FEATURED PROGRAMS
BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS
Art Exhibit: Main Lobby
Two exhibits are featured this month as Stratford’s Ruby & Calvin Fletcher African-American History Museum is highlighted with various artifacts on loan, and a mini art exhibit features “Connecticut History” by Milford artist Robert Sforza. The Amistad story is prominently featured in graphite and ink.
Meet the Author: Gail Howard
Sunday, February 11 | 2 pm | Lovell Room
Redding author Gail Howard will discuss her memoir, White Wife/Blue Baby, which details her experiences marrying across the color line in the super-heated 1960s. Howard will read excerpts, take questions and autograph copies of her book for purchase following the talk.
Connecticut’s African American Heroines
Thursday, February 22 | 1pm | Lovell Room
Join us for an interactive multi-media program by the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame and learn about some of Connecticut’s most remarkable African American heroines.
Sunday Afternoon Talks: “How Did the US Constitution, When First Enacted, Address The Issue of Slavery”
Sunday, February 25 | 2pm | Lovell Room
Superior Court Judge Barry Stevens will discuss how the issue of slavery was raised and debated by the Founding Fathers at the Constitutional Convention, and the many questions it raised.
Free & Open to the Public
Host: Charlie Lautier
Stratford: THE STORIES WE TELL – AMAZING BLACK CITIZENS
Monday, February 26 | 6:30pm | Lovell Room
Join us for this new series! Town Historian David Wright holds monthly lecture series featuring a detailed examination of Stratford’s history.
BOOK BLIZZARD
January 16th – February 20th, 2024
Our adult winter reading program is back for another year! Adults,
please join our winter reading program and be entered into our prize drawing!
Joining is easy (and free!): Fill out a ticket for each book you read between now and February 20th and drop it off at the Library. Can’t make it to the Library each week? Send us a direct message on social media and include your name, telephone/email, and book(s) you read for the week so that we can enter you into the drawing.
You can also email us at: slaask@stratfordlibrary.org or call 203-385-4164. It’s THAT simple!
So… find a cozy spot, snuggle up, and get reading!
#StratfordLibrary #stratfordct #Winterreading #BookBlizzard
FEBRUARY FUN
Retro Movie Party: Spaceballs
Thursday, February 8 | 6pm | Board Room
Come and enjoy this classic comedy in an interactive way. We will have props to use along with the movie and quoting your favorite movie line is a must! Snacks will be provided. This event is for ages 16 and up.
Registration is required.
Paper Romance: Romance Novel Cover Art
Saturday, February 17 | 10am | Lovell Room
It’s February and romance is in the air! Reference librarian Marge Jones and family share original artwork of G.H. Jones, illustrator of over 300 romance novels from 1974-1992, including by such authors as Elizabeth Lowell, Nora Roberts and Janet Dailey.
Stop in and view this gorgeous cover art!
TALKS:
Sunday Afternoon Talks: “Personal Safety and Dealing with Scams”
Sunday February 4 | 2pm | Lovell Room
Free public service talk and expert advice in this presentation by representatives from Stratford’s Public Safety Director/PD/FD/and Dispatch:
Larry Ciccarelli-Director of Public Safety
Jim Buck-Deputy Fire Chief
Bob Burroughs-Captain PD
JP Sredzinski -Superintendent Dispatch
Digital Safety for Everyone
Tuesday, February 6 | 6:30pm | Lovell Room
Members of the CyberPatriot Club at Albertus Magnus College will cover a range of digital safety topics: current internet threats, scams, and fraud, social media safety, password management, and how to secure your data. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the talk.
Free and open to the public
CAREER & TECH HELP:
CAREER COACH: Job Search Help
Thursday, February 15 | 10am to 12pm or 1 to 3pm | 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? Join our “Job Search” workshop and equip yourself with the knowledge, skills, and resources you need to land your dream job!
Register HERE for 10am-12pm session
Register HERE for 1-3pm session
COMPUTER CLASSES AT YOUR OWN PACE
Tuesday, February 20 or Thursday, February 22 | 2pm | Board Room
Take one of our training sessions to learn how to use Northstar to build your basic computer skills. Once you create an account you can pick what you learn at your own pace.
Register HERE for Feb 20
Register HERE for Feb 22
CREATE:
Coloring & Coffee
Monday, February 5 | 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, February 7 & 21| 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.
BOOKS DISCUSSIONS:
Monday Morning Buzz
Monday, February 5 | 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, February 27| 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 SMALL MERCIES by Dennis Lehane
Set against the hot, tumultuous months of 1974 when the Boston’s desegregation of its public schools exploded in violence, Small Mercies is a superb thriller, a brutal depiction of criminality and power, and an unflinching portrait of the dark heart of American racism. It is a mesmerizing and wrenching work that only Dennis Lehane could write.
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.
“Don’t Know Much About” Book Discussion
Tuesday, February 13| 6:30pm | Lovell Room AND
Wednesday, February 14| 11am | Lovell Room
MASTER AND COMANDER by Patrick O’Brian
Don’t know much about Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin? Let’s explore Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian, the first novel in a noteworthy 20-book naval saga. Two different dates! Attend the one you want!
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.
Books Over Coffee
Wednesday, February 28 | noon | Lovell Room
THE THREE OF US by Ore Agbaje-Williams
Long-standing tensions between a husband, his wife, and her best friend finally come to a breaking point in this sharp domestic comedy of manners, told brilliantly over the course of one day.
Special for “Black History Month”!
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.
MOVIES:
Monday Matinees: RUSTIN
Monday, February 12 | 12pm | Lovell Room
Directed by DGA Award and five-time Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe and starring Emmy Award winner Colman Domingo, Rustin shines a long overdue spotlight on the extraordinary man who, alongside giants like the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and Ella Baker, dared to imagine a different world, and inspired a movement in a march toward freedom.
Special for “Black History Month”!
Rated PG-13; 108 minutes