We’ve added a new Juvenile Biography display just inside the Library’s front doors, replacing the Juvenile Biography section in the Children’s Room. The Young Adult and Teens & Tweens sections have also had their layouts changed; the former has been moved to the left of the front doors (as seen from inside), while the latter has been shifted to fill the area to the right of the doors and reorganized, with multiple new displays! We hope that the new layout will make the upstairs areas feel less crowded and easier to navigate, while also encouraging young patrons to check out our nonfiction offerings. Stay tuned for future updates!
The leaves are changing colors, the days are getting shorter, and Books & Spooks is back at the Library! Our themed book displays are stuffed with tales of ghosts and goblins galore this month as Halloween looms on the horizon; whether you’re looking for serious scares or just a few spine-tingles, we’ve got something for you. Stop by and take a look!
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.
From October to December, the Library will be hosting Homeschool Hangouts on the third Thursday of each month. These are opportunities for home schooled children and their families to meet and enjoy all that the Library has to offer, together!
Stop by between 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM on October 16, November 20, and December 18 to take part!
Next time you stop by the Children’s Room, pick up an Autumn Scavenger Hunt & Exploration Kit! They include an Autumn Scavenger Hunt featuring signs of the changing seasons and local wildlife to keep an eye out for, as well as a journal ready to be filled with notes and sketches, and assorted supplies for exploring and celebrating the great outdoors. The kits will only be available while supplies last, so don’t miss your chance to get one of these fun goodie bags as we officially move into autumn!
Clark Memorial Library is partnering with the Library Speakers Consortium to give our community access to a growing catalog of virtual talks featuring bestselling authors, innovators and influencers, and experts in a variety of fields. Multiple new webinars will be added each month. Patrons can visit the Library’s LCS microsite (libraryc.org/bethanylibrary) to register for upcoming live events – all of which will be recorded and remain available to watch on-demand as well! The archive already includes talks with authors like Kate Quinn (The Diamond Eye), Bonnie Garmus (Lessons in Chemistry), Geraldine Brooks (People of the Book), & Frieda McFadden (The Housemaid).
We hope this service will empower the members of our community to continue their journeys of lifelong learning and personal growth! The following LSC webinars will be taking place during October:
“Nuestra América: Stories of 30 Inspiring Latinas/Latinos Who Have Shaped the United States” with Smithsonian educators – Thursday, October 2 at 2:00 PM EDT,
“10 Years of Daring Heists and Lovable Outcasts in YA Fantasy” with Six of Crows author Leigh Bardugo – Thursday, October 9 at 7:00 PM EDT,
“Finding My Way” with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai – Wednesday, October 22 at 7:00 PM EDT,
& “Courtly Intrigue and Whispers as Weapons” with historical fiction author Philippa Gregory – Wednesday, October 29 at 2:00 PM EDT.
Clark Memorial Library and the Friends of the Library will be at the 2025 Bethany Harvest Festival on Sunday, October 5!
Stop by to grab a tasty treat from the Friends of the Library Bake Sale, enter a FREE raffle to win a seasonal gift basket, and sign up for a library card if you don’t have one already!
The Festival takes place at the Old Bethany Airport (696 Amity Road), and lasts from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM. We hope to see you there!
Clark Memorial Library and Willow Tree Montessori once again invite families with young children (ages 0-3) to join a representative from Willow Tree at the Library for a special Montessori Morning storytime! This is a drop-in event that will start at 10:30 AM on Saturday, October 4.
Willow Tree hopes to share the love of language with rich vocabulary through stories, songs, and poems. For more information about Willow Tree Montessori, visit their website at wtm.earth.
Ever wonder what a Library book might say to a kid walking by? We’ve studded the Children’s Room and Teens & Tweens area shelves with Shelf Shoutouts – cards that let our books “shout out” from the shelves to get patrons’ attention! If you’re looking for something to read but aren’t sure where to start, Shelf Shoutouts can guide you to books you might have overlooked otherwise. Find a new favorite calling out to you the next time you stop by the Library!
Wednesday Morning Storytimes will be taking a short hiatus during September. There will be no meetings on September 17 & September 24 – the next meeting will instead be on October 1. Toys, activities, and makerspace crafts will still be available in the Children’s Room during this period, so there will still be plenty to entertain our young patrons in the meantime!
