Category Archives: Programs

Updates about ongoing programs.

What’s the Buzz?
Saturday, June 8 | 2:00 – 3:30 PM

This summer, our Pollinator Pathway garden will be part of a research project tracking the movement of bees through pollinator gardens in the Bethany area. We are pleased to have Breahna Gillespie, Ph.D. (a research scientist from the Department of Entomology at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station) here to talk with us about her work and the research she will be conducting this summer.

Come learn about how bees are tracked as pollinators, and the work that is being done to encourage pathways throughout Connecticut. Plant some seeds and take home a pot to add a pollinator-friendly plant to your garden. All ages – all fun!

Silent Book Club
2:00-3:30 PM on June 11, July 9, & August 13

We invite our adult patrons to join our community of readers in the Bethany chapter of the Silent Book Club! Take some time to read companionably in the comfort of Clark Memorial Library. This is a “bring your own book” activity – no assigned reading and no pressure. Come for refreshments and an hour of quiet to focus on your latest read. Afterwards you are welcome to chat and share titles, but the hour of reading time is strictly sweet silence.

Need a new book? Come a bit early to browse our shelves, and then dig in!

The Bethany Community School’s LEGO Club will be meeting at Clark Memorial Library again this summer! The program is open to patrons of all ages; drop-in from 2:00 to 4:00 PM on Wednesdays, starting June 5th. We have both LEGO and DUPLO blocks. Stop by and get creative!

The Library will be kicking off its Summer Reading Program on June 8th!

Young patrons can take part in our Read & Bead program, which will run throughout the summer during Library hours. Pick up a Read & Bead Chart in the Children’s Room and check off a box for each 20 minutes of reading you do over the summer. You’ll earn one bead or charm for each checked-off box on the chart – by the time summer is over, you’ll have an amazing personalized necklace celebrating your reading achievements!

The Library will also be providing Reading Journals for the CT Reads! Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge. You can count your summer reading time towards both the challenge and your Read & Bead Chart!

More than 150 libraries in Connecticut will be taking part in the Connecticut Library Association‘s Passport to CT Libraries program this year to celebrate National Library Week! We invite you to take this opportunity to visit as many public libraries as possible; each has its own architecture, vibe, and collection to explore and browse!
The Passport program is open to both children and adults, and we hope that it will encourage residents to explore the amazing diversity of our public libraries.

To participate in the program, visit Clark Memorial Library between April 1 & April 30 to pick up your Passport and have it stamped. Then, take your Passport along as you visit other participating libraries. At each location, be sure to get your Passport stamped; if you visit at least five (5) participating libraries and return your Passport to a participating library by Friday, May 10, you will be entered into a state-wide drawing for a chance to win a $200 Visa gift card for adults (18 and up) and a $200 Visa gift card for children (under 18). This is a state-wide contest where four winners will be selected: one adult and one child from a random drawing of all returned Passports with at least five separate library stamps, and the adult and child who visited the most libraries/received the most stamps total. Get exploring and good luck!

Starting on March 7th, the Library will offer Game Nights on
Thursdays from 3:30 – 6:30 PM in the Teens and Tweens area upstairs.

Learn to play various board games, card games, and other tabletop games,
as well as role-playing games! The activities will be geared towards older children
and young adults, but kids of all ages are welcome to stop in if they are interested.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Share the Love!
Wednesday, February 7 – Wednesday, February 14
During Library hours we will be providing craft supplies
for patrons to create custom Valentine’s Day cards
and decorations in the Makerspace! All ages welcome.

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents” – Emilie Buchwald

1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a national early literacy program for parents and caregivers to take part in with their young children. The goal is to read 1000 books aloud to your child before they start kindergarten, helping them gain the confidence to become strong readers and successful in school and life.

Is it possible to read 1000 books? Yes it is! Reading 3 books a day for 1 year = 1095 books, reading 1 book a day for 3 years = 1095 books — and repeat reads do count towards the total! Clark Memorial Library’s goal is to develop a program that supports young families by providing incentives and materials to help reach their reading goals — including special 1000 Books Before Kindergarten book-bags containing a curated selection of award-winning children’s books.

Stop by the Library starting January 31st and sign up to get started! You will receive an Activity Journal to keep track of your progress and a pamphlet that provides more information about the program and the benefits of early literacy. When you reach a reading milestone, drop in again to have your journal marked and get a special sticker!