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Clark Memorial Library will be participating in the annual Great Give event on Wednesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 8. This 36 hour event raises money and awareness for many causes important to our region, with valuable matching funds and prizes from The Community Foundation, the Valley Community Foundation and other generous sponsors. Please visit the Bethany Library Association’s donation page on the Great Give website during the event to support Clark Memorial Library with a donation – any amount helps!

Clark Memorial Library has a long history as a treasured community resource. We are focusing this Great Give campaign on expanding our materials and services, both digital and print, for readers of all ages. Please help us grow!

This year, the board of the Bethany Library Association is matching the first $500 donated to the Great Give, and the New Alliance Foundation is matching up to $10,000 in donations to literacy charities like ours. We’re so grateful for the help of organizations like these, and for your help in earning the library those matching funds.

It’s Mystery Month at the Library! Our themed displays for May feature detective stories, crime dramas, whodunnits and thrillers. Classic literary sleuths like Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew are featured alongside modern equivalents like Alex Cross and Agatha Raisin, as well as the real-life detectives who star in true crime tales. Stop by and track down a new favorite!

Thanks to a generous donation, five giant prehistoric beasts now call our Children’s Room home! These oversized dinosaur toys – each a foot or more long – will be available for young patrons to play with on request; three are made of soft plastic, while the other two are action figures with movable limbs. Dinosaur lovers can meet and greet our new arrivals before exploring the collection for stories about other ancient animals!

Celebrate our planet with Kanopy’s curated collection of environmentally focused films for Earth Day! Dive into topics like conservation, environmentalism, and sustainable living through the magic of film.

Kanopy offers a wide range of documentaries, narratives, and series that highlight the beauty of nature and inspire action towards sustainability; you can use your library card to access this collection, as well as hundreds of other classic and indie films, TV shows, and documentaries. New media and watchlists are added on a regular basis.

For a quick walkthrough of how to set up and use a Kanopy account, visit their Getting Started webpage; if you already have an account, just sign in and enjoy!

The Friends of the Library will be on site to accept gently used books for the Library’s Book Sale Table (located in the main entryway, across from the holds table) on Saturday April 26th, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Children’s and adult books in good condition will be considered – please do not donate books that are ripped, mildewed, written in, or otherwise significantly damaged.

There’s a new Museum Pass available at the Library!

The Florence Griswold (or Flo Gris) Museum pass grants two adults and two children under 18 free admission to the museum and its associated facilities, including the Robert and Nancy Krieble Gallery, historic Florence Griswold House and gardens, and Chadwick Studio. The house is the former site of the Lyme Art Colony, a community of artists that included some of the most noted names in American Impressionism. The Museum’s large collection of paintings can be viewed in the context of the Connecticut landscape and village where many of them were originally created!

For more information about the Library’s Museum Passes, visit the Museum Passes page on our website.


The Library’s chapter of the Silent Book Club will be meeting in the Community Room on Wednesday afternoons, 3:00-4:00 PM going forward. The Silent Book Club is a “bring your own book” activity – no assigned reading and no pressure. Come for light 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 sweet silence.  

Don’t have a book already? Come a bit early to browse our shelves and then dig in! Between our new book, read-alike, and monthly themed book displays, you’re sure to come across something to suit your tastes – or pique your interest.

Roses are red / on return screens they appear
In Libby’s collection / poetry is always near.

Looking for something to read for National Poetry Month? Check Libby, the Library’s source for ebooks and audiobooks! There are thousands of titles to choose from, many available in both formats – and if you have an Amazon Kindle, you can download titles directly to your device. All you need to create an account are your name and library card number. Check out the video below for a quick introduction to Libby’s functions and resources, or visit the Getting Started with Libby webpage:

Poem in Your Pocket Day is a special event that takes place every year on a day in National Poetry Month – this year it’s today, April 10th! Help the Library celebrate by taking a “poem for your pocket” from the display on the the curbside pickup table in the foyer, the Friends of the Library nook at the bottom of the stairs, or the main desk upstairs.. Each paper pocket features either a short poem or an excerpt from a longer poem; you can simply enjoy them as is, use them as inspiration for your own creative work, or share them with friends and family! They will continue to be available through the remainder of the month, so don’t worry if you miss the holiday itself.

“Never Alone: Keeping Company with Painters and Poets”

Gigi Lawrence, along with Margot Trout
April – May 

Keeping company with those who give and have given form to imagination across genres, media, and time, Gigi Lawrence presents her work – along with work by Margot Trout, her friend and mentor – and poetry that has sustained and inspired them both.

“When trying to envision a library show that would be running concurrently with National Poetry Month, the idea of including Margot Trout came to mind, and the possibility looked rich and rewarding. Margot has inspired me as a painter, a teacher, a mentor, and a friend for the past 30 years. I have shared more poetry with Margot than with anyone else in my life, as is also true of paintings, and of art in multiple mediums.

It is noticeable that the appearance of our work is very different. What is important about artwork, is not its style, but what comes through it. In that respect, they are probably not so very different at all. This show is an opportunity to see Margot’s work along with mine, and to think about the art and poetry that has spoken to each, and sometimes both, of us.”

There will be an artist reception on Saturday, May 17, from 2:00 – 4:00 PM in the Library’s Community Room, but unfortunately, Margot will not be able to attend.