Southport, CT – National Library Week (April 9 - 15, 2017) is a time to celebrate the contributions of this country’s libraries and library workers and to promote library use and support of libraries. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a nationwide observance organized by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. The theme for 2017 National Library Week is "Libraries Transform." All types of libraries - school, public, academic, and special - participate every year in National Library Week.
Celebrate with a variety of programs for all ages at Pequot Library, including two exhibitions -- the first featuring an item from the Library's Special Collections and the second showing contemporary handmade prints -- a Library sleepover, drop-in crafts during school vacation week, an Oscar-nominated movie matinée, a knitters’ group, and an Easter Egg Roll. Pequot Library, a public association library, provides experiences for all, including free access to over 115,000 circulating books, online resources, art exhibitions, literary programs, and community events.
Visitors can learn about the dedicated group of philanthropists in the late 1800s who transformed Southport and Fairfield by building Pequot Library in the exhibition, Pequot Founders: Building a Library and a Legacy. This is a Pages from Pequot Special Collections' presentation, part of the ongoing series of changing exhibitions highlighting Pequot Library’s Special Collections of archives, rare books, and manuscripts, on view in the Reading Room and The Perkin Gallery. The exhibition is free and open to the public during regular library hours.
For contemporary art lovers and those interested in current events, Perspectives at Pequot: U.S. Immigration Today is worth a look. The newest art installation at Pequot Library is a portfolio of 37 silkscreen and letterpress prints illustrating the power art has to engage people in informed conversation about immigration, and the broader global theme of human migration. The exhibition is free and open to all, and is on view in the Auditorium during regular library hours.
Children can enjoy the Night at the Library Sleepover on Sunday, April 9, 2017, starting at 6:30 p.m. It will be an evening of fun-filled adventure and mystery sleeping over at Pequot Library. Fifth and sixth-graders can hunt for treasures, share stories, and pop popcorn before viewing “The Librarian.” Hosted by Public Programs Manager Tracy Steneken and Teen Librarian Christine Catallo, the sleepover will kick off at 6:30 p.m. with a tale-telling ice breaker. A captivating tour of the Library and the Pequot Founders: Building a Library and a Legacy exhibition follows. Children will learn the significance of this architectural gem and have fun experiencing Pequot Library’s vivid history, from looking through a stereoscope to walking on a glass floor. Afterwards, pizza will be served and popcorn will be popped over a roaring fire in the Reading Room while children participate in a story-telling activity. Registration and fee required online at www.pequotlibrary.org.
Grade-schoolers ages 5 – 10, (K – 5th grades) can participate with a parent or adult caregiver in Vacation Week Crafts, from April 10 – 13, 2017, anytime from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., daily. Drop-in and enjoy the “do-it-yourself” crafts on the activity table! Children can try a new Spring-themed craft each day and then look for their favorite book! Free and open to the public, no registration required. Monday’s theme will be: Egg Carton Caterpillars, Tuesday: Paper Flowers, Wednesday: Cheerio Bird Feeders, and Thursday: Easter Bunny Ears.
On Wednesday, April 12, 2017, adults can enjoy Pequot Presents: The Oscars Matinée Movie Series, from 3:30 - 6:00 p.m. with a showing of Lion (R), a 2017 Academy Award Nominee for Best Picture. Bring your own refreshments and enjoy this critically acclaimed film on "the big screen." In Lion, a five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family. Free and open to all. General seating, no reservation required.
Knitters of all levels can cast on and repeat at the Pequot Purls Knitting Group, on Thursday, April 13, 2017, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Knitters bring their latest knitting projects to the weekly free gatherings of the Pequot Purls.
National Library Week at Pequot Library wraps up with the 11th Annual Easter Egg Roll, Saturday, April 15, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. The community event starts in the Auditorium for egg decorating first. Visitors bring their own long-handled wooden spoon and hard-boiled eggs for the "Dye-in.” Children, ages 2-12, can dance the Bunny Hop, meet the Easter Bunny himself, and visit with Pequot Library’s real, live rabbit, Blossom. Enjoy crafts and games, and then head out onto Pequot Library’s Great Lawn, where favorite eggs are entered in age-category races for the Annual Easter Egg Roll -- adults have their own race, too! This public event happens rain or shine, and is free.
Please visit www.pequotlibrary.org to learn more about this vibrant library, educational, arts and cultural institution. For information: (203) 259-0346 ext. 15. Follow Pequot Library on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Pequot Library Brings Culture to Life!