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From The Desk of the Executive Director
A mild winter has been wonderful news for us. We have been busy busy busy. Hopefully you
were able to attend the gallery closing of Waste Management, a terrific exhibit of artists
creatively working their magic with recycled objects. Calvin Ramsey did a well-attended author’s talk on his latest the project, a biography of Edward Alexander Bouchet, the first Black man to earn a Ph.D in Physics from an American university. Mr. Ramsey is planning both a play and a children’s book.
We have another author event this month, and a special birthday celebration! Lary Bloom is returning for an author’s event to discuss his latest book. He was an editor at the Hartford Courant, is the author of several works of non-fiction, and has taught at Fairfield University’s MFA program. This time, he's writing about his own life -- come hear! And on Lincoln's Birthday... well, see below!
The familiar calendar of programs is still on -- and we're lining up dates for the return of The Caravan Theater Company, back in the library, offering readings of new, original works, with professional actors.
Read descriptions of these events, below. You won’t want to miss them. We work hard to
keep our online calendar current, but you can always contact us if you have questions.
I hope you’ll plan to stop by one of the local coffee shops, pick up your favorite brew, and visit
us on the second floor. Grab a comfy chair, a good book and enjoy the cozy ambience that is
The Institute Library.
Cheers,
Jan
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Programs and Events In February |
Friday Happy Hour Jazz | Fridays in January | 5:30-7:00 p.m.
- Friday, February 3 -- the incomparable Betty Carter
- Friday, February 10 -- Jackie McLean: Unusual Recordings
- Friday, February 17 -- Sonny Rollins
- Friday, February 24 -- "New" Acquisitions
Join a congenial little group up on the third floor of the Institute Library to listen to recordings you forgot about or never knew about and stick around a bit to discuss the music! BYOB beverage and treat
Friday Happy Hour Jazz is presented in concert with and support from Jazz Haven.
Please consider making a $5 donation when you come to Friday Happy Hour Jazz.
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DOWNTOWN BRIDGE:
The Oldest Established Permanent Floating Bridge Game at
847 Chapel Street
Determined members have been rallying and sitting down at tables up here to play bridge. If you'd like to be added to the email list of players (because sometimes the schedule has to change), please reach out to
Eva Geertz: Eva@InstituteLibrary.org
The secret population of closet bridge players and aspiring bridge players in our midst now meet
once a month, from 6:30-8:00.
Folks who haven't played in years, folks who are just starting to learn to play, and expert old hands --
all are welcome!
Hoping to see you here:
February 8th
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The evenings will start at 6:30 and end around 8:00. We've got a couple of tables available, and decks of cards. | |
Sew Sew Social: The Sewing Bee at the Institute Library
We meet on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, from 5:30 – 7:30 PM.
February 1st and 15th are the dates this month!
Just ring the doorbell and we will let you in.
Bring your latest project, or revive one you let get away from you! Absolutely free and open to all -- old, steady hands and people who barely know what they're doing should all feel welcome!
No registration necessary. Light refreshments served. So what, come sew!
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Story Sharing at the Institute Library -- February 9, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
The Story Sharing Group meets from 7-9 P.M. on the second Thursday of each month. Anyone may join at any time. People share stories at any stage of development; from maybe-this-is-a-story first tries to polished pieces. The stories may be about personal experiences, folk tales, or any other genre. Those who wish it get feedback from the group. People may also come just to listen. The meetings are very informal, friendly, and fun. See you on Zoom? https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82984857044 is where to go!
Questions? Contact Arnie Pritchard (apritchard01@snet.net).
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When Abraham Lincoln, then an obscure Illinois lawyer, spoke about the Dred Scott case, the response propelled him to the Presidency.
Many members of the Institute Library and the New Haven community have stories, poems, and memories linked somehow to Lincoln. This is your chance to share them!
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Celebrate
Abraham Lincoln's
Birthday!
Sunday, February 12th, 2023
2:00-4:00 p.m.
Join us in resuming a pre-COVID tradition of celebrating Lincoln's birthday, this time with cake,
liquid refreshment,
and stories.
Come one, come all!
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NEWS FROM THE GALLERY:
Open call for works of art!
Sound & Vision II: For the Record....
WPKN Independent Community Radio and The Gallery Upstairs at The Institute Library are collaborating on an event to celebrate Women’s History Month, and we want YOU to participate!
How?
By making art for an exhibition of fake album covers celebrating women.
Imagine bands we'd like to see, rework one that exists, or make up an all-new album and performer. Protest, celebrate, rewrite history,
imagine a future, dream a dance craze...
The idea is to create a visual and sonic tribute to musical women everywhere. This is a unique celebration of women’s history month through images words and music. We consider “women” to be all who wish to identify as such, and we celebrate by creating an inclusive space for breadth and diversity of vision.
FAQs for CALL FOR ARTISTS HERE!
Submission deadline is February 15
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AUTHOR EVENT:
Lary Bloom reads from
and discusses his valentine to New Haven:
I'll Take New Haven
February 28th, 2023
4:00-6:00 p.m.
Longtime Connecticut resident, author Lary Bloom, decided with his other half to give up living in the picturesque shoreline town where they'd lived happily for years and years, and move into New Haven. The transition took unexpected twists and turns, and led to discoveries about New Haven and how people live and the nature of city living.
We hosted Lary Bloom in 2019 when his book on Sol LeWitt was published and we're thrilled to have him come talk about his valentine to the city of New Haven.
Join us! Light refreshments will be served.
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Back at the circulation desk...
The month of January kept us quite busy, and visitors here may have noticed some reorganization happening on the shelves here. We have done a lot of work in our Reference section ("we" really being one heroic volunteer who just could not stop himself from taking on a project I had been putting off for years: many thanks to Andrew Drabkin for his fearless grit). In the process we discovered a couple of titles that must be items in one sub-classification here that has always been an enigma.
Anyone who's had me explain the Borden Classification System to them knows that I always talk about the oddball categories Mr. Borden dreamed up, and one I like to point out is A74: Books Ethically Questionable. This is a subclassification in the Reference section, and it's thematically fascinating, but it's also been an oddity because not once in all my time here have I ever laid hands on a book with A74 written on the spine.
And this month, we figured it out. -------->>>>>
If you have any questions, about membership, programs, or the collection, please drop a line (Eva@InstituteLibrary.org) or phone us (203-562-4045). Also, do remember that in the event of inclement weather, Library closures will be posted on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and these can be seen by the general public: you don't need an account to see us there, but if you do have an account, you might find it worthwhile to follow us.
Now: keep reading, and mark calendars appropriately!
Warmly,
Eva Geertz
Operations Mgr.
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Tucked in between a number of volumes labeled A73 and A75 were two books I'd never noticed before. They've obviously been here for a very long time. I don't know that I would classify them as "unethical," and I don't even know that I would have put them into the reference section -- medicine/health, perhaps (something along the lines of Dewey's 600s, or, in our Borden system, somewhere in the I (Eye) section). But I was not the person who originally handled these.
Yes: The volumes in A74 are Kinsey's studies on sexual behavior. Go figure.
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Hours of Operation
Closed Sunday & Monday | Tuesday-Friday: 11:00-5:00 | Saturday: 12:00-2:00
Location
The Institute Library, 847 Chapel St, New Haven, CT 06510
(203) 562-4045
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