Summer's Ending, Fall's Beginning

by Beth Cronk, county librarian


As we look ahead to fall, I’d like to invite you to put some Litchfield Library events on your calendar.

The first is really an end of summer event. It’s taking place Thursday, August 23rd, at 3 p.m. We’re having a special event for the end of our summer reading program. Kids of all ages, especially those who are in elementary school, are invited to Professor Marvel’s Dream Machines, a fun-filled magic show. Magician Robert Halbrook always focuses his show around children’s books, both classic and new, to fire kids up about reading. This summer’s show is based on our summer reading theme Dream Big: Read. I can’t say I’m a big fan of magicians in general, but I love to watch Robert. His shows are interesting, he’s funny, and he gets the crowd involved in a really enjoyable way. I’ve seen a huge crowd of both kids and parents having a great time at a show he did here in Litchfield a couple of years ago. Drop in to the children’s department at 3:00 to celebrate summer and reading. Kids can still turn in their reading logs until the end of the month.

In September I’m starting a new adult book club. We will have a brown-bag book club for adults that will meet at noon on the second Tuesday of the month. We’ll meet in the library meeting room for about 45 minutes, but if you need to get back to work after a half hour, you are welcome to leave sooner. You may bring your lunch if you wish. I’m hoping this will be a good opportunity for adults working in town who can get away on their lunch break, people who have jobs that aren’t 9 to 5, retirees, and stay-at-home parents who don’t have their kids with them at that time. Our first meeting will be on September 11th, and our first book is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I have copies available; stop in to pick one up if you’d like to join us.

Our gaming club is continuing on Monday nights from 6-8 p.m. It’s for adults, teens, and kids ages 10 and up. We have been getting a small but steady turnout from all of those age groups, and they’ve been having a good time. Sign up at the library if you plan to come every week or just once in a while, so that our volunteer leader can plan the night’s activities. So far they’ve played Dungeons & Dragons, BattleTech, and Magic: The Gathering. If you have a tabletop game you’d like to bring in and demonstrate, talk to me about setting up an evening for that. If you’re into something like Settlers of Catan or Dominion, we’d love to have you teach others how your new favorite game is played.

Save the date for the Litchfield Public Library Foundation’s wine & cheese fundraiser on Thursday, October 25th. It will be held at the Litchfield VFW from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available now at the library, at the Litchfield liquor store, and from library board members. The foundation is asking for a donation of $20 per ticket. The event will feature local authors, as well as wine, cheese, and chocolate tasting. Invite your friends and make it a fun night out.