Category Archives: Makerspace

Updates on arts and crafts activities taking place in the makerspace, new maker resources, etc.

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

There will be a special Rock Painting activity starting at 2:00 PM; visitors will be able to paint a custom rock to add to Rocky the Rock Snake, who is returning for the summer!

Summer Reading Programs:

  • Read & Bead: For children under 10. Create a custom necklace – earn a bead for every 20 minutes you read, and a charm for every 100 minutes. All participants will receive a necklace chain when they sign up, as well as a red, white, or blue starter bead.
  • Summer Reading Flowers: For children under 10. Help us grow our reading vine! Add a petal to your flower for every 20 min. you read, a ladybug or bee for every 200 min, and a butterfly for every 500 min!
  • Summer Reading Challenge: For children 10 and up. Start off with a Positive Pickle for inspiration – then hang a flower on our branch bouquet for every 30 min. you read, and pick another Pickle for every 90 min!Participants are automatically entered into a raffle – and everyone who completes the special Reading Challenge will be entered into an additional raffle sponsored by the Friends of the Library!
  • Summer Reading Raffle: For adults. We are once again encouraging adults to take part in Summer Reading by offering a raffle entry (online or in person at the Library) for every book read over the summer. One winner will be selected at the end of the summer to receive a special prize from the Friends of the Library!

America 250 Celebration Displays:

  • Revolutionary Reading book display (upstairs) and Celebrating 250 Years of American History book displays (upstairs and downstairs)
  • The Three Sisters Boundary Stone (upstairs)
  • Bethany 250th Quilt & Bethany Bicentennial Quilt (in the stairwell)
  • Arts@Clark!: Quilting with Friends exhibit (in the Community Room)
  • Children’s Guide to the Founding Fathers Storywalk (on the front lawn)

Spring has officially sprung! Stop by the Children’s Room for “April Showers” umbrellas and raincloud crafts; a “Let’s Fly A Kite” display with colorful ribbons made by patrons; and a brand new “Spring Into A New Book” display. Write the title of your favorite book on a colorful paper book spine and add it to the “shelves” – then check out what other patrons have added. You may discover a new favorite! Outside, our Frog and Toad Storywalk is back, featuring the short story “The Kite”. And finally, we have a Self-Serve Seed Station at the bottom of the main staircase – if you’re planning to plant a garden this year, grab some seeds to get started!

Mark your calendars for another Paint and Sip event organized by the Friends of the Library! Join local artist Zach Chernak on Saturday, April 11, from 2:00 – 4:00 PM; he will guide participants through the creation of a special spring painting, accompanied by wine and light refreshments. All materials will be provided, and no prior experience is necessary!

Space is limited and participants must sign up in advance; cost is $20.00 per person paid in advance. Call the Library at (203) 393-2103 to register, or for more information.

Tuesday, February 10 through Saturday, February 14, we will have supplies available downstairs in the makerspace for patrons to create their own custom Valentine’s Day cards! This drop-in activity is for all ages, and will be offered during Library hours.

Join us on January 7 for Clark Memorial Library’s Take Your Child to the Library Day Celebration! Take Your Child to the Library Day is an event celebrating libraries’ role in their communities and encourages library visits; it originated right here in Connecticut, but thousands of libraries across the world now participate every year.

We will be celebrating with a special Storytime with Willow Tree Montessori from 10:30 – 11:30 AM, a marionette rendition of “The Snow Queen” from 2:00 – 2:45 PM, and a “What Can You Make With A Dot?” makerspace craft that will be offered all day (and throughout the rest of February)! You can also get a library card if you don’t have one already (they’re free!), meet your local librarians, and explore all the services that the Library has to offer on a daily basis. And be sure to stop in again soon – because every day is a great day to take your child to the library!

What can you do with just a dot?

Join us in the Makerspace during Library hours in February for a special craft inspired by The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds – a book that encourages children to “make their mark” artistically, even if it’s with just a dot to start. We will provide plenty of art supplies for participants to decorate custom “dots” however they want!

This craft is part of our celebration of Take Your Child to the Library Day, a national event that celebrates libraries’ role in their communities and encourages library visits! Be sure to get a library card while you’re here if you don’t have one already, and join us on February 7 at 2:00 PM for a marionette production of “The Snow Queen” by local artist and puppeteer Robin McCahill!

Our workshop series with local artist Susan Taddei is back!

The second run of the Library Quilt Bee will take place over 5 sessions on January 24, 2:00 – 4:00 PM; February 5, 4:30 – 6:30 PM; and February 21, March 7, & March 21, 2:00 – 4:00 PM. No prior experience is necessary! Susan will be teaching participants fabric preparation and ironing, rotary cutting, strip piecing, easy triangles, layer tying, and edge binding. The result will be a 9″ x 9″ square sampler.

You must attend all 5 sessions to complete the sampler. We supply all materials – come free your inner quilter in a relaxed afternoon atmosphere! Space is limited; call the Library to register at 203-393-2103.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Snowman Palooza is Back!

Help us welcome winter with snowman and snowflake crafts! The Children’s Room will have new crafts set up in the Makerspace each week from Tuesday, December 2, through Saturday, January 10. This is a drop-in program that will take place during Library hours; all ages are welcome!

Owl Pellet Dissection Workshop

Learn about owls and the role they play in the ecosystem by dissecting real owl pellets!

Owls swallow their prey whole, so they eventually have to spit what they can’t digest back up, packed into a tight bundle – an owl pellet. Owl pellets are valuable to scientists because they provide information about an owl’s diet and the types of prey available in its habitat. For this hands-on learning experience, participants will examine and identify the contents of their owl pellet – bones, fur, feathers, etc.

This program is intended for children ages 5 and up; all materials are provided. It is a drop-in event, and will take place during Library hours on Saturday, October 18.

Help Rocky Grow!

Help Rocky the Rock Snake, the friendly garden snake created during the Library’s Sixth Annual Public Art Exhibit, grow even longer!

We will be offering patrons the chance to paint their own rocks to add to Rocky’s body on Saturday, September 13, from 12:00 – 3:00 PM. This is a drop-in event for all ages. We hope to see you there – and while you’re at the Library, why not take the opportunity to sign up for a library card if you don’t already have one? September is Library Card Sign-Up Month: the perfect time to get a new library card, or renew your old one if it’s expired. It’s a quick and easy way to get access to countless resources!