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Irish Band The Kerry Boys Return to the Library
Sunday, April 14 4:00pm
The beloved Connecticut Irish band, The Kerry Boys will once more perform at the library as part of the series.
Joining Pierce Campbell of The Kerry Boys will be Paul Neri on banjo and Tony Pasqualoni on bass. Together we look forward to celebrating the music audiences love so much.
This concert is free and open to the public.
Funding was provided by the Friends of the Cheshire Public Library.
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Friends of the Cheshire Library Spring Book Sale April 25-27
The Friends of the Cheshire Public Library will be holding their semi-annual sale of used books, Thursday through Saturday, April 25, 26 and 27. Hard cover and paperback books for every interest will be offered and include biography, classics, fiction, poetry, arts, foreign language, "how-to", hobbies, food and wine, history and health. Hobbyists, we have a large selection of idea books and a variety of how-to manuals. Parents, teachers and youth group leaders, we have an amazing collection of books for children. Prices range from 50 cents to $2. Specials are priced separately. Payment is by cash or check.
Children's books will be set up in a special section, as will CDs, audio books, and DVDs.
Sale hours are:
Thursday, April 25 9:30am to 8:00pm
Friday, April 26 9:30am to 4:00pm
Saturday, April 27 9:30am to 3:00pm
A preview sale will be held for paid-up 2013 members of the Friends of the Library on Wednesday, April 24, from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. New members are always welcome and you can sign up that evening.
Remember all the proceeds support library programs and activities, including the museum passes.
The Library is located at 104 Main St., Cheshire, Connecticut.
For more information, please contact the library at (203)272-2245 or visit our website.
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Our Own Louise LeClaire Awarded State Leadership Award 
Our very own Louise LeClaire, familiar to many library patrons from the Circulation and Children's desks, is receiving the Connecticut Library Association's 2013 "Support Staff of the Year" award for her leadership in coordinating the library's social media program. Louise started at the library as a part-time clerk in 1996, years before Facebook and Twitter. Multiple promotions and 16 years later, she is now a Senior Library Associate in charge of social media. An early adapter, Louise uses technology extensively at work and in her personal life, and when libraries started turning to social media as a way of interacting with their users, we turned to Louise and asked her to come up with a plan for our library. Louise started a Social Networking and Media Committee which brought together other tech-savvy library staff to develop the library's social media program, which now includes Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Wordpress and Tumblr. To make sure we were optimizing our social media presence, Louise looked at best practices, reported and analyzed data from the various social media outlets and refined our social media strategies accordingly. She developed a social media policy, set up a library book blog and has attended every relevant workshop, conference and webinar that she could fit into her schedule. We are lucky to have Louise on our staff and are thrilled that she is getting this award!
So why are libraries using social media? Pretty much for the same reasons individuals, businesses and other organizations all over the world are using it--to connect. We listen to what people are saying about us, respond to their questions and connect with people who "like" us. Then we try to turn those digital connections into relationships. Of course we use our social media platforms to talk about library programs, books, movies and the world of libraries in general, but the real value of social media is in building connections between people. Our website and social media outlets have become a virtual branch, places where we can provide services and interact with customers just as we do in the brick building at 104 Main Street.
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When Johnny Comes Marching Home: Civil War Book Discussion
Monday, April 1, 7:00pm
Our April pick for this mini-book series is The March by E. L. Doctorow. In 1864, after Union general William Tecumseh Sherman burned Atlanta, he marched his sixty thousand troops east through Georgia to the sea, and then up into the Carolinas. The army fought off Confederate forces and lived off the land, pillaging the Southern plantations, taking cattle and crops for their own, demolishing cities, and accumulating a borne-along population of freed blacks and white refugees until all that remained was the dangerous transient life of the uprooted, the dispossessed, and the triumphant. Only a master novelist could so powerfully and compassionately render the lives of those who marched. Almost hypnotic in its narrative drive, The Marchstunningly renders the countless lives swept up in the violence of a country at war with itself.
Copies of the book are in the lobby on our display available for checkout.
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Foundation Gardens: How to Design Maintain
Monday, April 1 7:00pm
Guest speaker Kathy Connolly, professional landscape designer and master gardener, will discuss the unique conditions that confront gardeners who plant their gardens near building foundations.
The area around a building is the very place that says "Welcome" to the visitor or "Relax, you're home" to the occupant. Yet how often do we see stressed-out shrubs and struggling perennials in this most visible foundation area? Many factors make the foundation garden difficult to design and maintain. This one-hour discussion will include a new view of the problem and will ask participants to think about site constraints that undermine some of the best gardeners' efforts. Planting ideas will be discussed.
To register, visit our website.
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Finding Wild Connecticut with author Mark Seth Lender
Wednesday, April 3 7:00pm
Mr. Lender will read selections from his book and unpublished material as part of his talk. A question and answer period will follow. Copies of the book will be available for sale and autograph.
 To register, visit our website. |
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Chocolate Wars Encore
Thursday, April 4 7:00pm
With Mother's Day rapidly approaching and opportunities for over-indulging still ahead of us, we naturally begin to focus on healthy eating and exercise. But can you have your cake (or to be more precise, your chocolate) and eat it, too? Long time chef and chocolate expert Maria Brandriff will demonstrate that it just may be possible with her program called Chocolate Wars.
It will be a kind of taste-off, where participants will have the opportunity to compare the type of decadent chocolate desserts that we all know and love with a lighter healthier version. Which type wins the showdown will be up to the participants who will have the opportunity to indulge in both. Recipes and ample samples will be available.
To register, visit our website. Don't delay! Only a few seats left!
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Where to Hike in Cheshire
Monday April 8 7:00pm
The Cheshire Planning Office will present
Where to Hike in Cheshire. Explore the hiking opportunities located in Cheshire. From meadows to Connecticut's second largest waterfall, the town has over 1,200 acres ready for exploration. Freehiking maps, property descriptions and directions will be available. The town website, a valuable resource for open space information, will be highlighted.
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Ancestry.com: How to Cure a Case of Too Much Information
Rescheduled!!
Tuesday, April 9 7:00pm
Ancestry.com now has over 70,000,000 original source documents! There are also books, maps,
family trees, and databases to browse or search. How do we handle all of these options? How do
we find the records that are relevant for our ancestors? What data found here can be relied upon?
Researchers often find either feast or famine at this extremely useful Web site. This lecture by Genealogist Nora Galvin will explain the formats of databases and provide strategies for finding just what you want to find.
Level: Beginner and Intermediate.
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Your Kidneys and Your Health: What You Need to Know
 Thursday, April 11 7:00pmYour kidneys - what you should know for your health. Do you know your numbers? Too many people are not aware of the importance of knowing about their kidney health. Peter Juergensen, PA, with Metabolism Associates - a nephrology group in New Haven will present this important and informative session. Juergensen has been in practice for over 25 years. He is clinical instructor at Yale Medical School and lecturer of medicine at Quinnipiac University's Physician Assistant program. He is also research chair (CAP committee) of the National Kidney Foundation.
To register, please visit our website. |
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Deer Resistant Landscape
Tuesday, April 16 7:00pm
Guest speaker Kathy Connolly, professional landscape designer and master gardener, will discuss the unique challenges that deer create for landscapers and gardeners. While there is no single technique that completely deer-proofs a landscape, there are strategies for improving the odds.
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Cheshire Cats Classics Club
7:00pm
 The Cheshire Cats Classics Club focuses on the world's greatest books.
Our April pick is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Esther Greenwood is brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under--maybe for the last time. In her acclaimed and enduring masterwork, Sylvia Plath brilliantly draws the reader into Esther's breakdown with such intensity that her insanity becomes palpably real, even rational--as accessible an experience as going to the movies. A deep penetration into the darkest and most harrowing corners of the human psyche, "The Bell Jar" is an extraordinary accomplishment and a haunting American classic.
Copies of the book are in the lobby on our display available for checkout.
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Super Foods to Maximize Your Health
Thursday, April 18 7:00 p.m.
Dr Debra Anastasio will talk about Super Foods and how they can be used to enhance health. What are super foods? Superfoods are a special category of foods found in nature. By definition they are calorie sparse and nutrient dense meaning they pack a lot of punch for their weight as far as goodness goes. They are superior sources of anti-oxidants and essential nutrients - nutrients we need but cannot make ourselves.
Dr. Anastasio is a leading Naturopathic Doctor with a private practice in Cheshire, Connecticut. With more than 30 years in the medical field, she brings her wisdom of being a physician and a mother to help her patients and community with a variety of health and wellness issues.
 To register, visit our website. |
Movie Matinee-- Robert Redford Films
 Tuesdays 1:00pm April 2 The Great Waldo Pepper April 9 The Way We Were April 30 |
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Civil War Medicine: Myth, Maggots, Minie Balls, Gangrene, and Glory
Monday, April 29 7:00pm Battlefield medicine during the Civil War was rudimentary, crude, and dangerous. Many who went to the surgeon with simple wounds did not live. In fact, more people died of wounds and disease than were killed on the battlefield. However, medicine in general made a huge leap forward because of the Civil War. Carolyn Ivanoff, housemaster of Shelton Intermediate School, will present this fascinating program. Registration is required.
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Connecticut State Archaeological Preserves
 Tuesday, April 30 7:00pm
This lecture describes the number of Connecticut archaeological sites that have been listed as preserves by the state, including John Brown's birthplace in Torrington, Cornfield Point in Old Saybrook, and World War II crash sites.
Dr. Bellantoni received his doctorate in anthropology from UConn in 1987 and was shortly thereafter appointed state archaeologist. His duties are many, but primarily include the preservation of archaeological sites in the state. His research background is the analysis of skeletal remains from eastern North America. Dr. Bellantoni is President of the National Association of State Archaeologists. He has been excavating in Connecticut for over 30 years. To register, please visit our website. |
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Murder by the Book: Mystery Book Club
Tuesday, April 30 7:00pm 
Our April pick is Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow. Hailed as the most suspenseful and compelling novel in decades, Presumed Innocent brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of all crimes. It's the stunning portrayal of one man's all-too-human, all-consuming fatal attraction for a passionate woman who is not his wife, and the story of how his obsession puts everything he loves and values on trial --- including his own life. It's a book that lays bare a shocking world of betrayal and murder, as well as the hidden depths of the human heart. And it will hold you and haunt you ... long after you have reached its shattering conclusion.
Copies are available in the library lobby for checkout.
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National Library Workers' Day
Tuesday April 16
Come in to the library and say thank you to your favorite library staff! Submit a library "star" here. |
Just for Teens
Please join us for the following teen programs:
April 2 6:00 pm - Anime Club Xtra
April 5 2:30 pm - Teen games, drop-in
April 12 2:30 pm - Yu-Gi-Oh: It's Time to Duel
April 19 3:00 pm - Cheshire Anime Club
See the library's teen page for more information!
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Children's Educational Programs
Fab Film Saturdays
Rise of the Guardians
April 13 2:00-4:00PM
Come enjoy some great box office kids' movies with Fab Film Saturdays at Cheshire Public Library!
Based on William Joyce's the Guardians of Childhood book series, Rise of the Guardians is a gorgeously animated film about Boogeyman Pitch Black's attempts to spread darkness and fear throughout the world and the guardians' attempts to foil him.
No registration necessary.
April 1 and 8 Mondays 10:00 - 10:30 AMFor children ages 3 1/2 to KindergartenStories, songs, rhymes and a craft.Children may stay with the librarian without parent or caregiver.TUESDAY STORY TIME April 2 and 9 Tuesdays 10:00 - 10:30 AM For children ages 3 1/2 to KindergartenStories, songs, rhymes and a craft.Children may stay with the librarian without parent or caregiver. MOTHER GOOSE TIME
April 3 and 10
Wednesdays 10:00 to 10:20; 10:30 - 11:00 AM
For children 13 to 30 months with parent or caregiver Stories, songs, rhymes.
FAMILY TIME
April 4 and 11
Thursdays 10:00 - 10:55 AM
For children ages 1- 3 with parent or caregiver. Resource area of print/non-print material, simple craft activity, age appropriate games and toys.
GIZMOS, GADGETS & GOO (G3)
April 4 (TRACK A)
April 11 (TRACK B)
Thursdays 3:45 PM
Mad Scientist's Club for grades 3 - 6.
DRAGONS AND DREAMS WITH SCIENCETELLERS
April 16
Tuesday 10:30 - 11:30 AM
With castles, kings, a dragon keeper, an Ice Sorceress, the Horn of Fire, two villagers, and a daring journey to save the entire kingdom...enjoy this spectacular adventure as we're swept away to a world where dragons are real, dreams come true, and only the most daring of people will survive to tell the tale! Join us as we learn about the science of Fire & Ice by telling a tale of Dragons & Dreams using experiments of flash paper, exploding bottles, "cool" dry ice, and much more. Wouldn't dragon's breath be an amazing sight?! For ages 5 to 12
LED SCIENCE WORKSHOP WITH ERIC NELSON
April 17
Wednesday Session 1: 2:00PM, Session 2: 3:15PM
Eric Nelson will introduce children to a variety of hands-on science activities using tiny lamps called light-emitting diodes (LEDs). For children ages 6 and up.
SQUID DISSECTION
April 18
Thursday Session 1: 10:00 AM
, Session 2: 11:15 AM
What are the largest, fastest and most intelligent invertebrates in the sea? Squid!
Kids will discover the amazing adaptations of these animals by paricipating in a detailed dissection of our local species. Join a representative from Mystic Aquarium for this unique opportunity to see an animal from the outside in.
For ages 8 and up.
SPRING INTO READING READ-ALOUD with the FEA
April 29
Monday 3:30 - 4:15 PM
Come read with the Future Educators of America (FEA) from Dodd Middle School!
We will be reading books and creating crafts. Snacks will be provided! Join the fun! For children ages 3-6. Registration is required starting on April 15th.
Registration required for above programs.
BUILDERS BRIGADE
Do you love building with Lego blocks or Mega blocks? Then Builders Brigade is the program for you!
This program will occur once each month, for children ages 7 and up (no registration required).
Schedule subject to change
See our calendar for more information or check the KIDS' PAGE on the library website!
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Cheshire Library's Online Language Learning for Adults & Children
Cheshire Library is pleased to offer two online language learning databases to town residents. One is designed for adults, the other for children. To access these databases, go to the library's website
www.cheshirelibrary.org, select the RESEARCH tab then select ONLINE LANGUAGE COURSES. You will then have a choice between Transparent Language Online for Libraries and Muzzy Online Language Course for Children.
Adults may learn a language by using Transparent Language Online for Libraries, a highly regarded and proven system providing the widest variety of high-quality learning material and seamless integration of real-life language use.
Children may use the award winning Muzzy national foreign language programs in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Portuguese. This program includes interactive games, videos, songs and printable exercises. Muzzy Online stories and vocabulary builders play on computers, laptops, ipads, tablets and smart phones or you can join us on a computer at the library.
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From the Director's Desk
- E-Book Facts.
Did you know that most of the "Big Six" publishers will not sell e-books to libraries for loan to patrons? That is why, although we have a very good collection of e-books, we do not have some of the latest bestsellers. Did you know that some publishers charge libraries nearly SIX times the retail cost of e-books (around $85.00 each)? Did you know that, with most e-books, libraries are only allowed to loan each copy to one user at a time?
There's a lot of confusion out there on the part of library patrons when it comes to e-books, and for good reason. We're trying very hard to navigate the e-book landscape in order to provide the very best collections and services to our digital users.
- Libraries are not just about literacy. In fact, early numeracy (number knowledge) is a key predictor of later academic success. If you're looking for an alternative or addition to your kids' nightly bedtime stories, visit Bedtime Math for a variety of quick, fun, and age-level appropriate math problems (many thanks to Library Board President Carol DiPietro for suggesting the site). And never underestimate the importance of "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed!"
- April 14-20 is National Library Week -- and it also coincides with April vacation week in Cheshire. Come to the library for a variety of great programs for all ages -- including two Squid Dissection sessions. Tuesday, April 16 is Library Worker Appreciation Day, so please stop by and thank our wonderful staff members. You can even submit a "star" for your favorite staff member here.
Happy Spring!
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