Help us shape the future of Clark Memorial Library!
The Bethany Library Association is creating a new strategic plan and would like your input! Whether you use the Library or not, please take a few minutes to share your thoughts and opinions – a short survey is available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/5KTDNL2 or via the QR code above.
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!
Beginning Thursday, March 7th, the Library’s hours for Thursdays and Fridays will be changing. We will now be open from 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM on Thursdays, and 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM on Fridays. Be sure to keep these new hours in mind when planning your visits!
Thank you to everyone who attended our Take Your Child to the Library Day Celebration and the dedication of the Nancy J. Disbrow Children’s Room during the first week of February! We’d like to share some pictures from both events, featuring a look at the Ribbon Tree, just a few of the amazing Celebration Cupcakes our patrons decorated, and the balloon art of Ali the Balloon Guy, who made a special appearance for the dedication!
With the renovation of the Children’s Room at Clark Memorial Library finally complete, we are proud to announce its dedication as the Nancy J. Disbrow Children’s Room,
in honor of Nancy Disbrow, one of our most dedicated longtime supporters.
The dedication ceremony will take place Saturday, February 3rd at 1:30 PM,
as part of our Take Your Child to the Library Day celebration. Please join us in thanking Nancy for her contributions to the Library’s success!
Nancy is a lifelong Bethany resident and a second generation librarian. Her mother served as Head Librarian for Clark Memorial Library in the 1950s and 60s, and Nancy often rode the bus to the Library after school, rather than to her home. She has fond memories of reading near the upstairs fireplace in the original Library structure.
Nancy worked professionally as a public and school librarian in New Haven, and then joined the faculty of Southern Connecticut State University and spent many years training new librarians. She retired in 2013 as an Associate Professor Emeritus.
Her connections to Clark Memorial Library continued throughout her adult life; she served for many years as a BLA board member, and continues to be an active member and officer of the Friends of the Library. She is a founding member of the 1937 Legacy Society, with a substantial contribution to its endowment. Most recently, she has donated her collection of professional children’s literature books to the Library, and been instrumental in fundraising for the Children’s Room renovation.
Take Your Child to the Library Day Celebration!
February 1st – February 3rd
We want to thank the many donors who made the Children’s Room renovation possible, and invite all of Bethany to enjoy the new space and honor our shared commitment to having a strong public library in Bethany!
The following activities and events will take place during the three day celebration:
Thursday, February 1st – 12:00 – 6:00 PM
Decorate a Cupcake
Cut a Ribbon for the Ribbon Tree
Award Book Basket Raffle
1000 Books Before Kindergarten Sign Up
Friday, February 2nd – 12:00 – 5:00 PM
Decorate a Cupcake
Cut a Ribbon for the Ribbon Tree
Award Book Basket Raffle
1000 Books Before Kindergarten Sign Up
Saturday, February 3rd – 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Decorate a Cupcake
Cut a Ribbon for the Ribbon Tree
Award Book Basket Raffle
1000 Books Before Kindergarten Sign Up
Dedication of the Nancy J. Disbrow Children’s Room – 1:30 PM
Visit from Ali the Balloon Guy – 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Clark Memorial Library will be closed
Tuesday, December 26.
Happy Holidays to all of our patrons!
BE A LIBRARY INSIDER!
For the next few weeks we will be highlighting our fabulous LION Catalog system. Drop in for a short hands-on lesson with a staff member to learn how you can use the catalog from home to effectively search for new titles, place holds and renew existing loans, and take advantage of your library account’s many useful features!
Lessons are available between 2:00 & 4:00 PM on Saturdays.
Now that spring is officially here, it’s the perfect time to check out our new Gardening and Crafts display! It’s just outside the Teens & Tweens area upstairs, and includes books on flower and vegetable gardening, landscaping, caring for houseplants, paper-crafts, and many kinds of needlework. Come take a look!
