Welcome to the Stratford Library Adult Department.
October Adult Programs
SPECIAL EVENTS
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH TRIVIA CHALLENGE
September 18 – October 6 | Reference Desk
How much do you know about Hispanic culture? Stop by the Reference Desk and pick up a Hispanic Heritage Month Trivia Challenge quiz. Drop off your completed quiz at the Reference Desk. Entries with the most correct answers will be entered into a prize drawing. The first 20 entries turned in also get a sweet treat.Learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month – September 15 thru October 15
Theatre in the Courtyard: MACBETHMacbeth, one of Shakespeare’s most gripping tragedies, delves into the corrupting influence of unchecked ambitions. It tells the tale of a valiant warrior whose hunger for power leads him to a path of betrayal, murder, and madness. As witches’ prophecies twist his fate, Macbeth must grapple with the consequences of his bloody actions. A timeless exploration of the human psyche and the corrupting influence of power, Macbeth remains a haunting piece of literary and dramatic history.
Patrons should bring a lawn chair or blanket to spread
for this special Halloween-themed production!
Free and open to the public. Event will not be performed in the event of inclement weather.Performance dates:
Thursday, October 26 | 7:30-9pm | Library Courtyard
Friday, October 27 | 7:30-9pm | Library Courtyard
Saturday, October 28 | 7:30-9pm | Library Courtyard
Excel Workshop on the Career CoachMonday, October 16 | 10am & 1pm | Career Coach on Main St, near Library entrance
Learn the basics and become a better Excel user in this 2 hour workshop. Sign up to reserve a space.
This Excel Workshop is offered in the morning from 10am-12pm and will be repeated in the afternoon from 1-3pm.The same material will be presented in each 2-hour workshop, participants only need to attend one of the sessions.
The Career Coach bus will park on Main St near the Library entrance.
Sign up to reserve a space:
10am-12pm session
1-3pm session
TALKS:
Sunday Afternoon Talks: CONNECTICUT AIR & SPACE CENTER
Sunday, October 1 | 2pm | Lovell Room
Join Museum Curator Christopher Soltis and CASC Board Member Andy Kosh for a talk on the history and struggles of this now 25 year old museum. The talk will also feature a discussion on Gustave Whitehead, who is believed to have been first in flight.
Talk: THE REPTILE NOOK
Sunday, October 15 | 2pm | Lovell Room
Learn about the amazing world of reptiles with The Reptile Nook from Agawam, MA! Join us for an hour of fascinating facts, Q&A, and the chance to get up close and personal with some of their scaly friends.
This is an ALL AGES EVENT.Talk: DREAMING WITH THE DEPARTED
Tuesday, October 17 | 6:30pm | Lovell Room
Dream teacher, Adelita Chirino, will share how dreams can be a bridge to connecting with our beloved departed and more wonderful aspects of Active Dreaming. Learn how you can better understand the gifts your dreams may be offering you.
Sign up to reserve a spot.Talk: EMBRACE THE FUTURE OF MEDICARE: Aetna Medicare Workshop 2024!
Tuesday, October 24 | 6:30pm | Lovell Room
Stay ahead of Medicare’s evolution with the Aetna Medicare Workshop 2024! Discover exciting changes on the horizon and get fully informed about the latest offerings.BOOKS:
Monday Morning Buzz
Monday, October 2 | 11am | Board Room
Stop in to hear what’s new, what’s hot, and what books are creating a buzz! Staff will lead an informal discussion of books, movies and more. Share what you’re reading and watching and hear from others!
Don’t Know Much About . . . Book Discussion
Tuesday, October 10 | 6:45pm | Lovell Room AND
Wednesday, October 11 | 11am | Lovell Room
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH by Jules Verne
Don’t know much about Jules Verne? Explore with us Journey to the Centre of the Earth, one of his most famous novels. The book was published in 1864, just a year after he began his prolific career as a novelist. Professor Lidenbrock discovers a coded message in an ancient volume of Icelandic literature, and he persuades his reluctant nephew to set out on a great adventure through a passage in an extinct volcano.
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.
Books Over Coffee
Wednesday, October 25 | noon | Lovell Room
THE EDEN TEST by Adam Sternbergh
Seven days. Seven Questions. Forever changed. Adam Sternbergh brings his wit, originality, and a Hitchcockian sense of dread to this chilling, surprising, and wholly entertaining portrait of a marriage on the brink.
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.CREATE:
Coloring & Coffee
Monday, October 2 | 6pm | Board Room
Fridays, October 6 & 20 | 11 am | Lovell Room
Don’t let stress get you down! Try coloring for adults! Coloring has many benefits including helping you to focus and de-stress. Stop in and give it a try. The Library will supply coloring pages, colored pencils and markers, plus coffee and tea. You are welcome to bring your own supplies too.
Adult Craft: Pumpkin Decorating
Saturday, October 7 | 10:30am | Lovell Room
Make a book page pumpkin for your fall decor! We will be using recycled books, modge podge and other decor to create these pumpkins.
This is an adult program ages 18 and over.
Register is required – Sign-up Here
Knit Wits
Wednesday, October 11 & 25 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Join the library’s drop-in knitting program! Also crochet! Make new friends, get tips and share ideas while working on your own projects. Held every other Wednesday evening 6:00-7:30pm.MOVIES:
Monday Matinees: BARBARIAN
Monday, October 9 | 12 noon | Lovell Room
A woman agrees to split her Airbnb rental for a night with a mysterious male guest, setting off a nightmarish twist of events.
R, 102 minutesFilm: THE UNIMAGINABLE JOURNEY OF PETER ERTEL
Sunday, October 22 | 2pm | Lovell Room
A riveting, award-winning account of the life of Peter Ertel who defied insurmountable odds in an unforgiving environment and who later found peace in America. “A must-see for anyone interested in world war II.” – Library Journal
104 minutes
Continue reading →September Adult Programs
SPECIAL EVENTS
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH TRIVIA CHALLENGE
Monday, September 18 – October 6 | Reference Desk
How much do you know about Hispanic culture? Stop by the Reference Desk and pick up a Hispanic Heritage Month Trivia Challenge quiz. Drop off your completed quiz at the Reference Desk. Entries with the most correct answers will be entered into a prize drawing. The first 20 entries turned in also get a sweet treat.Learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month – September 15 thru October 15
STRATCON is coming on Saturday, September 30th
SAVE THE DATE! 11am-4pm | multiple locations in Library & outside
Adults, teens, and families including children who share a love of anime, super heroes, comics, popular movies & TV series are invited to celebrate all things pop culture! Featuring Star Wars Light Saber Guild Kessel Temple, Henna Art with Jamilia, CT Caricatures with Bill Hernandez, Pop Culture Trivia, Mini FanArt Painting, Best Barbie Contest, Panel Discussions, craft, games & prizes! Cosplay/costumes are encouraged! Costumes must be family friendly. This is an ALL AGES EVENT.
JOB/CAREER:
Job Search Help on the Career Coach
Monday, September 11 | 10am & 1pm | Career Coach on Main St, near Library entrance
Job Search Assistance is an open ‘walk-in’ session that provides free computer and internet access for job related activities. Staff offers suggestions of the more popular internet job search sites as well as resume critique for those with existing resumes. This help session is offered in the morning from 10am-12pm and again in the afternoon from 1-3pm.Sign up to reserve a space:
10am-12pm session
1-3pm sessionSave the Date – Excel Workshop on the Career Coach | Monday, October 16
TALKS:
Social Security & Medicare
Tuesday, September 12 | 5:30pm | Lovell Room
The AFEA- American Financial Education Alliance, a non-profit organization, will hold a free & open to the public workshop on Social Security and Medicare. The meeting facilitator is Mr. Jack Peregrim.
Medicare & Beyond
Thursday, September 14 | 6pm | Lovell Room
The Father/Daughter Team of Lou and Jessica Pelletier will sort through the Parts (A – Hospital; B – Physician and Outpatient Coverage; D – Drug Coverage) and review the pros and cons of Medicare Supplement Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans. Join us if you are a senior, a child of a senior, or just want to know more.
WORKSHOPS:
Advanced College Funding
Tuesday, September 19 | 6pm | Lovell Room
A free educational, college planning and financial aid workshop for parents of high school and middle school students. Even if your family is not eligible for need-based aid, we will cover strategies on how to pay for college on the most efficient basis.
Registration is required, please register HERE.
“Five Steps to a Winning College Application Essay” with Jason Howard
Thursday, September 21 | 6:30pm | Lovell Room
Mr. Howard is a Connecticut Certified Teacher with over 15 years of classroom and tutoring experience, including at the renowned Joel Barlow High School Writing Center, Greenwich Education Group and Danbury Adult Education. The workshop will help students and their parents with research, planning , brainstorming, writing, and revising college application essays.
Registration is required, please register HERE.
BOOKS:
Monday Morning Buzz
Monday, September 11 | 11am | Board Room
Stop in to hear what’s new, what’s hot, and what books are creating a buzz! Staff will lead an informal discussion of books, movies and more. Share what you’re reading and watching and hear from others!
Little Gems Book Discussion
Wednesday, September 13 | 11am | Lovell Room
A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF EAST AFRICA by Nicholas Drayson
In this “little gem” of fiction, a widower is secretly in love with a woman who leads bird walks sponsored by the East African Ornithological Society. This tender novel offers atmospheric descriptions of the Kenyan landscape, undercurrents of politics, endearing characters, and light humor.
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.Books on Tap
Books, Brews, and Bantor
Tuesday, September 26 | 7pm to settle, 7:30pm to talk
Join us at the Oar and Oak Restaurant located at 2385 Main St, Stratford.
We will be discussing SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER: A MEMOIR by Ashley C. Ford.
A powerful story of growing up a poor Black girl in Indiana with a family fragmented by incarceration, exploring how isolating and complex such a childhood can be. As Ashley battles her body and her environment, she embarks on a powerful journey to find the threads between who she is and what she was born into, and the complicated familial love that often binds them.
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.
Books Over Coffee
Wednesday, September 27 | noon | Lovell Room
TRUE BIZ by Sara Novic
This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, disability and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy. Absorbing and assured, idiosyncratic and relatable, this is an unforgettable journey into the Deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection.
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.CREATE:
Coloring & Coffee
Fridays, September 1 & 15 | 11 am | Lovell Room
Monday, September 11 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Don’t let stress get you down! Try coloring for adults! Coloring has many benefits including helping you to focus and de-stress. Stop in and give it a try. The Library will supply coloring pages, colored pencils and markers, plus coffee and tea. You are welcome to bring your own supplies too.Knit Wits
Wednesday, September 13 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Wednesday, September 27 | 6pm | Board Room
Join the library’s drop-in knitting program! Also crochet! Make new friends, get tips and share ideas while working on your own projects. Held every other Wednesday evening 6:00-7:30pm.
MOVIES:Monday Matinees: INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY
Monday, September 11 | 12 noon | Lovell Room
Archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary artifact that can change the course of history..
PG-13, 154 minutes
Continue reading →August Adult Programs
SPECIAL EVENTS:
Forest to Shore Storywalk ® Tour
This summer’s Storywalk finishes up in August at Boothe Park. The StoryWalk will be at the Veterans Museum during the week of August 7-13. Stop by to read the book as you walk along. And be sure to register for the Main Event on August 12!
STRATFORD VETERANS MUSEUM STORYWALK
August 7 – 13 | Boothe Park
Main Event Special presentation by Veteran Bob Mastroni
Saturday, August 12 | 1pm
A celebration of Stratford Veterans who have served our country honorably in war and in peace. Register here.
Mini Art ShowBeginning July 24 through August
Stop by the Reference area (in the room with all the computers) to admire the miniature paintings that were created by local all-age artists at our mini art programs.BOOKS:
Monday Morning Buzz
Monday, August 7 | 11am | Lovell Room
Stop in to hear what’s new, what’s hot, and what books are creating a buzz! Staff will lead an informal discussion of books, movies and more. Share what you’re reading and watching and hear from others!Books on Tap
Books, Brews, and Bantor
Tuesday, June 20 | 7pm to settle, 7:30pm to talk
Join us at the Oar and Oak restaurant located at 2385 Main St, Stratford.
We will be discussing Bright Burning Thing by Lisa Harding.
A read with Jenna Book Club pick – an emotional tour-de-force, devastating, nuanced, and ultimately hopeful look at an addict’s journey towards rehabilitation and redemption.
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.CREATE:
Coloring & Coffee
Monday, August 7 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Don’t let stress get you down! Try coloring for adults! Coloring has many benefits including helping you to focus and de-stress. Stop in and give it a try. The Library will supply coloring pages, colored pencils and markers, plus coffee and tea. You are welcome to bring your own supplies too.Grab & Go kit: No Bake Energy Bites
Monday, August 14 | Reference Desk
Pick up a Grab & Go Kit and learn how to make easy, healthy no-bake energy bites. We’ll supply the ingredients for the basic recipe, you do the making. Want to try a different flavor combination? We’ll include variations of the recipe for you to try on your own.
Kits are available at the Reference Desk while supplies last. Adults 18+
Please note: The kit contains peanut butter.Knit Wits
Wednesdays, August 16 & 30 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Join the library’s drop-in knitting program! Also crochet! Make new friends, get tips and share ideas while working on your own projects. Held every other Wednesday evening 6:00-7:30pm.
Beginners Crochet Workshop
Thursday, August 24 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Learn the basics of crochet and the stitches necessary to get started on a simple crochet project. This class is appropriate for beginners or those who need a refresher course, ages high school and up. Please bring a crochet hook and yarn. A larger crochet hook is recommended for beginners, such as a size H, I, or J. Register here.MOVIES:
Monday Matinees: MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS
Monday, August 14 | 12 noon | Lovell Room
In 1950s London, a widowed cleaning lady falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress, deciding she must have one of her own. After working to raise the funds to pursue her dream, she embarks on an adventure to Paris that will change not only her own outlook, but the very future of the House of Dior. Lesley Manville stars in this delightful comedy.
PG, 115 minutes
Monday Matinees: BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
Monday August 28 | 12 noon | Lovell Room
In Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. Banding together with War Dog Nakia and Everett Ross, the heroes strive to forge a new path.
PG-13, 161 minutes
Sing-A-Long Movie: Tangled
Tuesday, August 22 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Come and join us for an evening filled with fun! We will watch Disney’s Tangled and sing along! Belt out “I See the Light” or “Mother Knows Best”. Don’t know the words? We will have them for you.
When the kingdom’s most-wanted bandit, Flynn Rider, hides in a convenient tower, he immediately becomes a captive of Rapunzel, the spire’s longtime resident. Crowned with 70 feet of magical golden hair, she has been locked away for years and desperately wants freedom. The feisty teenager strikes a deal with Flynn, and together they begin a whirlwind adventure.
All ages are welcome. Snacks provided (you can bring your own too). Singing is encouraged but it is okay to just watch! Register here.
Continue reading →
