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!
Each year, the Bethany Library Association raises funds to support Clark Memorial Library in the Annual Drive. Download an Annual Drive Pledge Form to make a donation via check; or contribute via PayPal, debit, or credit card using the Donate button below. Names provided on Pledge Forms will appear in the Library’s gratitude report unless otherwise noted.
Pledge Form Transcript:
Bethany’s Clark Memorial Library has always been more than bookshelves and quiet spaces—it’s where children discover the joy of reading, where students find a safe space to learn, and where neighbors come together to share ideas, stories and experiences.
We are asking for your help to write our next chapter. How can you contribute?
We are a non-profit organization, not a municipal department – all of the funding for keeping our building open, supporting staff and providing high quality reading materials and programs comes from donations. We are fortunate to receive grant funding from the Town of Bethany, the Friends of the Library and local organizations. We also appreciate how our patrons recognize our value and generously support our efforts to maintain a robust and relevant public library for Bethany residents. We have provided hundreds of library cards to new residents in the past two years – and are welcoming new patrons of all ages almost every day.
Together we can ensure our library continues to inspire, educate and connect our community for generations to come. THANK YOU for believing in the power of stories and the importance of a strong library community. The library is a better place because of you! Please donate today.
Clark Memorial Library is recognized as a non-profit 501(C)(3) and donors may deduct gifts and bequests to the Bethany Library Association as directed by the tax code.
Save the date: you don’t want to miss this extra special holiday event.
From 4:00 – 6:00 PM on Thursday, December 4, join Santa and Mrs. Claus, as well as Library staff and members of the Bethany Lions Club, in the Library’s Community Room downstairs for holiday crafts and a Christmas cookie – and don’t forget to get a picture with the Clauses!
Clark Memorial Library will have a table at the 2025 Bethany Senior Health Fair & Flu Clinic on Wednesday, October 15, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM! Stop by to chat with a Library staff member and renew your library card – or get a new one. We hope to see you there!
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Local artists Liz Orsini & Ann Wiley will have their work on display in the Library’s Community Room and display cabinets throughout October and November.
Liz Orsini’s artistic journey has led her through four decades of diverse life experiences and has included watercolor, pastels, acrylics, and collage study. She is particularly drawn to the interplay of color and contrast. Each piece becomes a meditation on balance – between planning and spontaneity, between the known and the discovered. Her current work focuses on abstract compositions that marry original collage materials with acrylic paint and expressive mark-making.
Ann Wiley‘s creative adventure began with designing homes, both inside and out, like her dad did, and learning about fabrics, patterns, and designs with her mom. Art classes, art teachers, local art shows, museums, and fellow artists have all influenced her; after trying out many mediums, acrylic painting and collage have proven to be both her favorite and most enduring courses of study. The pieces of hers being shared have been created over the course of 15 years.
There will be an artist reception on Saturday, October 25th from 2:00 – 4:00 PM in the Library’s Community Room. Stop by to meet the artists and see their work!
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!
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.
Check the Library’s Calendar of Events for more details!
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.
