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From The Desk of the Executive Director
Help us out! Share your thoughts!
Don’t you love April. Growing up in Buffalo, I didn’t care for it. There was still a good chance
of snow, and snowbanks that had been around for months looked like soot covered icebergs. But
in Connecticut, everything blooms. Enjoy the buds!
April in the library means preparing to participate in The Great Give, our big fundraiser for the
year. The Great Give is a 36-hr, online, community-wide giving event on May 3-4. It was created by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven to raise visibility and resources for nonprofits serving Greater New Haven. We will be reaching out to you, hoping you will support us with an online donation.
But I have a special favor to ask. I would like our appeal to speak to what makes us of value to our community. With your help, I would like to share your thoughts for why you love the
library. One line from you would be such a help!
Email me your comments at
jswiatek@institutelibrary.org. Let me know if you’d like to be anonymous or if we can quote
you.
Wishing you a glorious spring!
Jan
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An Important Note about Driving on Chapel Street:
Be Aware of Construction Starting Soon!
Beginning April 16th, the east bound side of Chapel Street (across from the Library) will be closed to traffic for the next 12-15 months. Traffic will be detoured around the block (along Church Street to Elm to Orange to Chapel). This is for the two residential and street level retail buildings currently under construction. The west bound side of Chapel will remain open. The building on the corner of Orange and Chapel will be done early 2024, the building across from the Library will be finished in the summer of 2024.
Regardless: We are open! There are many parking garages, including two on State Street, one and a half blocks from the library. Please call us if you have any concerns.
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CT Poet Chris Schlegel Comes to Visit
Saturday, April 15 from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Experimental poet Chris Schlegel, whose most recent work, RYMAN, was recently published by Ricochet Editions, will be reading and talking to our guests Saturday afternoon.
RYMAN is inspired by the work of David Antin -- this is work that plays with rules and traditions. Read more about this event here, and then come hang out with us on
Saturday, April 15th!
This event is free and open to all. Light refreshments will be served.
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Poets Shanta Lee and Joan Kwon Glass @
The Institute Library on Saturday, April 29, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
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Shapeshifting & Dodging Haints:
The Poetics of Haunted Bodies & Haunted Land
A Reading and Conversation between
Joan Kwon Glass and Shanta Lee
Whether or not we believe in haunting or haints (ghosts or evil spirits), we've all heard or read stories about such things. Poet, author and editor Joan Kown Glass and artist, writer and public intellectual Shanta Lee engage in a conversation about how the concept of the haunted body and landscape intersections with their poetics. In addition to sharing their work, Glass and Lee will also explore the concept of shapeshifting as it appears in their creative process and on the page.
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This event is free and open to all.
Light refreshments will be served.
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NEWS FROM THE GALLERY UPSTAIRS: | |
.... and the Gallery has a big trick up its ruffled paisley sleeve:
ABOUT THE CLOSING RECEPTION:
It will be from 5-7 Wednesday, May 3rd at the Gallery Upstairs. We will then move to an
AFTERPARTY AT CAFE 9 with women DJs, a cash bar and lots of dancing and fun!
It is essential that if you wish to attend, you book free tickets here:
https://www.tixr.com/groups/cafenine/events/sound-vision-ii-for-the-record-afterparty-64613
PLEASE MAKE SURE TO USE THIS LINK IF YOU SENT OUT EVITE OR POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
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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.
April 5th and 19th
May 3rd & 17th
Bring your latest project, or revive one you let get away from you!
Absolutely free & open to all.
No registration necessary.
Light refreshments served.
So what, come sew!
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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, Second Wednesdays, 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 - we are organizing now for:
April 12th
(subject to change; please reach out to us for schedule confirmation)
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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. | |
Friday Happy Hour Jazz | Fridays in March | 5:30-7:00 p.m.
- Friday, April 7 -- Duke Ellington, 1938-1940
- Friday, April 14 -- Joe Williams & Abbey Lincoln
- Friday, April 21 -- Milt Hinton
- Friday, April 28. -- The Civil Rights Revolution and Recorded Jazz, Part 1.
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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Story Sharing at the Institute Library -- April 13, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Before Covid, the Institute Library Story Sharing Group met entirely in person. When
Covid struck, we went to Zoom, and later to a hybrid format, with some people in person
at the Library and others on Zoom.
We are about to end hybrid meetings, and go to a mix of in-person and Zoom meetings.
Starting in April, we will meet in-person only,
on the second Thursday of every month, from 7-9 P.M.
We will have a Zoom-only meeting from 7-9 P.M.
on the third Thursday of every OTHER month, beginning in May.
This makes for twelve in-person and six Zoom meetings per year.
Anyone may join at any time; no experience is required. 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.
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Back at the circulation desk...
We have had a spate of rentals happening here which is good news in lots of ways -- we love having groups come use our space, bringing newbies upstairs in the process! -- but we admit it can occasionally be inconvenient for our regulars, when rentals happen during operating hours. It almost never happens (most rentals take place outside of operating hours), but we thank you for your patience and understanding when it does happen.
We expect a private rental to occupy the Biography room on Tuesday, April 11th, starting around 2 p.m. Please be prepared for us to (gently) evict you from the Biography room if you'd planned to spend the afternoon there! But know that you'll be more than welcome to go sit under the skylights again come Wednesday.
We hope to see you soon!
Eva Geertz
Operations Mgr.
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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. | |
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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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