|
|
BIXBY BULLETIN NEWSLETTER
September 2023
|
|
As we head into the fall season, I’m especially excited to have you join me in welcoming our new team member, Cedar Winslow (see article below). Yes, we’re thrilled that she grew up here and lives right here in town. And yes, she’s a recent Magna Cum Laude graduate of Ithaca College with a BA in Environmental Studies who is thrilled to pursue the Vermont Certificate of Librarianship as part of her professional development at the Bixby. So, how fortunate are we all that she’s joining the team?
But since she’s assuming the newly-created role of Outreach and Program Manager, she has a tough job ahead of her. Research indicates what we’ve all been experiencing - post-pandemic, we are less likely to want to socialize in person. We learned how to Zoom from the comfort of our homes on a cold dark night, rather than get in the car to drive to the library for some cultural comfort food and community connection. And yet, we know that once we get there, we’re glad we came, we cherish reconnecting, and we find a replenishment that feels deeper than the one in front of a screen.
So here’s how you can help Cedar be as successful as possible. We want to create programs that you and others in the community deem worthy of your time and effort - because it is VALUABLE to you. We’re also thinking of hosting programs or watch parties at locations other than the library that might be closer to home for you and thus make it easier to venture out.
In a couple of weeks, we’ll be sending out a very short survey asking you to offer your candid input on what might tempt you, or someone you know, to venture back out on a weekday evening or a Saturday to attend a program with your fellow community members. If you think of anything in the meantime, send me an email or write it down for when you provide your answers on the survey. Chat with your friends and family about what might be interesting, enlightening, or just plain fun. Together, we’ll figure out a new normal we really enjoy.
|
|
What's New at the Library? |
|
Welcome Program and Outreach Manager, Cedar Winslow |
|
We are thrilled to welcome Cedar Winslow to the Bixby Team as the head of Programming and Outreach. Cedar is a native of Vergennes and has checked out stacks of books from the Bixby since before she could read. She views libraries as not only a place to find great books but a venue to connect with the community through conversations, games, discussions, and events. She is delighted to join the team and give back to the library that has taught her so much.
When she’s not shelving books or planning events, you can find Cedar outside, in a hammock, by the Lake. Cedar is a voracious reader, a compulsive crocheter, and a lover of learning.
|
|
Library Card Sign-up Month |
|
If you're reading this, you probably already have a library card. But what about your friends and neighbors? Share the good news about all the library has to offer and tell them to stop at the Bixby to check out all the bountiful resources free to library card holders. It'll only take a minute to sign up and they'll be entered into a weekly drawing for sweet Bixby merch. And if they mention that you were the one to help nudge them to take the plunge, your name will be entered into the contest, too! It's a win-win! |
|
Friends of the Bixby Plant and Book Sale |
|
The time has come to welcome fall with our Friends of the Library Book and Plant Sale. The sale will be hosted at the Bixby on Saturday, September 23, from 9 am - 1 pm. All proceeds from this event go to the library. Your purchases directly contribute by providing resources for items such as the new A/C unit in the children's room and new digital resources such as ebooks and audiobooks for you to access with your library card.
Donating plants and books is a wonderful way to support our library. Donation days are Thursday, September 21, and Friday, September 22. Gardeners, we welcome your indoor cuttings, outdoor divisions, clean decorative planters, gently used garden tools, and seeds for next season. Your donations are greatly appreciated!
|
|
Thank you to all of the adult summer reading challenge participants, and congratulations to our three BINGO winners who took home a Bixby tote bag and a Flying Pig Bookstore gift card.
If this week's weather is any indication, summer is not over yet! Outdoor lawn games are now available for you to enjoy through the Library of Things. Try out the festive pink flamingo cornhole game at your next get-together. We now offer a six-person croquet set and a badminton/volleyball set, thanks to a donation from the Jones' Croquet by the Creek fundraiser. All items are available for a one-week checkout period. Call us or reserve online! |
|
Amber Lay, Assistant Director/Adult Services Librarian |
|
It may not feel like it, but fall is coming! Check out our Children's Collections for all things fall.
This Saturday, come walk on the Giant Map of the Lake Champlain water basin. Kids in grades 3-8 are invited at 10:30 am to learn about our watershed, and the community is welcome to experience drop-in activities from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm.
|
|
Our LEGO Club meets this Saturday, September 23 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Join fellow LEGO creators and test your building skills in the monthly challenge.
For those young ones with adventure in their heart, send your stuffies on a sleepover at the Bixby on Wednesday, September 27. Join us for a Storytime at 5:30 pm and follow their activities on Facebook!
|
|
The Young Writers Club is in full swing at the Bixby, meeting every first Saturday of the month from 10:30 to 11 am. We are currently working on our very own literary magazine full of poems, stories, and fun!
The club is open to all elementary school-aged kids, and we love to welcome new members. To sign up or find out more information, send us an email! |
|
It is my pleasure to join the Bixby team and enjoy some of the exciting adult programs coming to the library this month. I look forward to meeting new faces and catching up with old library friends at the following events:
For plant lovers, we will be visited by the nationally recognized gardening author, Charlie Nardozzi, for a lesson on Fall Gardening and Bulb Planting on Thursday, October 5th at 5:30 pm.
Bookworms, no need to fear. We've lined up some fantastic reading events this month. Starting with Book Club on Tuesday, September 12, we will discuss Lisa See's novel, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane. Bring your insights, questions, and intrigue as Martha guides us through a fascinating book discussion. Then we are honored to welcome local author Louella Bryant to dig into her newest book, Sheltering Angel: A Novel Based on a True Story of the Titanic. The discussion will shed light on the unseen individuals whose lives were forever altered by the Titanic disaster.
|
|
|
|
The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel
|
From Booker prize-winning author of The Life of Pi, Yann Martel’s The High Mountains of Portugal is a romp through the twentieth century. The novel weaves three widowed protagonist’s tales around the dynamic between religion and science, belief and disbelief, and… a friendly chimpanzee? Braiding realism with the unexplainable, Martel’s book is a spirited and unexpected adventure across Portugal.
Cedar Winslow
|
|
|
|
The Lonesome Bodybuilder by Yukiko Motoya
|
The Lonesome Bodybuilder is a collection of short stories written by Yukiko Motoya, and translated from Japanese by Asa Yoneda. This is a wonderfully strange book and a great introduction to reading translated literature and short story collections. The eleven stories featured are vast and varied, but each tackles mundane and everyday people encountering the bizarre, fantastic, grotesque, and even alien.
Liefe Temple
|
|
|
|
How to Draw Cute Doodles and Illustrations by Kamo
|
Perfect for doodlers of all ages, Kamo's book is the ideal companion for kids at home and on the go! With just a pencil and this book, you can go from a squiggle to a fluffy-maned lion in three easy steps. This all-in-one beginner's guide offers easy, step-by-step instructions that will inspire readers to sit down and draw! With Kamo's fun, uncomplicated approach, there's room for everyone at the art table.
Martha Sanborn
|
|
News from the Bixby's History Collection |
|
This land survey for "the burying ground laid in the City of Vergennes," is dated April 7, 1794. It is one of dozens of handwritten records in the Bixby's Strong Collection showing the establishment and growth of Vergennes in the 18th and 19th centuries. These records provide valuable documentation of the expansion of stage roads, highways, and bridges in the area. This land survey is unique as the plot of land described has remained a landmark in Vergennes for nearly 230 years since this document was created.
The Vergennes Burying Ground, sometimes called the Old Vergennes Cemetery, continues to stand as a lovely, quiet, green space for residents and visitors to Vergennes, as well as a relic of the City's past. If you've passed by this summer, you may have noticed a flurry of activity. Volunteers of all ages and walks of life are hard at work with spray bottles of D-2 cleaner and scrub brushes, leaving centuries-old stones looking as good as new. The Vergennes Burying Ground Restoration Project, supported by the Vermont Old Cemeteries Association and a fabulous team of local volunteers, aims to restore the Burying Ground's broken, damaged, and stained stones, document the lives of those buried there, and preserve the space for future generations of visitors, history buffs, and nature enthusiasts. From cleaning days, to landscaping plans, to genealogical research efforts, there are plenty of ways to get involved with the project and show some love for this historic gem.
In addition to being a beloved local green space, the Burying Ground is the final resting place of General Samuel Strong, who signed this document as a surveyor, as well as his siblings, his wife Mercy, and their daughter Susan. The Strong family played an outsized role in the politics, commerce, and military presence of the Vergennes community throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Their family and business records are now held in the Bixby's archives, thanks to the generosity of an unknown donor.
These records are currently being processed by Anna Hurd, whose work is made possible by the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership, and will be open for research later this fall. For more information about the Bixby's archives and special collections, or to make a research appointment with a history team member, please e-mail us or call the library at (802)877-2211.
Anna Hurd
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Friends of the Bixby
Used Book Sale
Saturday, September 9, 9 am-1 pm
The Friends of the Bixby are hosting their used book sale in the library’s basement Otter Creek Room (accessible by the back parking lot). We offer gently used fiction, non-fiction, children’s, YA, gardening, sci-fi/fantasy, Vermont books, and more! Purchases at the used book sale support the Bixby. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ferrisburgh Day
Saturday, September 16, 10am-4pm
Ferrisburgh Day is back for another day of fun! Come and enjoy the market on the green, live music, local food, farm animals, children's activities, hayrides, and free creemees for kids from Vermont Cookie Love. These amazing events will be held at the Union Meeting Hall, Ferrisburgh Historical Society, Ferrisburgh Fire Department, and Cross Life Church, all within a mile of the Ferrisburgh Town Center.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Playing Fields &
Community Picnic at VUHS
Wednesday, September 13,
5:15-8pm
Next Wednesday, Vergennes Union High School opens its doors to celebrate community! At 5:15, the school will host a picnic dinner, games, and fun. Be sure to stop by the Bixby table for free books and sweet Bixby merch. Following the picnic are performances by Commodore Singers and featured artists Compagnie Des Quidam. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friends of the Bixby
Book & Plant Sale
Saturday, September 23, 9 am-1 pm
New Houseplant + New Book = Perfect Fall Reading Conditions
On Saturday, September 23, the Bixby will host our annual book and plant sale featuring tons of used books and beautiful plants. We look forward to seeing you Saturday the 23rd for plants, pots, and perusing the shelves. All processed support the Bixby Library.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Flood Response & Recovery
With the historic flooding throughout Vermont in summer 2023, community resources for flood recovery from the State of Vermont are available on the Bixby's Community Resources webpage.
Please report any damage to your property, however minor, so it can be added to the FEMA tally for Addison County. Report damage to Vermont211.org, using the online form.
|
|
|
|
Library Hours:
Tuesday-Thursday: 10 am-7 pm
Friday-Saturday: 10 am-3 pm
(802) 877-2211
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
