • Trends for 2019 in type, design & color
  • WordPress and Content Management Systems
  • D-I-Y websites (like WIX & SquareSpace)
  • The User Experience and Interface (UX/UI)
Presenter: Jeff Seaver

Jeff Seaver runs Seaver Interactive, a digital marketing and website design firm in Westport, CT. He has been building websites and creating online content for over 25 years and is an accomplished designer, artist and computer expert. Jeff has taught at the graduate school level and lectures widely on technology.
A free  SCORE Small Business Workshop  co-sponsored by
The Norwalk Public Library


Content Marketing for Small Business

Wednesday, May 29
6:00 - 8:00 pm (check in starts at 5:30)
Main Library Auditorium

Register

Content Marketing is much more than blogs, white papers and posts. It's a strategy to deliver valuable, relevant information to a clearly defined audience that drives profitable customer actions. Content marketing is a powerful tool for local small business. It can grow your customers and deliver a positive ROI without investing a ton of money.

This workshop will explore:
  • Content Marketing strategy
  • Step-by-step planning for implementation
  • Targeting your marketing
  • Measuring ROI
  • Rinse and Repeat

Presenter: Jeff Seaver 


Jeff Seaver runs Seaver Interactive, a digital marketing and website design firm in Westport, CT. He has been building websites and creating online content for over 25 years and is an accomplished designer, artist and computer expert. Jeff has taught at the graduate school level and lectures widely on technology.

Book Discussion bd
Readers' Choice Book Group

The Tattooist of Auschwitz
by Heather Morris 

Wednesday, May 8
2:00 pm
Norwalk Senior Center
11 Allen Rd. Norwalk, Ct

Norwalk Library's Director of Library Information Services, Cynde Bloom Lahey, will lead a discussion of The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris.

#1 New York Times Bestseller and #1 International Bestseller
This beautiful, illuminating tale of hope and courage is based on interviews that were conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov-an unforgettable love story in the midst of atrocity.

"The Tattooist of Auschwitz is an extraordinary document, a story about the extremes of human behavior existing side by side: calculated brutality alongside impulsive and selfless acts of love. I find it hard to imagine anyone who would not be drawn in, confronted and moved. I would recommend it unreservedly to anyone, whether they'd read a hundred Holocaust stories or none."-Graeme Simsion, internationally-bestselling author of The Rosie Project.

In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.

Imprisoned for over two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism-but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.

One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her.

A vivid, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful re-creation of Lale Sokolov's experiences as the man who tattooed the arms of thousands of prisoners with what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also a testament to the endurance of love and humanity under the darkest possible conditions.

Norwalk Library's Director of Library Information Services, Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or clahey@norwalkpl.org.
Books Sandwiched In

Lillian Boxfish Takes A Walk
Kathleen Rooney

Thursday, May 30
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Carnegie Room

Bring your lunch and join Reference Librarian Susannah Violino for a lively discussion of  Lillian Boxfish Takes A Walk by Kathleen Rooney.

She took 1930s New York by storm, working her way up writing copy for R.H. Macy's to become the highest paid advertising woman in the country. It was a job that, she says, "in some ways saved my life, and in other ways ruined it."

Now it's the last night of 1984 and Lillian, 85 years old but just as sharp and savvy as ever, is on her way to a party. It's chilly enough out for her mink coat and Manhattan is grittier now-her son keeps warning her about a subway vigilante on the prowl-but the quick-tongued poetess has never been one to scare easily. On a walk that takes her over 10 miles around the city, she meets bartenders, bodega clerks, security guards, criminals, children, parents, and parents-to-be, while reviewing a life of excitement and adversity, passion and heartbreak, illuminating all the ways New York has changed-and has not.

A love letter to city life in all its guts and grandeur, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney paints a portrait of a remarkable woman across the canvas of a changing America: from the Jazz Age to the onset of the AIDS epidemic; the Great Depression to the birth of hip-hop.

Lillian figures she might as well take her time. For now, after all, the night is still young.
 
Books Sandwiched In meets the last Thursday of every month.

For further information, please contact Susannah Violino at (203) 899-2780 ext 15115, or sviolino@norwalkpl.org
Weekly Programs  Weekly

Zumba with Karen

Children & Parents - Mondays
 5:00 - 5:45 pm
Adults & Teens - Mondays
6:00 - 7:00 pm

               Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance


Tuesdays
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Auditorium
Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance is an evidence-based fall prevention program that transforms traditional martial arts movements into a therapeutic regimen aimed at improving postural stability, awareness and mindful control of body positioning in space, functional walking, movement symmetry and coordination, range of motion around the ankle and hip joints, and lower-extremity muscle strength

Low Impact Aerobics with Linda

Tuesdays & Thursdays
  1:30 - 2:30 pm
 Teen Room

Linda Lombardo is known to local residents for her work as a Silver Sneakers instructor, Linda has been a Business Education teacher with the New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Greenwich and Stamford Public School Systems for over 20 years. She is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a health fitness instructor, personal trainer and nutrition counselor. Stop by on Tuesday or Thursday to welcome Linda and try out a new version of Low Impact Aerobics.

QiGong by Bill Wrenn

Wednesdays
5:30 - 6:00 pm
Main Floor Reference Area

For additional information, please contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext 15133 or clahey@norwalkpl.org
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children
Norwalk History Room  history
Historical Highlights: She Wins The Vote
The 19th Amendment, Norwalk Celebrates 100 Years!

Written by Candi Sterling
Library/Research Assistant

As May's arrival takes us further into spring season, this month also welcomes the 100-year anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The women's suffrage movement was comprised of both national and international advocates that took various approaches to achieving their common goal. On the state level, Connecticut was no exception to evolving as an active hub for noteworthy efforts that helped make votes for women a reality. Norwalk in particular was home to several individuals from that played significant roles in this pivotal campaign.

On Thursday, May 16 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will recognize the history of this landmark legislation at the opening reception of their new exhibition, From Corsets to Suffrage: Victorian Women Trailblazers. Curated by Kathleen Motes Bennewitz, featured items on display represent efforts made by Norwalk residents as well as women and men nationwide. The Norwalk History Room is proud to be part of the collective of partners that have supported the research contributions for this landmark exhibit and centennial celebration!

Curious to discover more about the historical efforts made by Norwalk groundbreakers that helped women win the right to vote? The Norwalk History Room can help you explore a range of news articles published during the height of the suffrage movement as well as biographical information about the "trailblazers" that made headlines.

From Corsets to Suffrage: Victorian Women Trailblazers will be on display from May 16-Nov. 3, 2019, 12-4 p.m. Learn more about the exhibit and other related programs happening at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum website.

If you wish to find out more about the Norwalk History Room, please go to our webpage on the NPL website: http://www.norwalkpl.org/162/Norwalk-History-Room

Come and visit! Learn more about your hometown!
Norwalk History Room Online Database


Our first online records are postcards of Norwalk scenes, most dating from the beginning of the 20th century. We will follow these with regular additions from our collection of thousands of documents and photographs. Search by keyword or use the advanced search feature.  The postcards can also be viewed randomly. 

The Norwalk History Room and archive combines the library's former Local History Collection with the archival collections of the former Norwalk Museum. The lower level of the main library building at 1 Belden Avenue houses this large array of published and unpublished books and papers, photographs and maps, and more, covering over 300 years of Norwalk history.

The mission of the Norwalk Public Library History Room is to preserve the archival materials, including manuscripts, photographs, maps, newspapers, and books, which illustrate the history of Norwalk, Connecticut. This History Room online database will further our goal of promoting knowledge and appreciation of the long history and rich cultural heritage of the Town of Norwalk. 
Burbio.com - Norwalk Calendars

We are excited to announce a great new service that will allow you to easily keep track of everything going on at the library and all over Norwalk. Introducing Burbio.com a free website and app that puts ALL Norwalk schools, library and many other community calendars and events in one place. With Burbio, you can select calendars to follow, create a personalized event feed, sync local events to your Google or iPhone calendars instantly and get notified when things change! 

Sign up for free at:   www.Burbio.com or download the  iPhone App and follow our calendar!


NPL has partnered with drivers-test.org to bring you the current CT DMV driver's practice tests for free! Included are car, motorcycle, CDL practice test, and the driver's manuals for each test. Also included are accessibility tools    that let users hear selections read aloud, make them into MP3s, translate pages into other languages, magnify text, and mask portions of the screen for greater visibility on the practice tests.  

This driver education program contains the following CT-specific information:
- 11 car practice tests
- 9 motorcycle practice tests
- 12 CDL (commercial driver's license) practice tests
- 3 online driver's manuals (car, motorcycle, CDL)
- A FAQ section with detailed answers to over 100 DMV-related questions
Social Security @ NPL


The Social Security Administration offers their Video Service Delivery program at the Norwalk Public Library.

This service is available every Friday  between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon in a small study room on the first floor of the Main Library.  

People needing to speak with a Social Security employee will be able to do so.  Video conferencing equipment has been set up so people can speak face to face with the Social Security employee.  No appointment is necessary.  This service was made available as a result of the closing of the Social Security office in Norwalk a few years ago.

For more information call the reference desk at 203-899-2780 ext. 15109
Norwalk Public Library | 203.899.2780 | 1 Belden Ave. Norwalk , CT