Greetings!
Lots going on in the library over the dog days!
The rockets from the Discovery Museum that we have enjoyed so much at the main library will be moving to the South Norwalk branch library in August.
We still have two more Sounds of Summer concerts ahead on the main library lawn, and the library will be participating in the Wall Street Takedown on August 17.
Thanks to our partners in the Norwalk Garden Club and in the Norwalk River Watershed Association, the Pollinator Pathway is alive and well in our library buildings. We have planted new gardens of native plants and trees that are now regularly visited by bees and butterflies!
And the AC is working beautifully, so come on down.
Chris
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Fitch House Miniature Club Exhibition Mini Dollhouses on Display
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The Norwalk Public Library will be hosting an exhibit of dollhouse miniatures, a project of the Fitch House Miniature Club, during the months of July and August. The exhibit is located in the display cases in the library's entryway.
The Fitch House Miniature Club is a member of the National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts (NAME), whose mission is to promote miniatures through education, collecting, and building friendships and skills through the sharing of experience and ideas. The Fitch House Miniature Club exhibits projects in various scales created by club members.
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Hello Summer 2019 Concert Series
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Defcon 3+2
Thursday, August 1
7:00 - 8:30 pm
Main Library Front Lawn
Free and open to the public
Come and rock & roll with Defcon 3+2 concert of the Hello Summer Concert Series.
For the eighth year, Norwalker and MusicToChina founder Steve Serasis, has partnered with the library to build community through music, with the new "Hello Summer" 2019 Concert Series. Hop on board and say Hello Summer with us!
In a collaborative effort, the library and concert producer Steve Serasis welcome community partners, Tuff Lawn Service-Fairfield County Tick Control, DiScala Construction and BJ Ryan's BanC House as co-sponsors of this year's concert series.
For more information contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or
clahey@norwalkpl.org.
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Fake ID
Saturday, August 24
3:00 - 5:00 pm
Main Library Front Lawn
Free and open to the public
Come and rock & roll with
Fake ID in the final concert of the Hello Summer Concert Series.
For the eighth year, Norwalker and MusicToChina founder Steve Serasis, has partnered with the library to build community through music, with the new "Hello Summer" 2019 Concert Series. Hop on board and say Hello Summer with us!
In a collaborative effort, the library and concert producer Steve Serasis welcome community partners, Tuff Lawn Service-Fairfield County Tick Control, DiScala Construction and BJ Ryan's BanC House as co-sponsors of this year's concert series.
For more information contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or clahey@norwalkpl.org.
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American Job Center Career Coach
Free Job Search Assistance
Monday, August 5
10:00 - 12:00
1:00 - 3:00
Curb in front of library
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Poetry Workshop with Poet Laureate Bill Hayden
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Mondays, August 5 & August 19
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Carnegie Room
Norwalk’s poet laureate Bill Hayden will host a poetry workshops at the Norwalk Librrary.
For additional information about library programs, please contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or
clahey@norwalkpl.org .
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Call for Entries
The Norwalk Public Library will be Pairing Artists with Poets!
"A great way to really enjoy poetry is to create a visual representation of a poem by making a painting or other artwork that shows images of the poem and captures how you feel". --Rachel Lebeter
Thirteen libraries across Fairfield County are coming together to explore the relationship between art and text in their unique exhibits!
Entry Guidelines:
- Poets, submit up to three poems
- Artists, submit up to three pieces of art (can be any medium)
- (Artists, we just want to see your work! If you are selected, you will be creating a brand new artwork based on one of the selected poems that we assign you!)
- All submissions must be through attached files via email
Deadline for all submissions: October 1, 2019
Email all submissions to: Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services;
clahey@norwalkpl.org Any questions? Call 203-899-2780 ext: 15133
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Free Pop-up Events @ NPL
Saturday, August 17
3:00 pm
These even
ts will follow the themes of Visual Art, Family, and Wellness. Events include indoor mini golf, Lego car racing, life-size Angry Birds, large art, and a few smaller activities.
FOR ADULTS, the Norwalk Public Library will offer Low Impact Aerobics with Linda Lombardo at 3 pm in the Main Auditorium.
The festival main event will take place at
Wall Street Theater
for a performance by four local bands, and tap takeover by Two Roads Brewing Company. There will be raffles/prizes available for show attendees, and all profits generated by ticket sales will be donated to the
Norwalk Housing Foundation
College Fund.
Doors open at 7pm, and the show begins at 8pm.
The lineup is as follows:
An official after party will take place at Peaches, and will feature music by:
For additional information about library programs, please contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or
clahey@norwalkpl.org .
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ArtScapades Lecture
Abstract Expressionism: The Drippers
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Thursday, August 22
6:30 - 7:30 pm
Main Library Auditorium
The Norwalk Public Library is pleased to present another ArtScapades lecture, Abstract Expressionism: The Drippers.
“Abstract Expressionism: The Drippers” explores the artists who were the first to combine gesture with abstraction, demonstrating the action of painting by splattering, pouring, and pulling paint across the canvas.
The works and lives of important artists of the period will be discussed, including Willem de Kooning, and Jackson Pollock, and his wife, Lee Krasner.
The goal of ArtScapades is for you to develop the means to critique a work of art while learning art history and art appreciation. You will come away with, both, an understanding of these artists and their works, as well as the tools with which to effectively explore galleries and museums.
Robin Hoffman and Jodi Stiffelman of ArtScapades began teaching art appreciation in 1998. They have presented at libraries and museums in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts and Florida. They are pleased to be returning to the Norwalk Public Library. Visit www.ArtScapades.com for more about ArtScapades.
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Gardening Lecture on Compostology
Home Composting Made Easy
Saturday, August 24
1:00 - 2:30 pm
Main Library Auditorium
Norwalk Public Library is pleased to offer the second in a series of gardening lectures, with the talk ”Compostology: The Science and Simplicity of Home Composting,” presented by Cathy Smith.
Light refreshments will be provided courtesy of the library.
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Cathy Smith is a Master Composter-in-training through the UConn Home & Garden Education Center. A long-time gardener, she is working on a New York Botanical Garden certificate and has studied gardening with Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener at Great Dixter in East Sussex, England. When not composting or gardening, she teaches yoga and does volunteer work with the Norwalk River Watershed Association, Norwalk River Valley Trail, and Pollinator Pathway.
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Camouflage
Ivy Keating
Wednesday, August 7
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Main Library Auditorium
AuthorSpeak at Norwalk Public Library is pleased to welcome Ivy Keating, who will discuss her novel,
Camouflage, (co-authored with Scott Spotson)
A light lunch will be provided courtesy of the library, and books will be available for purchase and signing.
Camouflage opens with a missing man, a new police chief and an unexpected New England town mystery. Keating found her inspiration for
Camouflage, standing on the edge of a New England forest, where she found herself wondering what could be in there that we couldn't see. Then she wondered, if we discovered something extraordinary, what would we do with it?
Camouflage is her quest to discover if science and sentiment can win out over fear and the instinct and determination to destroy.
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Motivated by nature’s mysteries and the complexity of human behavior, Ivy Keating writes science fiction and fantasy novels, exploring the relationship between mankind and the natural world. A master’s degree in social work helps her explore the depths of her characters and the repercussions of their actions. She is currently working on an adult fantasy set in the Medieval period.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
For more information contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or
clahey@norwalkpl.org.
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The Magdalene Malediction
F. Scott Kimmich
Friday, August 9
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Main Library Auditorium
The AuthorSpeak series at Norwalk Public Library is pleased to welcome local author F. Scott Kimmich in a discussion of his historical novel,
The Magdalene Malediction. A light lunch will be provided courtesy of the library, and books will be available for purchase and signing.
The final book of Kimmich’s trilogy
Ordeal by Fire, The Magdalene Malediction, spins a riveting tale of bravery, passion, and brutality set against the backdrop of the political ambitions and religious fervor of the 13th century. Winner of the Dog Ear Publishing Award for Literary Excellence, it takes place during the Albigensian Crusades, which Kimmich learned about from his mother, who was from Provence.
In the Midi of France in 1244, political intrigue is as rife in the boudoir as on the battlefield. Four friends -- cousins Odon and Rainier, the beautiful Miranda, and Robin, son of the famous English outlaw – escape from a mountain refuge captured by the French and set sail for Provence. Odon carries ancient scrolls indicating that Miranda is the descendant of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. If that relationship were revealed, the lives of all four would be in jeopardy.
Fate, in the form of corsairs, puts them ashore in Moorish territory in Spain, hundreds of leagues southwest of their destination. While Miranda falls under the spell of the local wazir, called Al Azraq—the blue-eyed one -- her friends become embroiled in the political ambitions of King Jacme I of Aragon and end up taking sides in a conflict between his men and the Moors. The ancient curse placed on the scrolls seems to come alive as all four fight for survival against foes old and new.
The Magdalene Malediction, the last book in the trilogy
Ordeal by Fire, spins a riveting tale of bravery, passion, and brutality set against the backdrop of the political ambitions and religious fervor the thirteenth century.
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F. Scott Kimmich, originally from Indianapolis, graduated from Haverford College and had a 40-year career in pharmaceutical advertising and marketing. He moved to Norwalk in 1980, where the advertising agency he founded flourished. Upon retirement, Kimmich began writing what would become a trilogy of historical novels.
The Apostles of Satan won the 2016 New Book Awards, and his second book,
The Fiery Furnace also won the 2016 New Book Awards as well as the 2015 - 2016 Reviewers Choice Award for the Northeast Region.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
For more information contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or
clahey@norwalkpl.org.
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Stealing Wyeth
Bruce E. Mowday
Friday, August 23
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Main Library Auditorium
Andrew Wyeth was one of the best known American artists in the world in the 20th century with his works, including the Helga series, being sought after by serious art collectors worldwide. His father, N. C., and son, Jamie, are integral parts of the best known American family of artists. They have an art museum dedicated to their works.
A gang of thieves decided to steal an original Wyeth painting for their “retirement” and engaged a professional cat burglar (who was responsible for more than 1,500 crimes during his criminal career) to steal a Wyeth painting. The theft resulted in taking 15 paintings from the Wyeth estate in picturesque Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Seven were done by Andrew, six by Jamie and the other two by California artists.
Today, those paintings would be worth millions of dollars. The FBI and Pennsylvania State Police were the investigating agencies. Were the paintings still in America, Europe or Asia? Were the paintings pre-sold and in a private collection, being stored for future sales or destroyed because the artwork was so well known?
The search for the paintings takes the investigators throughout the United States and involves dangerous thieves, gamblers, drug dealers and murderers. In the process of tracking down the thieves and the paintings, hundreds of other crimes were solved.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
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Bruce E. Mowday is an award-winning author and newspaper reporter. He has authored 20 books on history, sports, business and true crime. Mowday has appeared on the
Discovery ID channel,
ReelZ network,
C-SPAN, the
Pennsylvania Cable Network, Hollywood and Beyond,
Whatcha Got,
Journey into the Civil War,
Chronicles of the American Civil War and television shows.
Civil War Monitor magazine published an article by Bruce on Gettysburg. He is a frequent speaker at various civic and historical groups. The Congress of Civil War Round Tables has named Bruce a “5-Star” speaker. Mowday has hosted his own radio shows, has been editor of magazines and was chairman of the Chester County Historical Society and president of the Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates. He is a former board member of the Valley Forge Park Alliance. He is a board member of the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau.
For more information on Mowday, his books and his schedule of events, see
www.mowday.com.
For more information contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext. 15133, or
clahey@norwalkpl.org.
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Wives of Henry VIII
A four part series
Catherine Parr
Friday, August 30
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Main Library Auditorium
A light lunch will be provided courtesy of the library.
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! Join us for the third program in the series featuring Henry VIII's third wife, Jane Seymour.
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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Presenting Strategically in Business
Thursday, August 15
6:00 - 8:00 pm (check in starts at 5:30)
Main Library Auditorium
A presentation in business can be the start of future success; or it may be the quick decline into oblivion. Businesses can rise or fall on the basis of how someone presents. Presenters need to be adept not only at communicating clearly but also at strategy, tactics, presentation preparation, Q & A, and dealing with difficult audience members.
You will learn to:
- Identify the top ten mistakes presenters make
- Develop a personal strategy
- Apply the four key physical skills for presenting
- Organize and prepare a presentation
- Deal with Q & A and difficult audience members
- Develop a personal action plan
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Presenter: Paul Maloney
Dr. Paul Maloney has consulted on organizational issues worldwide. He has held senior positions in management development at the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), Mobil Oil Corporation, and PepsiCo International. He is currently a professor in applied psychology in the Graduate School at Fairfield University.
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Readers Choice Book Group
Carnegie's Maid
Marie Benedict
Wednesday, August 7
2:00 PM
Norwalk Senior Center
11 Allen Road, Norwalk, Ct
Norwalk Library's Director of Library Information Services, Cynde Bloom Lahey, will lead a discussion of
Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict.
From the author of
The Other Einstein comes the mesmerizing tale of what kind of woman could have inspired an American dynasty.
Clara Kelley is not who they think she is. She's not the experienced Irish maid who was hired to work in one of Pittsburgh's grandest households. She's a poor farmer's daughter with nowhere to go and nothing in her pockets. But the other woman with the same name has vanished, and pretending to be her just might get Clara some money to send back home.
If she can keep up the ruse, that is. Serving as a lady's maid in the household of Andrew Carnegie requires skills she doesn't have, answering to an icy mistress who rules her sons and her domain with an iron fist. What Clara does have is a resolve as strong as the steel Pittsburgh is becoming famous for, coupled with an uncanny understanding of business, and Andrew begins to rely on her. But Clara can't let her guard down, not even when Andrew becomes something more than an employer. Revealing her past might ruin her future — and her family's.
With captivating insight and heart, Carnegie's Maid tells the story of one brilliant woman who may have spurred Andrew Carnegie's transformation from ruthless industrialist into the world's first true philanthropist.
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.
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Books Sandwiched In
We Were the Lucky Ones
Georgia Hunter
Thursday, August 29
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Carnegie Room
Inspired by the incredible true story of one
Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive—and to reunite—
We Were the Lucky Ones
is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds.
It is the spring of 1939 and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal lives, even as the shadow of war grows closer. The talk around the family Seder table is of new babies and budding romance, not of the increasing hardships threatening Jews in their hometown of Radom, Poland. But soon the horrors overtaking Europe will become inescapable and the Kurcs will be flung to the far corners of the world, each desperately trying to navigate his or her own path to safety.
As one sibling is forced into exile, another attempts to flee the continent, while others struggle to escape certain death, either by working grueling hours on empty stomachs in the factories of the ghetto or by hiding as gentiles in plain sight. Driven by an unwavering will to survive and by the fear that they may never see one another again, the Kurcs must rely on hope, ingenuity, and inner strength to persevere.
An extraordinary, propulsive novel,
We Were the Lucky Ones
demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century’s darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive.
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.
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Zumba with Karen
Children & Parents - Mondays
5:00 - 5:45 pm
Adults & Teens - Mondays
6:00 - 7:00 pm
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Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance
Tuesdays
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Auditorium
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Low Impact Aerobics with Linda
Tuesdays & Thursdays
1:30 - 2:30 pm
Teen Room
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For additional information on our programs, please contact Cynde Bloom Lahey, Director of Library Information Services, at (203) 899-2780 ext 15133 or
clahey@norwalkpl.org
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How do I Get in the Game?
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It's simple, just
register and play! Game begins 6/15 and ends on 8/31. Contact the Norwalk Public Library at 203-899-2780 x 15131 or the Rowayton Library at 203-838-5038 with any questions.
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Rocket Launch with Discovery Museum
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The Norwalk Public Library and Discovery Museum staff have opened the partnership’s hands-on rocket launching program. Students and other library visitors will have the opportunity to engage with Discovery Museum staff in the Engineering Design Process of asking questions, brainstorming solutions, building prototypes, testing, evaluating, and redesigning their own paper rockets.
The program will move to the South Norwalk Branch Library for the last two weeks in August.
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August Spotlight on Norwalk’s Aviation History…
Up, up, up and away!
Compiled By
Lynn Hildenbrand, Archivist
Candi Sterling, Librarian
This month, the Norwalk History Room highlights the history of aviation, a technology that has revolutionized transportation, exploration, military operations and more. The phenomenon of flight is celebrated each year on August 19 as that date is known as National Aviation Day. According to
Nasa.gov (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/national-aviation-day-2018), this observance, which is recognized on the birthday of aviation pioneer Orville Wright, was first proclaimed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt himself.
In Norwalk, our aviation history, began with pilots taking off and landing in a field in Darien. According to Ed Silk who was quoted in an article from the Norwalk Hour newspaper, “Horses were occasionally getting in the way,” which made it difficult for the pilots. Following this revelation, a request was then made of Dr. Alvin Wadsworth, a well-known Norwalk Psychiatrist by some of the fly boys if they may use a field he owned at the top of West Rocks Rd.
As the evolution of aviation progressed, the 1929 Norwalk City Directory has the very first listing for the Norwalk Aviation, Inc. and there was no radio set up at that time! The airport was only one hangar with its name painted on the roof and this was the only way pilots knew the location of the airport. Also in 1929, the Norwalk Women’s City Club hosted an “aviation tea” that featured female notable flier Neva Finley Paris.
Another fun fact is that at one time, Norwalk had an airmail service. As the twentieth century forged on, this field was closed in 1940 due to pressure from the residents of the city and the government who did not like recreational flying during the war years. It’s interesting to note that the site was then used by spotters during WWII, checking aircraft as it flew over the city.
Norwalk’s fascinating aviation history doesn't stop there. Seaplanes, used both transportation and recreational purposes have been parked at the marina since the late 1940s. Helicopters became useful in the 1950s with the advent of helicopter pads. Companies such as Norden (also known for their bombsite) and Purdue Pharma when their offices were at 50 Washington Street used these facilities to the quick transport of certain employees. In fact, the one at Merritt 7 is used to transport patients at Norwalk Hospital.
Interested in learning more? Additional Norwalk aviation history may be found in the Norwalk History Room at the Norwalk Public Library. Come discover photos and additional newspaper stories that are all related to local aviation information. If you have not had a chance to stop by the Norwalk History Room this summer, we invite you to come learn more about your hometown in August!
Come and visit! Learn more about your hometown!
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History Room Online Database
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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
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Newsbank
We are now proud to announce that we have partnered to digitize and provide the
Hour from 1874-1929. You can now access the full collection of the
Hour by coming into the library or thru the library
website with your library card.
We are hopeful to continue to grow this archive thru the 20th century and all feedback would be helpful in support of continue to develop this archive.
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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
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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
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