Join us for LEGO Club this summer!
The Club will meet in the Children’s Room on Thursdays, 3:00 – 5:00 PM, starting June 26th. It is a drop-in program open to all ages, but a parent or guardian must be present for participants 12 and under. Both LEGO and DUPLO blocks are available for free-building!
July 1st, July 8th, & July 22nd
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Create your own tiny crocheted creature at one of our Amigurumi Workshops this July – no prior experience needed! The workshops are drop-in activities intended for ages 10 and up, but adults are welcome to participate as well! Yarn and other materials, such as stuffing and toy eyes – as well as guidance for those who have not crocheted before – will be provided.
Amigurumi is a type of needlecraft that originated in Japan. It focuses on creating 3D knit or crocheted stuffed toys, which are usually cute and small in size. The word itself is simply a combination of the Japanese words for “knit/crocheted” and “stuffed doll”.
Dragon Eye Adventure is back!
June 18th, 4:00-5:00 PM, & June 21st, 11:00-12:00 PM
Sculpt, decorate, and paint a two-dimensional clay dragon profile, then choose from our special collection of glass dragon eyes to give your sculpture a spark of life!
Ages 7 and up. This is a drop-in activity, but space is limited – arrive on time (or early) to make sure you get a spot! Call the Library at 203-393-2103 for more information.
Clark Memorial Library will be closed Thursday, June 19th for Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, which commemorates the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 – officially ending slavery in the Confederate states. Although it became a federal holiday in 2021, celebration of Juneteenth has existed in some form since 1866. We wish everyone a pleasant holiday!
Our Children’s Room has been transformed for our Summer Reading Program – Spellbound: The Enchantment of Reading! Watch the video below to catch a glimpse of all the “spellbinding” decorations our staff have put together.
The Summer Reading Kickoff will take place June 14th. Stop by to pick up a Summer Reading chart, a Read & Bead necklace chain, and a goodie bag, and keep an eye on the Event Calendar for upcoming activities and programs!
June 25, July 23, & August 13
Enjoy the new Easy Reader book collection at the Library by joining our Early Reader Book Club this summer! Participants will maintain and strengthen their reading skills during the summer break. Themed books will be read aloud and discussed, with time afterwards to check out books of your choice; get your first library card if you don’t already have one! The program will include monthly scavenger hunts in the Library.
For children in grades K-2; caregivers must remain in the Library while the program is in progress.
Participants can add their reading times to their Summer Reading Program reading log to earn beads and charms for Read & Bead, and leaves and creatures for the Summer Reading Trees.
Local artists Liz Smolinski and Susan Taddei will have their works on display in the Library’s Community Room and display cabinets, respectively, throughout the months of June and July.
Elizabeth Smolinski grew up in New Haven and moved to Woodbridge in 2006. Oil paints and charcoal are Elizabeth’s favorite art media, and she typically works from her own photographs in the style of realism. Making time to create art is a priority for her, and she loves meeting new people via art. She enjoys elevating things that are easy to overlook, like flags hanging above, or the shadows cast by pond lilies, into compelling images of unconventional beauty.
Susan Taddei moved to Bethany in 1974. She is a self-taught quilter who sews on a vintage Universal De Luxe machine that is over 75 years old. Brightly colored batiks are her favorite quilting fabric. She is very grateful for the generosity of the members of the quilt bee she was part of when her children were young, who taught her many sewing techniques and provided endless inspiration, and loves to give quilts to her friends and family to honor milestones of their lives. Besides quilting, Susan’s other hobbies include singing in the Our Lady of the Assumption Church choir and doing jigsaw puzzles.
There will be an artist reception on Saturday, July 12, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM in the Community Room.
The schedule of our Wednesday Morning Storytime program will be changing slightly going forward – it will now take place from 10:45 – 11:15 PM on Wednesdays. Everything else will stay the same!
This program is for preschool age children, and requires a grownup to be present. Children will enjoy songs, nursery rhymes, puppets, read-aloud stories, and a craft, followed by open playtime and socializing. Prepare your little one for a future of group engagement and give them a chance to make new friends!
Join us for the start of the Library’s Summer Reading Program on June 14th!
Sign up for our Read & Bead program, which will run throughout the summer during Library hours, and you’ll get a necklace chain, a Read & Bead chart, and while supplies last, a “Bag of Enchantment” with fun goodies inside!
Check off a box on the Read & Bead chart for every 20 minutes of reading you do over the summer. You’ll earn one bead or charm to add to your necklace for each checked-off box – as well as a leaf with your name on it to add to our Summer Reading Trees. For every 200 minutes of reading (10 checked-off boxes), you’ll also be able to add a fantasy creature to the Trees!
Your reading time for Read & Bead can also be counted towards the Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge, if you’re taking part in that program as well.
By the end of the summer, we hope that all of our participants will have amazing personalized necklaces to show off, and our Summer Reading Trees will be bursting with life!