Category Archives: Programs

Updates about ongoing programs.

Let’s Bedazzle!

Join us on October 24, 2:00 – 4:00 PM to create your own literary bling!

We will once again be testing the boundaries of patience and skill with another two-hour bedazzling session – just bring your favorite book, and we will provide colorful gems and glue to decorate the cover with. Please consider that more detailed book cover designs will be more difficult to accent with the gems.

This program is for participants ages 15+ and will take place in the Library’s Community Room. Space is limited – there will be a maximum of 15 participants, and registration is required. Contact the Library at 203-393-2103 or clarkmain@bethanylibrary.org to register; if you register but cannot attend, please let us know as far in advance as possible so that your spot can be opened back up.

 This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Autumn Scavenger Hunt

Throughout October, we invite our young patrons to pick up Autumn Scavenger Hunt forms in the Children’s Room. Track down a variety of local wildlife and signs of the changing seasons to complete the form – then return it by November 7 to enter a raffle with a chance to win one of two Nature Explorers Backpacks! Each backpack includes an outdoor exploration kit, binoculars, a magnifying glass, and a compass. Good luck!

Arts@Clark Presents:
Sew Curious: Open Studio Sewing

Are you Sew Curious? Join us on select Saturday afternoons this fall for a series of Open Studio Sewing sessions, a chance to work on your latest needlework project – quilting, sewing, or mending! These drop-in sessions are a fun gathering for weekend sewing – to enjoy shared interests and camaraderie. You may bring your own equipment, or the Library has invested in some beautiful sewing tools (two sewing machines, rotary cutters, quilt rulers, pressing mats and irons) for participants to use (special thanks to the Friends of the Library)! We welcome everyone with an interest in sewing, from beginners to experts, to join us in the Community Room – the timing is meant to accommodate all schedules, regardless of your work, family, or other commitments. Drop in for an hour or all afternoon! We hope to see you there!

Once a month on Saturdays, 2:00 – 4:00 PM
September 19, October 17, November 14, December 12,
January 23, February 20, March 20, April 17, & May 22

Thank You for Participating in Summer Reading 2026!

To all the patrons of Clark Memorial Library, THANK YOU to every single one of you who took part in any of this year’s Summer Reading Programs – and a huge CONGRATULATIONS to all of our raffle winners! Each year, we look forward to seeing how the Summer Reading theme will transform the Library… and between the Summer Reading Flowers downstairs and the Summer Reading Tree upstairs, you did not disappoint! We saw record numbers of participants, hours read, beads distributed, and flowers created, and a great turnout for the new Summer Reading Challenge, a program specially tailored to our Teens & Tweens, which was offered for the first time this year. We hope everyone enjoyed participating, and found a new favorite book, author, or genre along the way.

We look forward to summer of next year, and hope you do as well!

Tuesday through Friday | August 18 – August 28 | 3:00 – 4:00 PM | All Ages

During the last two weeks of August, we will be hosting Reading Sprints from 3:00 – 4:00 PM in the Teens & Tweens area upstairs to help everyone reach their Summer Reading goals. Bring in a book (or pick one up at the Library), focus in on finishing your reading, and get a treat for each 20 minute “Sprint” you complete!

Clark Memorial Library’s Summer Reading Programs (Read & Bead and Summer Reading Flowers, Challenge, & Raffle) will be ending this month. We will stop accepting registrations on August 15, and Summer Reading participants will have until Saturday, August 29 to submit handouts and raffle entries, collect reading rewards, etc.

Raffle winners will be selected and declared in early September, once the wrap-up process is complete. Be sure to double check the rules for whichever Program you or your child are registered for, and don’t miss the deadline!

Arcade and restaurant Dave & Buster’s has generously provided the Library with tickets that provide 60 minutes of unlimited gameplay at participating locations! In addition to the various Summer Reading prizes and rewards that patrons can already receive through our Summer Reading Programs, we will be raffling off 12 pairs of tickets at the end of the summer. Patrons who have participated in any of our Summer Reading Programs – of any age, and whether you’ve gone through dozens of books this summer or only read for a few hours – will be included in the drawing. And there’s still time to sign up if you haven’t already, so stop by as soon as you get the chance and join in the fun!

We will contact raffle winners in early September. Please note that ticket use is limited to one per person, per visit.

D&D Shorts

D&D Shorts is a new program for players who have already attended one of the Library’s Intro to D&D sessions, or otherwise have prior experience with the game! The program will take place upstairs in the Teens & Tweens area on alternating Saturdays, 1:00 – 4:00 PM, starting on July 18.

Up to 5 players will participate in 1-4 session “one-shot” adventures using premade characters. Registration is required. The program is for all ages, but players will be matched by age when possible, and may be asked to wait to join an age-appropriate group at Library staff’s discretion. Children under 12 must have a caretaker present in the Library during the program’s runtime, in accordance with CT General Statutes. Players (and/or caretakers) will be informed of how many sessions a given adventure is likely to take, and are expected to determine their availability in advance. Players who register after a group is at max capacity can be added to a waitlist; first-time players will be given priority when a new adventure starts.

To register, call the Library at (203) 393-2103 or email Antonio at astrumolo@bethanylibrary.org and provide a player name and age, caretaker name if applicable, and contact information (email preferred).

Comic Book Club

After the success of our Comic Book Workshop in January, we’re happy to be able to offer more comic-creation programming this summer! Join local artist James Vanderberg at the Library on Tuesdays, July 14, 21, & 28 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM for Comic Book Club!

During Comic Book Club sessions you’ll explore cartoon drawing, narrative storytelling, and autobiographical comic making, and work with simple tools and no-fail prompts to ignite your creativity, create your own characters, and tell your own stories. Whether you love reading graphic novels, making comics, or simply reading the Sunday funnies, you’re sure to find this program fun and engaging!

Comic Book Club is intended for ages 10 and up, but no previous artistic experience is needed. All supplies are provided. This is a drop in program – feel free to attend as many or as few sessions as you’d like! – but space is limited, so try to arrive as close to the starting time as possible.

Summer Open Sew

Saturdays | July 11, 18, & 25 | 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Join us on Saturday afternoons in July for our Summer Open Sew sessions, a chance to work on your latest needlework project – quilting, sewing, or mending! These drop-in “open studio” sessions are a chance to ask for pointers, show off your expertise, and enjoy shared interests and camaraderie. Sessions will be in the Community Room. The Library has invested in some beautiful sewing tools for everyone to use (special thanks to the Friends of the Library!), and this is a great option for anyone who works full-time. We hope to see you there!