Newsletter                                          June 2018
Executive Director's Letter

John Lewis Gaddis defines grand strategy as the "alignment of potentially unlimited aspirations with necessarily limited capabilities" At Otis Library we aspire to both serve the public well and ensure that the necessary resources are readily available. The annual appeal, Evening with an Author and the support of the Friends of Otis Library are all part of ensuring that we can provide the programs and services the public expects. This month we will add a new event that is both fun and offers an opportunity to enhance our capacity to serve the public well. On Saturday, June 30, from 10am to 9pm  in conjunction with the Rose Arts Festival, we will host The Edward and Mary Lord Foundation Mini Golf Classic at Otis Library. The library is the course with its 18 holes disbursed among the stacks, and on both floors. The Edward and Mary Lord Foundation generously agreed to be our title sponsor. Opportunities remain to sponsor individual holes and the various "hazards" scattered throughout the course. Mini Golf is designed to appeal to all ages. It is a great way to support Otis Library!

Robert Farwell
Executive Director

A Reminder:  Otis Library is closed on Saturdays in July and August.

The Edward and Mary Lord Foundation Mini Golf Classic at Otis Library!
Saturday, June 30, 10am-9pm
$5/person or $15/family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids); Children under 3 are free

Otis Library is staying open late and supporting the Norwich Rose Arts Festival with a downtown family-friendly event.  Join us for 18 holes of INDOOR mini golf at Otis Library!  The course will wind throughout the
 library, through the stacks and even down the stairs.  Additional activities are planned for even more fun!  Massages, giant games, henna, food, and more!  Affordable fun for all ages!  

Thanks to the support of The Edward and Mary Lord Foundation, Sayet &Seder, Attorneys at Law, and numerous others, we are able to provide you with a new opportunity to have a great time in downtown Norwich while supporting your local library.  Be sure to stop at our table at Chelsea Parade, too, and peruse scrapbooks from Rose Arts Festivals of years past.  There's plenty of time to visit us in both places!  

For sponsorship opportunities or more information, please contact Cathy Special at 860-889-2365 x125 or  cspecial@otislibrarynorwich.org.

Friends of Otis Library
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The Friends are accepting donations of gently used book for their upcoming book sale.  Please drop off your books, two bags at a time, to the Front Desk.  For larger donations, please call ahead to (860) 889-2365.  Please, no encyclopedias, textbooks, magazines or VHS tapes. Thank you for your support!

Interested in becoming a Friend?  Learn more about the Friends of Otis Library here.
Delicious Discussion Author Series
This series is generously sponsored by Guinan & Houle, LLP Attorneys  at Law.   Delicious Discussions Author Series is a partnership between Otis Library, Bank S quare Books and Michael Jordan's Steak House at Mohegan Sun.

Nancy Thayer
Tuesday, June 5, 12pm - 1:30pm
Join us for a Delicious Discussions luncheon with
 bestselling author Nancy Thayer in celebration of her new book A Nantucket Wedding Tickets for this event are $45 and inclu de an author talk and signing, a copy of  A  Nantucket  Wedding  and a buffet lunch at Michael Jordan's Steak House at Mohegan Sun.  Preregistration is required.  Please call Julie at (860) 889-2365 ext.128, or  register online .

From the Rene Dugas Collection.
The Connecticut State Library Presents:  World War I Digitization Day at Otis Library
Saturday, June 23, 10:30am - 2:30pm
Community Room

Do you have your grandfather's WWI photo album tucked away in a closet?   A stack of letters your great-grandmother kept in a box in the attic?   A story your neighbor told you about the local homecoming parade in the back of your mind?

Help us learn more about the men and women who served during World War I by bringing your collection to be scanned or photographed to Otis Library on Saturday, June 23, 10:30am - 2:30pm in the Community Room. We will work with you to create a profile for the WWI era person you want to remember. We'll scan or photograph the pictures, letters or souvenirs you bring in and return them to you the same day. Then we'll add all the images and stories we create to an online WWI collection and to the Connecticut Digital Archive where they'll be preserved for future generations.
A few notes:
  • We cannot digitize photocopies or printouts from the web.
  • We cannot accept newspapers or any materials that are copyrighted.
  • No weapons. They were an important part of the war, but for safety and security reasons, we can't allow them at events.
Your ancestor does not have to be from Connecticut. We will include them as long as you are a Connecticut resident! 



Something New!
Gardening Series for Beginners

In partnership with the Eastern Connecticut Community Gardens Association (ECCGA), Otis Library will host a series of classes on gardening for beginners.   Experienced gardeners from the ECCGA will teach basic gardening skills for everyone, from home owners to apartment dwellers.  Learn to grow your own fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables!  

Dates are as follows:  Wednesday, June 13, Maintaining Raised Beds; Wednesday, July 11, Harvesting Your Garden; and September date TBD, Putting the Garden to Bed for the Winter. All programs will begin at 6pm in the Story Room and are free and open to the public.  Appropriate for school-age through adult!  Children must be accompanied by an adult. 

For more information on the ECCGA, visit www.getgrowingct.org.

Programs for Adults

Technology Classes
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Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm & Fridays, 10am - 1pm
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. Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information or to make an appointment.

Technology Classes are offered in Spanish by appointment only.  Please call Bassem at (860) 889-2365, ext. 109 or 110 to register.

Para reservar una cita, apersonese a la biblioteca o llame a Bassem
860-889-2365, ext. 109 o 110.

Otis Library provides computer/technology instruction to seniors at the Rose City Senior Center on Tuesdays from 10am - 12pm.  Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information.

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
Fridays, 10am - 11:15am, Meeting Room
The Rows City Knitters meet every Friday.  All skill levels welcome!  For more 
information, call (860) 889-2365, ext. 128. 

Members of the Rows City Knitters would like to thank Driftwood Yarns of Groton for their continued support!

Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit Workshop
Wednesday, June 6, 5:30pm - 7pm
Community Room
The Norwich Historical Society, the Norwich Historic District Commission, and the State Historic Preservation Office will host a workshop about the Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit program. The tax credit program provides for a 30% return on expenses associated with rehabilitating owner-occupied one- to four-family homes listed on the State or National Register of Historic Places. This hour and a half workshop will detail the program's benefits, qualifying work, and application process.

Author Susan Kietzman
Monday, June 11, 6:30pm
Community Room
Otis Library will host a discussion with Mystic author Susan Kietzman, in celebration of her soon to be released book It Started In June. Susan is also the author of Every Other Wednesday, The Summer Cottage, A Changing Marriage, and The Good Life. This event is free and open to the public, and books will be available for purchase and signing.

Changing Minds Book Club
Wednesday, June 13, 5pm
Meeting Room
The group will be discussing Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance. Join us in the Meeting Room for conversation and refreshments!  No registration required. Copies of the book are available to borrow at the Front Desk.

Otis Library Genealogy Club
Tuesday, June 19, 1 - 2:30pm
Meeting Room
The club meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month to learn and to brainstorm about family history projects. Please bring with you any basic information you have about the family members for whom you are looking.  This club will be useful for beginners as well as experienced researchers. For more information, please call Kathleen Wieland, Genealogy Librarian, at (860) 889-2365, ext. 108. 

Author Event with Adam Bowles:  The World In One Square Mile
Monday, June 25, 6:30pm
Community Room
After 30 years of living in the one square mile of Jewett City, Pastor/Journalist Adam Bowles decided to fight negative perceptions of his hometown by spending a year interviewing 120 neighbors and visitors whose lives intersect his own. In the process, he discovered a beautiful diversity and the untold stories of faith, family and friendship that make this New England town shine.  Free program; no registration required.  Copies of The World In One Square Mile will be available for sale and signing.

Lunch & Learn:  Understanding Alzheimer's - The Do's and Don'ts of
Alzheimer's Care
Tuesday, June 26, 12pm - 1:30pm
Community Room
Otis Library will host a Lunch & Learn on "Understanding Alzheimer's" on Tuesday, June 26, at 12pm in the Community Room. This free program will be presented by Robert Elmer, President of Care for Caregivers.  Formal and informal (at home) caregivers of those with Alzheimer's will learn critical information about the disease and about caregiving that will empower them and help improve their quality of life and the quality of life of those for whom they are caring. Behaviors, communication, meaningful activities and more will be discussed.  Free program; lunch will be provided.  To register, call 860-889-2365, ext. 128, or register on the library's calendar.
 
Mr. Elmer started Care for Caregivers in 2013 after having served as a Licensed Assisted Living Administrator for 15 years. He is a Master Trainer of Alzheimer's care, writes monthly articles for dementia caregivers for six different newspapers, and has written the book Join the Journey-Care for the Alzheimer's Caregiver, which has been widely accepted as a "welcomed addition" by the industry.  


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.

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.

Maker Mondays with the Rhode Island Computer Museum (ages 10 & up)
Mondays, June 18 - July 30, 12pm - 1:30pm, Story Room
Sponsored by The Friends of Otis Library
Develop your technology skills with these weekly classes.  Space is limited;  please register for each week individually.
June 18 - Karaoke Coding
June 25 - Make Your Own Video Games
July 2 - Smart Robots
July 9 - Karaoke Coding
July 16 - Make Your Own Video Games
July 23 - Smart Robots
July 30 - Karaoke Coding



Libraries Rock!  Classes with 4-H of New London County
Thursdays, June 21 - July 26
Classes for ages 6-9 are 12pm - 12:45pm
Classes for ages 10-14 are 1pm - 2:30pm
Sponsored by the Kelleher Fund
Join these exciting programs on a different topic each week!   Please register for each week individually. 
June 21 - Rocking and Rolling on the High Seas
June 28 - Stop-Motion Video Production
July 5 - Cupcake Geology
July 12 - Science Solves Mysteries
July 19 - Coding with Ozobots
July 26 - ROCKets to the Rescue

Tween Book Club (grades 6-8)
Monday, June 25, 4pm - 5pm, Meeting Room
Brave by Svetlana Chmakova.  The book will be discussed, followed by an activity related to the book.  Pizza will be served.  Please register online or by calling 860-889-2365, ext. 100.  Pick up a copy of the book at the Front Desk.  

American Indian Artifacts with the Institute for American Indian Studies (all ages)
Tuesday, June 26, 1am - 2pm
Discover how early Native Americans developed tools to shape their world.  No registration required.

Henna with Jamilah Henna Creations (grades 7-12)
Thursday, June 28, 1pm - 3pm
Learn about the ancient art of henna.  Participants can choose their own look.  Space is limited; please register beginning June 1.  Program will take place in the Young Adult Department.    

Coding Clinic (grades 6 and up)
Fridays, June 29 - July 27 (weekly)1pm - 3pm
Learn to code with a different project each week.  Space is limited; please register.

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. 

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Water Safety (for parents and caregivers)
Saturday, June 2, 11am - 12pm
Ben Rayner, executive director of Water Emergency Training, Inc. "WET" will discuss how to have a fun and safe summer in and on the water.  Refreshments will be served.  Please register.

Creative Movement (ages 3-5)
Wednesday, June 6, 10:30am - 11:15am
Join us for this joyful movement class hosted by Eastern Connecticut Ballet.  Hear a story and do 35 minutes of movement.  Please register.

Princesses & Heroes Storytime (ages 3-6)
Saturday, June 16, 11am - 12pm, Story Room
Calling all princesses and heroes!  You are invited to an exciting storytime fit for royalty and heroes!  Wear your costumes and enjoy stories, songs, treats, and treasures during this magical hour!  Please register.

Kids Imagine! Book Club (grades 3-5)
Monday, June 18, 6pm - 7pm, Meeting Room
Secret Coders #1: Get With The Program! by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes.  The book will be discussed, followed by Hour of Code Blockly games.  Pizza will be served.  Please register.  Pick up a copy of the book at the Front Desk.  

Mother Goose & More: Rhyme Time and Playgroup (newborn - 23 months)
Mondays, June 18 - July 30, 10:30am - 11am (Rhyme Time), 11am - 12pm (Playgroup)
Enjoy 30 minutes of traditional rhymes, songs, fingerplays, and other activities for the very young; then stay (or not) for a one-hour open playgroup.  Older siblings are welcome to attend!  Drop-in; no registration required.

Maker Mondays with the Rhode Island Computer Museum (ages 10 & up)
Mondays, June 18 - July 30, 12pm - 1:30pm, Story Room
Sponsored by The Friends of Otis Library
Develop your technology skills with these weekly classes.  Space is limited; please register for each week individually.
June 18 - Karaoke Coding
June 25 - Make Your Own Video Games
July 2 - Smart Robots
July 9 - Karaoke Coding
July 16 - Make Your Own Video Games
July 23 - Smart Robots
July 30 - Karaoke Coding

Caryn Lin Presents Bach to Rock!  (all ages)
Monday, June 18, 6pm - 7pm, Story Room
Sponsored by Attorney Bart Sayet and Ms. Lori Lindfors
Summer Learning Kick Off Show!  Join us for this electrifying solo performance that will have young and old captivated!  Caryn Lin will use a five string electric violin and sound effects to create one of the most exciting and interactive music shows of the summer!  She has awed audiences around the country, including performances at Lincoln Center and Six Flags.  Help welcome her to Norwich!  No registration required. 

Time For Twos 
Tuesdays, June 19 - July 24, 10:30am - 11am
Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, and a simple craft with your child!  This program is age appropriate for your active two-year-old.  Space is limited; please register.

Create It! Clinic (grades K-8)
Tuesdays, June 19 - July 24, 3pm - 4:30pm
Create a piece of art using a variety of materials!  No registration required.

¡Hola Español! Hello English! (ages 3-5)

Wednesdays, June 20, 27, July 18, 25, August 1
Learn words for different concepts in Spanish and English each week, with simple stories, games, and a craft.  Space is limited; please register.

Preschool Storytime (ages 3-5)
Thursdays, June 21 - July 26, 10:30am - 11:15am
Children enjoy stories, songs and rhymes while their grownups wait in the Children's Department.  Caregivers are encouraged to join the fun during craft time at the end of the class!  Space is limited; please register.



Libraries Rock!  Classes with 4-H of New London County
Thursdays, June 21 - July 26
Classes for ages 6-9 are 12pm - 12:45pm
Classes for ages 10-14 are 1:pm - 2:30pm
Funded by the Kelleher Fund
Join these exciting programs on a different topic each week!  Please register for each week individually. 
June 21 - Rocking and Rolling on the High Seas
June 28 - Stop-Motion Video Production
July 5 - Cupcake Geology
July 12 - Science Solves Mysteries
July 19 - Coding with Ozobots
July 26 - ROCKets to the Rescue

Build It! Clinic (grades K-8)
Fridays, June 22 - July 27, 10:30am - 12pm
Build structures using a variety of materials in the Children's Department.  No registration required.

American Indian Artifacts with The Institute for American Indian Studies (all ages)
Tuesday, June 26, 1pm - 2pm, Children's Room
Discover how early Native Americans developed tools to shape the world.  No registration required.


Otis Library | 261 Main Street, Norwich, CT 06360 | (860) 889-2365 |   www.otislibrarynorwich.org

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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