Tag Archives: Event

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!

Don’t forget! There will be a reception for the student artists from Amity High School, Bethany Middle School, and Orange Middle School who have contributed to the Library’s February and March Arts@Clark! display on Tuesday, March 5th, from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. Stop by to meet the artists – and if you haven’t already, check out their work in the hallway display cabinets and the Community Room!

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!

The Friends of the Library are very grateful to the Bethany community for all the support they have provided to their various fundraising events.

On Tuesday, February 13, starting at 7:00 PM, the Friends will be sponsoring a special Paint and Sip event. Local artist Zach Chernak will guide participants through painting a special Valentine’s picture; there will be wine, cheese and crackers as refreshments.

The event is free, but space is limited;
please sign up at the Library, or call 203-393-2103.

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

Help us welcome winter by making snowmen to decorate the Library!
The Children’s Room will have a snowman crafting area
set up in the Makerspace during library hours from
Wednesday, December 13, to Saturday, January 6.
Make one for the Library and one to take home! All ages welcome.

Each fall, Clark Memorial Library runs a fundraiser to support ongoing library services. The Library is not a municipal department, but it is a town asset, administered by the nonprofit Bethany Library Association. The Library receives a grant from the Town of Bethany that contributes to overall expenses, but a significant amount of our operating expenses are covered by additional grants and fundraising.

Your donations are put to work immediately to support new and ongoing library services, from updating our physical collection and providing access to a range of digital resources to running our Makerspace, seasonal programming, and art displays!

Click on the link below to download a pledge form, which can either be mailed in or dropped off at the Library in person. For additional donation options – including PayPal, which accepts both credit and debit cards – visit our Support Us! page. Any gift, no matter the size, is greatly appreciated.

PLEASE HELP US TO REACH OUR GOAL!

The Library’s featured artist for November, Phoebe Barron, is one of 73 artists whose artworks are showcased in HMVC Gallery New York’s Vibrant Visions Virtual Group Exhibition, a digital art show running from November 1st to November 30th. You can visit the HMVC website to see her piece Maze displayed in a virtual art gallery along with the works of the other artists, or see it in person in the Library’s Community Room as part of her “Lines, Angles, and Reflections in Architecture” display!

Phoebe with another of her pieces, Reflected Tree