News and Notes | Clark Memorial Library

The Library’s America 250 Celebration may be over, but we will be keeping our Revolutionary Reading and Celebrating 250 Years of American History book displays up until Independence Day! Check out both fiction and non-fiction books covering a variety of touchstone periods in the history of the United States, including the Colonial Period, the Revolutionary, Civil, and World Wars, Westward Expansion, and the Civil Rights Movement. It’s a great chance to learn more about the history of our country!

Lunch Bunch Book Club

Wednesdays 1:00 – 2:00 | July 1, July 8, & July 15
Grades K – 2. Sign-up required.

Come join us at the Library for a summer book club designed to help our earliest readers, children grades K – 2, maintain and strengthen their reading skills during the summer break. Each week a new book will be discussed – the first meeting will have a read-along, and participants will pick up the book for the following week at the ends of the first two sessions. There will be light snacks provided for all participants, but you are free to bring your own as well!

Registration is required – the number of books available is limited. Call the Library at (203) 393-2103 or email us at clarkmain@bethanylibrary.org to sign up. Caregivers must remain in the Library while the program is in progress.

The Library will be closed this week on Friday, June 19 for Juneteenth (or Freedom Day) – the anniversary of the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation by Union troops in Galveston, Texas, and the official end of slavery in the United States.
We hope everyone enjoys the holiday!

Summer Reading isn’t all the Library has going on this summer – after the Kickoff this Saturday, join us Thursday of next week for the return of LEGO Club!

The club will meet in the Children’s Room on Thursdays from 2:00 – 4:00 PM, June 18 to August 13. This is a drop in program open to all ages, but a caretaker must be present for participants ages 12 and under. Both LEGO and DUPLO blocks are available for free-building.

America 250 at the Library!

On Saturday, June 13, the Library will be taking part in a town-wide celebration of America 250, the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Stop by any time during Library hours to see our Revolutionary Reading book display and the Three Sisters Boundary Stone upstairs, the 2026 Bethany Celebrates America 250th Quilt and 1976 Bethany Bicentennial Quilt in the stairwell, a special Arts@Clark! exhibit by the Bethany Quilt & Friendship Group in the Community Room, and a Children’s Guide to the Founding Fathers Storywalk along the edge of the front lawn!

Our Summer Reading Kickoff will be happening at the same time, so be sure to sign up for the Read & Bead and Summer Reading Flowers programs (ages 10 and under), the Teens & Tweens Summer Reading Challenge (ages 10 and up), or the Adult Summer Reading Raffle while you’re here. There will also be crafts and activities, including a special Rock Painting activity starting at 2:00 PM.

Rock Painting

As part of our Summer Reading Kickoff on Saturday, June 13, the Library will be hosting a Rock Painting activity starting at 2:00 PM where visitors will be able to paint custom rocks to add to Rocky the Rock Snake. There will be a table set up outside, to the right of the Library’s main entrance; Rocky is back on display in the garden to the left of the entrance, and after the Kickoff he’ll be bigger and better than ever!

While you’re outside, be sure to check out the Children’s Guide to the Founding Fathers Storywalk on the Library’s front lawn – then head inside to see the rest of our America 250 Celebration displays and sign up for one of the Summer Reading Programs!

Summer Reading Flowers

This program is for children under 10, and will run alongside our Read & Bead program – so your reading times count towards both! When you sign up, you’ll receive a flower head that you can add a colorful petal to for every 20 minutes you read over the summer – and once your flower has fully “bloomed”, it will be added to our Summer Reading Garden in the Children’s Room! You’ll also earn a ladybug or bee to add to the Garden for every 200 minutes you read, and a butterfly for every 500 minutes. By the end of summer, we hope that the Summer Reading Garden will be bustling with life.

The Library’s 2026 Summer Reading Kickoff is Saturday, June 13! Early sign-ups start Tuesday, June 9, but we encourage you to stop by during the Kickoff even if you’ve signed up already. Take part in fun crafts and activities – and while you’re here, check out our displays for the state-wide America 250 Celebration as well!

Read & Bead

This Summer Reading Program is for children under 10. Create a custom necklace over the course of the summer – you’ll earn a bead for every 20 minutes you read, and a charm for every 100 minutes. Participants receive a book log to track their reading time in when they sign up, as well as a necklace chain and a red, white, or blue starter bead in honor of the America 250 Celebration!

Summer Reading Challenge

This NEW Summer Reading Program is for children ages 10 and up! You’ll start off by receiving a Positive Pickle for inspiration – then hang a flower decoration on our “branch bouquet” for every 30 minutes you read during the summer, and pick another Pickle for every 90 minutes! You’ll be entered into the Participation Raffle if you return your reading log with at least 30 min of reading marked – but those who complete all 12 of the Reading Challenges in the reading log will also be entered into the Reading Challenge Raffle!

Participation Raffle Prizes:
– Copper Water Bottle
– Giant Tub of Popcorn
– Rechargeable Earbuds
– Pack of 200 Stickers

Reading Challenge Raffle Prizes:
– Copper Water Bottle
– Pack of 200 Stickers
– Guinness Book of World Records 2026
– The Ultimate Book of Random Fun Facts
– Leather Journal and Pen
– $100 Gift Certificate to The Clay Date

Adult Summer Reading Raffle

Who says Summer Reading is just for kids? Our adult patrons can take part by filling out a Raffle Entry Form online (or in person at the Library) for each book read over the course of the summer. One winner will be selected at the end of the summer to receive a special “Connecticut Adventure Basket” – a mix of passes, gift certificates, and guidebooks to all Connecticut has to offer – courtesy of the Friends of the Library. Delve into the rich resources that surround us here in the Nutmeg State. Every book is a chance for adventure!