FEATURED PROGRAMS:
CLOTHESLINE OF COMFORT
November 24 thru December 16 | Library Lobby
Help the Stratford Library collect gloves, scarves, and hats for adults, teens, and children in need. Items can be handmade or store bought (keep the tags on). Please, no used items. Donations will be given to the South End Community Center. Donations accepted 11/24-12/16.
Thank you for your support!
Young Adult Job & Resource Info Session
Wednesday, December 10 | 3pm | Lovell Rooms
Join The WorkPlace’s Platform to Employment Youth Initiative to learn about :
– Paid Training and Work Experience Opportunities
– Job Placement Assistance
– Industry recognized certifications and credentials
– Career guidance into manufacturing, healthcare, IT, hospitality, skilled trades, entrepreneurship & more!
– Supportive Services (Transportation, work attire, etc.)
Ages 18-26. High School Diploma Required
uCreate: Hour of Code
Thursday, December 11 | 6:30pm | Lovell Room
Coding is for everyone! Celebrate Computer Science Education Week with uCreate’s annual hour-long introduction to computer science featuring fun coding activities through Code.org, Ozobot challenges, a chance to try uCreate’s new RVR+ robot, and prizes. All skill levels welcome. Open to: grades 5 – adult; anyone age 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent/guardian (who should also register if participating). Registration opens on 11/26.
Registration Required
Teen/uCreate Holiday Wrap-It-Up
Wednesday, December 17 | 5pm | Lobby
Holiday Gift Wrapping! Would you like some help wrapping your holiday gifts? Our teen & uCreate teen volunteers will do your wrapping while you enjoy some holiday treats while you wait for your packages & stop by our craft table to create your own Cricut Holiday Card or Gift Tag. Oh, this is all free! Bring in your own wrap or use ours while supplies last.
No Registration
HOLIDAY CONCERTS:
JOY TO THE WORLD!
Sunday, December 7 | 2pm | Lovell Room
Judy Handler & Mark Levesque return to the library for a special holiday concert! “Joy to the World” – special arrangements of Christmas & Hanukkah music for guitar & mandolin.
NEW ENGLAND GUITAR SOCIETY
Sunday, December 14 | 2pm | Lovell Room
Annual holiday concert series continues with the return of NEGS to the Library.
LARA HERSCOVITCH, former State Troubadour of Connecticut
Tuesday, December 16 | 7pm | Lovell Room
Singer/songwriter-Lara Herscovitch and pianist David Childs offer a holiday program.
STEFANO RUSSO
Sunday, December 21 | 2pm | Lovell Room
TALKS:
Virtual talk: JANE AUSTEN’S SANDITON: From Unfinished Swan Song to British Costume Drama
Thursday, December 4 | 6pm | via Zoom
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Hosted by Stratford Library, Hamden Public Library, and Cheshire Public Library.
Commemorating Jane Austen’s 250th birthday on Dec. 16, 2025, join author, former UK resident, and Anglophile Claire Evans for a look at Austen’s final, unfinished manuscript and its path from family heirloom to a fully imagined costume drama, airing on American PBS. Learn about the real-life people and locations that informed Austen’s last work before her untimely death at age 41, as well as how the seeds of her ideas came to life on the small screen.
Register Here
Talk: THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT!
Monday, December 8 | 6:30pm | Lovell Room
When the sun sets and night is upon us, all sorts of critters emerge from their hiding places and begin to forage, hunt—even play! From the Opossum to the Porcupine to the Great Horned Owl, these creatures can teach us lots about the animal world if we just watch and listen. Hear more from Master Wildlife Conservationist Ginny Apple as she talks about these animals, their habits, their howls and their homes.
CAREER & TECH HELP:
Career Coach: Job Search Help
Tuesday, December 9 | 10am to 12pm & 1pm to 3pm | Career Coach Bus parks on Main Street near the library front entrance.
Are you ready to take the next step in your career but feel lost in the world of job searching? Stop in to the “Job Search” session and equip yourself with the knowledge, skills, and resources you need to land your dream job!.
The same materials are covered in both sessions today.
Register HERE for 10am-12pm session
Register HERE for 1-3pm session
BOOK DISCUSSIONS:
Monday Morning Buzz
Monday, December 1 | 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!
BOOK ON TOUR (BOT) – New name, same lively discussion!
Books, Brews, and Bantor
Tuesday, December 9 | 7pm to settle, 7:30pm to talk
Join us at the Location in Stratford, CT TBD ASAP. We will meet at 7:00pm and then start our discussion at 7:30pm.
We will be discussing Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson. An unexpected road trip across America brings a family together, in this raucous and heartfelt new novel from the bestselling author of Nothing to See Here.
Copies available at the Checkout Desk.
DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT Book Discussion
Wednesday, December 10 | 11am | Lovell Room
Come early for socializing and snacks. Bring your favorite cookies, if you like. Then join the adult book discussion of All the Beauty in the World: the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley. Ever wonder what it’s like “behind the scenes at the museum”? Bringley’s memoir brings together his grief for his brother, his own pivot to becoming a museum guard in response to the loss, and the comfort found through his job and the art
Copies available at the Checkout Desk
Registration required
BOOK OVER COFFEE
Wednesday, December 17 | 12 noon | Lovell Room
Join us for a discussion of The Floating Feldmans by Elyssa Friedland. A family vacation dredges up a boatload of trouble in the next witty, insightful novel from the acclaimed author of The Intermission.
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.
CREATE:
Unwind Your Mind
Monday, December 1 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Drop in the first Monday of the month and unwind from your day. There will be coloring supplies, a big puzzle to work on, craft supplies to play around with, and snacks! Do your own thing or work together, it’s all good.
Knit Wits
Wednesday, December 3 & 17 | 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.
Crocheting
Wednesday, December 10 | 6pm | Children’s Program Room
Ages 9+ (adults and teens welcome).
Learn basic crochet stitches like single and double chain or bring questions about your current project. This class is perfect for both beginners and others looking to advance their skills. Materials provided.
Registration required
MOVIES:
MONDAY MATINEES
The Naked Gun
Monday, December 8 | 12pm | Lovell Room
Committed to living up to the standard set by his dad for L.A.’s elite police unit, Frank Drebin, Jr. (Liam Neeson) has his biggest challenge when the tech breakthrough known as the P.L.O.T. Device gets stolen-and he has to juggle the schemes of evil billionaire Richard Cane (Danny Huston) and the attentions of sultry crime writer Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson). Akiva Schaffer’s riotous recapturing of ZAZ’s firehose comic sensibilities co-stars Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, CCH Pounder.
Rated PG-13, 85 minutes