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News & Notes

We start off the short, cold month of February with a new program to keep the kids creative juices flowing, events to enjoy with friends, and lots of reasons to stop by and relax by the fire in the Reading Room.

To engage maker minds and builder brains, a LEGO Club for kids in grades 3, 4, and 5 will begin on Wednesday, February 5 from 3-4 pm. We’ll get creative by warming up with some timed, open-ended, building activities and then tackle the week’s main challenge theme. Space is limited; to register, please stop by or email Childrens@NormanWilliams.org.

For this month’s Family Movie Night, we polled visitors to the library and our social media followers. Disney’s heartwarming live action film, Beauty and the Beast, won the popular vote! View the trailer and details HERE. Gather the family and friends, snacks and pillows, and join us Friday, February 7, at 6 pm.

Thursday, February 20 we will host the Interplay Jazz Jam Session for our Library After Hours event. Join us between 6:30-9:30 pm to enjoy musicians and vocalists improvising and vamping on tunes, songs, and chord progressions. We'll gather on the Mezzanine with it's great acoustics and grand piano. Listeners are encouraged to attend and enjoy!

In recognition of Black History Month, we have invited Amy Godine to speak at NWPL (date and time TBA). In her recent book, The Black Woods: Pursuing Racial Justice on the Adirondack Frontier, she uncovers the story of Black pioneers who carved a future for their families and their civic rights. Understanding this history offers insight into narratives of regional identity such as we have in Vermont.

Following a lively exchange of ideas at one of our gatherings, we decided to focus on Writings on the Vietnam War for the next “One-off” Book Discussion. We narrowed the book list to five – fiction and non-fiction – from the abundance of books about the era. To give everyone enough time to read, we will meet on Thursday, April 24, at 10:30 am.

NWPL is proud to be the first library in Vermont to be designated as a Certified Sustainable Library through the Sustainable Library Certification Program (SLCP)! “The Norman Williams Public Library embraced sustainable thinking long before embarking on their certification journey in 2022,” said mentor Jennifer Ferriss. “What the staff discovered was how small, incremental changes could create a larger impact. By introducing new services, programs, and partnerships, they fostered goodwill in the community and directly supported the aging population." Our project presentation can be found HERE.

The days are becoming noticeably longer; spring cannot be too far off… Stop by the library soon!


Join a Book Discussion!

Intrigued by the topic, the titles, or books in general? NWPL hosts a variety of lively book discussion groups. We invite you to join a session–or several! All groups are open and welcome new participants. Click on the group name for more details.


The hybrid format offers you the choice of attending most meetings in person or virtually via zoom. Please email Programs@NormanWilliams.org for the links to sign in.

Wednesday, February 5, 1 pm: Literary Pairs will explore the theme “The Place I Call Home.” We will discuss Sweetland by Michael Crummey and Clear by Carys Davies. (meets quarterly)


Tuesday, February 11, 10:30 am: What's on Your Nightstand has no required reading! Chat about the books that excite you and discover what others are enjoying. (meets monthly)


Tuesday, February 18, 6 pm: Read, Cook, Eat!: A Cookbook Club will explore Japanese cooking instead of featuring a single cookbook. (meets monthly)


Wednesday, February 26, 4 pm: Read Between the Lines will discuss Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. The selection for March is Go as a River by Shelley Read. (meets monthly)


Thursday, April 24, 10:30 am: "One-off" Book Discussion on "Writings on the Vietnam War." Participants are encouraged to read one or more of five suggested titles:

The Women by Kristin Hannah

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

You Don’t Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War by Elizabeth Becker

The Mark: A War Correspondent’s Memoir of Vietnam and Cambodia by Jacques Leslie

Absolution: A Novel by Alice McDermott

Ongoing Programs for Children & Adults

Free and open to all, we are pleased to offer programs in the library, online, and in a hybrid format (in person and via zoom). Please check each program for details.


In addition to the programs below, several of the Thompson Senior Center's programs have been displaced by construction and will be held at NWPL through the spring. All are welcome.

Mahjong - Tuesdays at 1 pm

Bridge - Wednesdays at 1 pm

Mahjong - Fridays at 1 pm


Email Programs@NormanWilliams.org for information and links to join.

Poetry Group

Twice monthly - 1st & 3rd Mondays*

*only Feb 10 due to holiday

4:00 pm - in person

Join the Poetry Group at NWPL for study and support. (MORE INFO)

Needlepoint Get-together

Weekly on Tuesdays

10:00 am - in person

An informal morning of sharing and encouragement! (MORE INFO)

Baby Story Time

Baby Story Time - Birth - 20 months

Weekly on Tuesdays

10:30 am - in person

Introduce your child early to the joys of reading with stories, songs, finger puppets, free play, and more. (MORE INFO)

LEGO Club! -Grades 3, 4, and 5

Weekly on Wednesdays

3-4 pm - in person; registration required

Have fun with fellow Lego enthusiasts in a supportive and creative environment. (MORE INFO)

Zentangle Time!

Monthly on the last Wednesday

(next meeting Feb 26)

4 pm - in person

Draw relaxing, structured patterns with others (without instruction). (MORE INFO)

Toddler Story Time

20 months - 3 1/2 years

Weekly on Thursdays

10:30 am - in person

Enjoy stories, socializing, and often a themed craft/project. (MORE INFO)

Knitters Meet-up

Weekly on Thursdays

2:00-4:00 pm - in person

We knit together and provide assistance when needed. Come when you can and bring your current project. (MORE INFO)

Bridge with the Friends of NWPL

Weekly on Thursdays

2:00-4:00 pm - in person

The Friends of the NWPL invite experienced bridge players to join their weekly game. To save a place, please email Peggy Fraser. (MORE INFO)

Mezzanine Gallery

Hiding in Plain Sight

An Exhibition of Paintings & Figurative Wall Constructions

Amy Schachter

January 2 - February 28, 2025



Working with acrylic paint on graphite, Amy Schachter often uses panels that are recycled from construction projects or wood found in her barn. She also creates wall constructions made from a variety of materials: wood, metal, paper, paint, and glass. Color plays a significant role in Amy's designs, setting the mood and generating movement. Her artwork explores sensitive situations in a way that establishes a visual narrative that can be shared with others. 

Library Notes

NWPL Bag Mobile


Sometimes mobility issues and transportation challenges make it hard to get to the library.


Enter the Bag Mobile! We are happy to fill a special tote bag with your choice of books. This may be picked up at the library by a caregiver or friend.


We now have a regular off-site delivery service to The Homestead, Melishwood, and Woodstock Terrace for patrons who request it. Currently, we pick up and deliver items weekly, on Tuesday afternoons. We will do our best to accommodate requests outside of those locations if you cannot send someone to pick up the Bag Mobile at NWPL.

The Norman Williams Public Library

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Questions? Please call us, 802-457-2295, or email Programs@NormanWilliams.org.


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