Category Archives: News

All updates.

The Nutmeg Book Award allows students to choose their favorite books from lists of ten nominated titles in four age divisions (Elementary, Intermediate, Middle School, & High School) and vote for them in April. The Library is adding copies of many of next year’s nominees to its physical collection, but we also offer a curated reading list on the Palace app that includes ebook and audiobook editions of both the nominees and the most recent set of winners!

Whether you’re planning to vote or just looking for a good summer reading book, sign in to Palace and take a look at the list – and if you don’t find what you’re looking for there, you can always check out our other two apps, Libby and Hoopla.

May is Mystery Month – celebrate with a rollercoaster of suspense and intrigue! Kanopy is offering a curated collection of films full of twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing until the very end – from classic detective stories to modern thrillers.

You can use your library card to access this collection, as well as hundreds of other classic and indie films, TV shows, and documentaries. New media and watchlists are added on a regular basis! Start your mystery marathon here: kanopy.com/category/15704.

For a quick walkthrough of how to set up and use a Kanopy account, visit their Getting Started webpage; if you already have an account, just sign in and enjoy.

The Three Sisters Boundary Stone, once used to indicate the spot where the borders of Bethany, Prospect, and Naugatuck meet, has returned to the Library – this time for good! It will remain on display in a custom-built case (constructed by Bart Piccirillo of the Bethany Land Trust) across from the main desk upstairs. If you haven’t already, stop by and take a look – and read the story of how the towns’ borders came to be marked by this unassuming stone, featuring a trio of ancient trees, evil spirits, and even a fighting tournament!

Check Libby & Palace for Mystery Month reads!

Did you know that the Library’s Libby and Palace Project apps both have genre-based reading lists? Libby’s Mystery & Thriller Catalog Guide and Palace’s Mystery Fiction Lane are the perfect places to look for an ebook or audiobook to enjoy during Mystery Month – and each list features several subcategories to help you narrow down your search even further. Looking for a cozy mystery? Libby’s Caught Red-Handed collection has you covered! Want something a bit grittier? Check in Palace’s Hard-Boiled Mystery sublane. Not in the mood for a mystery after all? There are dozens of other reading lists available on both apps, all easily accessible from their homepages.

If you haven’t tried out Libby or Palace yet, you can download either (or both) from your mobile device’s app store for free, and sign in using your library card number!

Clark Memorial Library will be participating in the annual Great Give event on Wednesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 8. This 36 hour event raises money and awareness for many causes important to our region, with valuable matching funds and prizes from The Community Foundation, the Valley Community Foundation and other generous sponsors. Please visit the Bethany Library Association’s donation page on the Great Give website during the event to support Clark Memorial Library with a donation – any amount helps!

Clark Memorial Library has a long history as a treasured community resource. We are focusing this Great Give campaign on expanding our materials and services, both digital and print, for readers of all ages. Please help us grow!

This year, the board of the Bethany Library Association is matching the first $500 donated to the Great Give, and the New Alliance Foundation is matching up to $10,000 in donations to literacy charities like ours. We’re so grateful for the help of organizations like these, and for your help in earning the library those matching funds.

It’s Mystery Month at the Library! Our themed displays for May feature detective stories, crime dramas, whodunnits and thrillers. Classic literary sleuths like Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew are featured alongside modern equivalents like Alex Cross and Agatha Raisin, as well as the real-life detectives who star in true crime tales. Stop by and track down a new favorite!

Thanks to a generous donation, five giant prehistoric beasts now call our Children’s Room home! These oversized dinosaur toys – each a foot or more long – will be available for young patrons to play with on request; three are made of soft plastic, while the other two are action figures with movable limbs. Dinosaur lovers can meet and greet our new arrivals before exploring the collection for stories about other ancient animals!

Celebrate our planet with Kanopy’s curated collection of environmentally focused films for Earth Day! Dive into topics like conservation, environmentalism, and sustainable living through the magic of film.

Kanopy offers a wide range of documentaries, narratives, and series that highlight the beauty of nature and inspire action towards sustainability; you can use your library card to access this collection, as well as hundreds of other classic and indie films, TV shows, and documentaries. New media and watchlists are added on a regular basis.

For a quick walkthrough of how to set up and use a Kanopy account, visit their Getting Started webpage; if you already have an account, just sign in and enjoy!

The Friends of the Library will be on site to accept gently used books for the Library’s Book Sale Table (located in the main entryway, across from the holds table) on Saturday April 26th, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Children’s and adult books in good condition will be considered – please do not donate books that are ripped, mildewed, written in, or otherwise significantly damaged.

There’s a new Museum Pass available at the Library!

The Florence Griswold (or Flo Gris) Museum pass grants two adults and two children under 18 free admission to the museum and its associated facilities, including the Robert and Nancy Krieble Gallery, historic Florence Griswold House and gardens, and Chadwick Studio. The house is the former site of the Lyme Art Colony, a community of artists that included some of the most noted names in American Impressionism. The Museum’s large collection of paintings can be viewed in the context of the Connecticut landscape and village where many of them were originally created!

For more information about the Library’s Museum Passes, visit the Museum Passes page on our website.