Southbury Public Library February Lineup of Events and Programs
Adult Events
Information and Registration: Reference Department at 203-262-0626 ext. 130
All programs require registration unless otherwise noted. The majority of programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Southbury Public Library. Library programs are not funded by the town fiscal budget. For all virtual adult programs requiring registration, registrants will receive an email with the Zoom links the morning of the program.
Gene Kelly: Singing and Dancing in the Rain
Friday, February 3, 2-3:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Gene Kelly is one of the most engaging and influential dancers to ever set foot in Hollywood. Join us as we explore Kelly’s remarkable achievements, and examine his enduring impact on Hollywood. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
Bending Towards Justice: African Americans as Subject and Creators in American Art
Friday, February 10, 2-3:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Join us as we examine that arc as it relates to African American history enshrined in American Art. From colonial era portraits to 19th-century and Jim Crow-era prints to 1960s Civil Rights photography, this program will provide a visual overview of African American oppression, struggle and progress towards equality. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
Musical Journey with Matthew
Saturday, February 11, 1-2:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Join us for a musical trip featuring Matthew on piano. Matthew takes his inspiration from exposure to different musical thinking, thus possessing their very own creative language based in Americana. Explore American music down the Mississippi River to the Bayou and back to Appalachia, with a mixture of blues, ragtime, swing, country, rock n roll, gospel, classical, and new interpretations. To register, click here.
Presidential Birthplaces
Thursday, February 23, 2-3:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Which state has seen the most future Presidents born? Who was the first President born an American citizen? (Hint: It's not George Washington!) Humble or lavish, in a large town or out in the wilderness, join us as we virtually travel to Presidential birthplaces across the country. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
Were There Slaves in Southbury?
Friday, February 24, 1-2:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required
We have been led to believe that slavery was only found on the cotton plantations in the Southern states. Is it possible that slavery was also in Connecticut? Or even Southbury? Join us as Melinda Elliott explores Southbury's forgotten population. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
A Poetic Immersion with Mary Oliver
Saturday, February 25, 1-2:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Join us for an immersion into the poetry and person of Mary Oliver. Bring your favorite Mary Oliver poem to share, or come to listen and soak up the magic and wisdom of Mary Oliver. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
Coloring Club
Monday, February 27, 2-3:30pm, Brown Room, Registration Requested
Welcome to the Adult Coloring Club! Join us for a relaxing hour of therapeutic coloring in the Brown Room. Materials will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own supplies as well. Registration is requested. Register here.
Tips For Increasing Happiness: Raising Your Happiness Setpoint
Tuesday, February 28, 2-3:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Did you know that researchers have found that every person has an individual baseline of happiness, and that this baseline of happiness can be raised? Come learn tips and techniques to raise your happiness setpoint and enhance well-being. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
Celtic Music with The Jolly Beggars
Saturday, March 4, 1-2:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required
The Jolly Beggars are back again! Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with an afternoon of traditional Celtic music. To register, click here.
Wednesday at the Movies
Jerry and Marge Go Large (2022) PG-13
Wednesday, February 8, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested
Based on the true story about long-married couple Jerry and Marge Selbee, who win the lottery and use the money to revive their small town. Register here.
NO FILM
Wednesday, February 15
The Woman King (2022) PG-13
Wednesday, February 22, 1-3:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested
A historical epic inspired by true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. Register here.
Evening at the Movies
Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) R
Thursday, February 9, 6-8:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested
A middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led. Register here.
Tár (2022) R
Thursday, February 23, 6-8:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested
Set in the international world of Western classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár, widely considered one of the greatest living composer-conductors and the very first female director of a major German orchestra. Register here.
Adult Book Clubs
Nonfiction Book Club
Wednesday, February 8, 10-11am, Brown Room, No Registration Required
This month we'll be discussing How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith. Print copies are available at the Circulation Desk. For more information, click here.
Mystery Book Club
Monday, February 13, 3-4pm, Kingsley Room, No Registration Required
This month we'll be discussing The Witch Elm: A Novel by Tana French. Print copies are available at the Circulation Desk. For more information, click here.
Tuesday Night Fiction Book Club
Tuesday, February 28, 6:30-7:30pm, Brown Room, No Registration Required
This month we'll be discussing Black Cake: A Novel by Charmaine Wilkerson. Print copies are available at the Circulation Desk. For more information, click here.
Technology Help
Technology Help with James Chapin
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12-1pm, Reference Area, No Registration Required
Do you have technology questions or are you having issues with a device? Come by for help with local tech expert James Chapin. Feel free to ask your questions to our Reference Staff as well. For more information, click here.
Reference Technology Assistance
Did you know that the Reference Department offers assistance with mobile devices, downloading our e-resources, and more? If you have a simple question, stop by the Reference Desk more than an hour before we close and we can assist you. Like other Reference Questions, you may have to wait for a Reference Librarian to be available. If your question is more in-depth or you're not sure how long it will take, call the Reference Department at 203-262-0626 ext. 130 to inquire about making an appointment. Most of our assistance is related to answering questions about how to use a device, app, or website. We cannot touch your device directly, but instead we teach you how to do what you are looking for help with. If you have a hardware question or very technical question, we recommend visiting James Chapin during his Technology Help on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12-1pm.
Children and Teen Events
Information and Registration: Children/Teen Department at 203-262-0626 ext. 3
See below for information about our upcoming Children's and Teen Programming! All of our Children's and Teen Programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Southbury Public Library. Library programs are not funded by the town fiscal budget.
Children's Storytimes:
Drop-In Storytime (All Ages)
Monday, February 6, 13, & 27, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, No Registration Required
Join Miss Jennifer for stories, rhymes, and a small craft every Monday except Presidents' Day. All ages are welcome. Find out more on our website here.
PJ Storytime (All Ages)
Thursday, February 23, 6-6:30pm, Storytime Room, No Registration Required
Join Miss Jennifer for snuggly stories and a craft. Feel free to wear your PJs and bring your favorite stuffed animal. All ages welcome. Find out more on our website here.
Babies & Books Storytime (6-24 Months)
Tuesday, February 7 & 14, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, Registration Required – Space is limited
Babies and Books is an interactive lapsit program for babies ages 6-24 months and their parents and caregivers. Find out more on our website here.
Toddler Time Storytime (Ages 2 & 3)
Wednesday, February 8 & 15, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, Registration Required – Space is limited (Waitlist Only)
Parents and caregivers are invited to join their toddlers ages 2 and 3 for theme based stories, songs, and a craft. Find out more on our website here.
Stories & More Storytime (Ages 4 & 5)
Thursday, February 2, 9, & 16, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, Registration Required – Space is limited
Children ages 4 and 5 able to sit and pay attention independently are invited to listen to longer stories and complete a craft or activity. Find out more on our website here.
Special Events for Children:
Take Your Child to the Library Day: Snow & Ice Craft-A-Thon! (All Ages)
Saturday, February 4, All Day, Upstairs, No Registration Required, While Supplies Last
We're celebrating the 12th annual Take Your Child to the Library Day! Stop by the Youth Services department for our Open House Make or Take Craft-a-Thon. Make one while you browse for books or take home a fun and exciting thematic paper craft to make later. Appropriate for all ages. Young children may need assistance. Available while supplies last. Find out more on our website here.
Tuesday, February 7, 5-6pm, Storytime Room, No Registration Required
Do you love art? Join Miss Renee for a playful, messy, and expressive art experience where there is no right or wrong. Come to either or both sessions to play and experiment with a variety of art mediums and themes. Smocks recommended. Please wear something you don't mind getting messy. Find out more on our website here.
Open House Make or Take Craft (All Ages)
Saturday, February 11, 18, & 25, All Day, Upstairs, No Registration Required
Stop by the Youth Services department Saturdays to make a thematic craft. Make it here or bring it home. Crayons and glue available in the library. Available while supplies last. Find out more on our website here.
Tissue Paper Penguin Craft (Grades 2-5)
Thursday, February 9, 4:30-5:30pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required
Make your own penguin pal in this month’s craft with Miss Katie! Find out more on our website here.
Build Your Own Sticker Book: African American History Month (Ages 7 & Up)
Tuesday, February 14, 5-6 pm, Brown Room, Registration Required
Join us for another fun and informational Build Your Own Picture Book event. Celebrate Black History Month while answering trivia about some of history's most celebrated African Americans. Find out more and register on our website here.
Knitting for Dogs Craft (Grades 2-5)
Thursday, February 16, 6-7pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join us as we read Knitting for Dogs by Laurel Molk and make a related craft with Miss Jen and Miss Katie! Using a variety of art materials, join us for some process art and design and make your own sweater for a two-dimensional dog. Find out more and register on our website here.
Tiny Food Explorers (Ages 2-5 & Caregivers)
Tuesday, February 21, 11-11:45am, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join Tiny Food Explorers for some fun with food! Come and explore new flavors and textures while playing games all about food and MyPlate! You’ll make a hands-on healthy snack that even the pickiest of eaters will be keen to try. All snack ingredients will be nut free but may contain dairy. Find out more and register on our website here.
Chopped! for Kids with Food Explorers (Ages 2-5 & Caregivers)
Tuesday, February 21, 1-2pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join Food Explorers and get creative with a round of Chopped! In two teams, you’ll create energy bites from scratch, working together to select your ingredients and build your recipe, with a delicious round of taste testing at the end. All ingredients are nut free but may contain dairy. Find out more and register on our website here.
Storytime with the Southbury Police Department (All Ages)
Tuesday, February 21, 5-6pm, Storytime Room, No Registration Required
Our favorite community helpers are back with stories and a craft. Find out more and register on our website here.
Special Events for Teens:
Take Your Child to the Library Day: To Go Craft Kits (Aimed at Grades 6-12)
Saturday, February 4, All Day, Upstairs, No Registration Required, While Supplies Last
Saturday, February 4 is Take Your Child (or Teen!) to the Library Day. Stop by the Teen Department for To-Go Craft kits! We'll have beaded Snowflake Suncatcher Kits and Penguin Plushie Kits! Find out more on our website here.
Teen DIY: Magazine Collage Silhouette Art (Grades 6-12)
Monday, February 13, 4-5pm, Brown Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Using a variety of colors of strips of paper upcycled from old magazines and store circulars, make a collage for your background. Then, take your pick of several silhouetted shapes, and overlay it on top of your collaged background. Silhouetted shapes will include a bird, tree, cat in a window, and wolf! Find out more and register on our website here.
Teen Trivia Tuesday (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, February 14, 6:15-7:15pm, Brown Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join us for a fun trivia contest! Test your knowledge of topics like history, sports, science, and more! With some questions being multiple choice, we'll have a range of difficulties. Find out more and register on our website here.
Chopped! with Food Explorers (Grades 6-12)
Thursday, February 16, 4-5pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join Food Explorers for a round of Chopped! You’ll be making Pasta Salad as a team, and working together you’ll choose from an assortment of delicious and fresh ingredients to make your tasty recipe. All food is nut free, but gluten will be present, and dishes may contain dairy and/or eggs. Find out more and register on our website here.
Hot Chocolate Book Chat (Grades 6-12)
Wednesday, February 22, 4-5pm, Brown Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join us for a mug of hot chocolate (with all the fixings) and to chat about books. What have you read lately that's good? Are you looking for your next great read? In addition to homemade dairy hot chocolate, we will also have dairy-free vegan hot chocolate. Find out more and register on our website here.
Minute to Win It Monday (Grades 6-12)
Monday, February 27, 4-5pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Fast-paced and fun, you’ve got one minute to succeed in these silly challenges! Everyone wins because they’re as fun to play as they are to watch. Find out more and register on our website here.
Teen Advisory Board (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, February 28, 6-7pm, Tutor Corner
Teen Advisory Board meets the last Tuesday of the month. Currently, applications for Teen Advisory Board are closed.
The Friends of the Southbury Public Library: Lobby Book Sale, Donation Day, and 2023 Friends Scholarship
The Friends of the Southbury Public Library sponsor almost all of our fun virtual and in-person programs found on the calendar page of our website. For more information about the Friends, click here
Lobby Book Sale
Year-Round, Open During Library Hours, Lobby
Though the Holiday Lobby Book Sale is ending soon on Tuesday, February 14, the Friends of the Southbury Public Library's Lobby Book Sale continues year-round! Located in the lobby of the Southbury Public Library, this sale features a wide selection of books for all ages, including Children’s, Cooking, Boutique, History, Biography, Fiction, Nonfiction, Special Interest and so much more. Open during library hours and refreshed regularly with new books, there's something for everyone at the Lobby Book Sale!
Donation Day
Saturday, March 18, 10am-3pm, Below Ground Rear Entrance
Donate gently-used or new books (hardcover & paperback) for adults, teens and kids, DVDs, music CDs, audiobooks on CD, puzzles, vinyl records, and collectibles. Unloading assistance will be provided! Please bring donations to the library's below ground rear entrance, as indicated in red in the picture above. Find out more on our website here. If you're a teenager interested in volunteering on Donation Day to earn service hours, please fill out this interest form and we will reach out to you.
2023 Friends Scholarship
Applications are due Monday, March 27
Applications for the Friends of the Southbury Public Library Inc. 2023 Scholarship are now available! Scholarship(s) up to $1000 will be awarded.
With a heavy emphasis on your involvement with library activities and library volunteering, there are three other points of consideration: academics, extra curriculars, and a written essay. Residents of the town of Southbury who are a graduating High School Senior with plans to continue their education in the 2023-24 academic year are eligible.
Completed application and essay reflection must be delivered to the Reference Desk at the Southbury Public Library by 5:30pm on Monday, March 27. Find out more (including how to get a copy of the application) on our website here.
Brinker Fireplace Room Display: Agatha Christie: A Collection
February is National Library Lover's Month! To celebrate we're featuring one of our Head Librarian Heather Aronson's most loved authors: Agatha Christie! This month's display in the Brinker Fireplace Room features Heather's personal collection of Agatha Christie books and highlights the iconic cover art of Tom Adams, William Teason, and other illustrators.
If you're inspired to check out a library copy of one of the books featured, it's no mystery where we keep them shelved: on the Mystery Shelf under Christie! Some of Agatha Christie's books are also featured on Libby and Hoopla as ebooks and audiobooks if virtual lending is more your style. If you're curious to know more about Agatha Christie, Kanopy also features several documentaries about her: Icons of our Time: Agatha Christie, The Mystery of Agatha Christie with David Suchet, Agatha Christie's England, and Inside the Mind of Agatha Christie.
Artist of the Month: Hank Meirowitz
The Gloria Cachion Gallery at the Southbury Public Library will showcase the art of the late Hank Meirowitz through the month of February.
Hank Meirowitz, a longtime resident of New Milford and more recently, Southbury, formerly the CEO of a textile firm in New York City, and owner of a NYC children’s clothing store, Prissy Miss, passed away on July 20, 2022, just after his 90th birthday. Hank was a photographer with a keen eye for composition and subject matter. His work has been shown in various galleries and libraries in the area, including the Southbury Library, and in New York City. His photos have graced the covers of local magazines and, years back, his photo of a young son on his father’s shoulders at Greenwich Village Art Show appeared in Life Magazine.
He was most proud to bear the title of PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE PAMPERED PET and was a great lover of animals, using his talent to capture the personality of subjects large and small. Extreme close-ups, color or black or white, of the happy faces or full portraits of pets reclining and soulfully peering at the camera reflect the moods he created in his studio.
This retrospective of his work encompasses 28 photographs from his extensive portfolio and shows the breadth and depth of his talent.
The exhibit will be open during regular library hours which are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:30am to 5:30pm, Tuesday and Thursday 9:30am to 9:00pm, Saturdays 9:30am to 4:00pm and Sundays 12:00pm to 5:00pm. The exhibit will also be online as a virtual gallery here. Please visit our website to learn more.