Between the Lines. The Newsletter of the Bethel Public Library July/August 2014 CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF THE SEELYE HOUSE

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1 Between the Lines The Newsletter of the Bethel Public Library July/August 2014 CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF THE SEELYE HOUSE The Bethel Public Library 189 Greenwood Avenue Bethel, Connecticut L I B R A R Y H O U R S Mon., Wed., Thurs Tues., Fri., Sat Sun. 1-5 (September mid-june) Closed Sundays in July and August; and July 4 in observance of Independence Day. P lease join us on Saturday July 12 for an open house, including light refreshments, as we celebrate 100 years of the Seelye House! In addition, throughout the month of July, there will be a display honoring the Seelye Family to commemorate this special anniversary. Here s some of the wonderful history you will discover. On June 14, 1914, the Directors of the Bethel Free Public Library resolved to accept the Seelye homestead from the Seelye Family under the will of the late Hannah H. Seelye, including all of the land, under the conditions that the house or any building erected in its place shall be held in perpetuity for library purposes. On July 14, 1914, the deed was read and accepted by the Town. At the time, the Reverend L. Clark Seelye, D.D., offered a cash gift to make improvements to repair the front stone steps, install a steam heating system, remodel and change the fireplaces to brick, fix the chimneys, cut arches through the downstairs rooms, repair the ceilings, paper and paint the walls, paint the outside of the house, and remove the outbuildings. Also installed were proper sewage and electric light systems. Although the house was built in 1842, it has served as the Town s library for 100 years. During that time, many improvements were made since those originally done in In 2013, the main floor was completely restored and renovated. Based on a photograph from that time, its current appearance harkens back to how it looked in 1915 when it first opened as a library. ~Lynn Rosato, Library Director F R I E N DS JULY MEETING FE AT U R E S GUEST SPEAK E R ALL INVITED! T he Friends of the Library invite you to a fun and enlightening program on Thursday July 24 immediately following the general meeting at 6:00 pm. Join us to hear our friend William Berloni discuss his work making stars out of rescue animals! William wrote a wonderful book, Broadway Tails: Heartfelt Stories of Rescued Dogs Who Became Showbiz Superstars, and he ll have books available for sale and signing. We ll also have a raffle basket full of dog-related items, and a portion of all proceeds will be donated to DAWS, our local animal shelter! Please take note that July 30 will be our last Wednesday book collection night at the Municipal Center before our Annual B-I-G Book Sale (August 23-25). Book sale volunteer signup sheets are at the Library s Circulation Desk, or me at lcurtisbethel@aol.com with any questions. ~Linda Curtis, President, Friends of the Library Be curious. Be enlightened. Be inspired.

2 N U T M E G CHI L D REN S BOOK AWA R D Connecticut children throughout the state in Grades 4-6 recently chose Out Of My Mind, by Sharon Draper as this year s winner of the 2014 Intermediate Nutmeg Book Award. Since 1993, books selected for this annual award encourage children to read quality and notable books written to capture their imaginations. A committee comprised of Connecticut children s librarians and school library media specialists choose a list of ten nominated titles for children to read and consider for the award. Then, from June through the following March, kids read each of the titles and cast their ballots in April for their favorite books. The Intermediate Nutmeg Children s Book Award has become extremely important to many young Connecticut readers in Grades 4-6 because it is an award voted by the children themselves. During July and August, the Michele Arnhold Children s Library will present Nutmegs in the Afternoon, a series of book discussions and activities based on the 2015 Intermediate Nutmeg Children s Book nominees. The sessions will be held on Tuesdays, July 8 and 22, and August 5 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm for children entering Grades 4 and 5. Registration is required to attend. For a complete list of this year s nominated books and the titles to be featured during the discussions, please visit the Children s Services Desk. We hope to see you there! ~Joanne Grumman Children s Librarian T HE TEEN LIBR ARY: BEYOND OUR BORDERS! Need that summer reading book? Our services don t stop at the border! While we try to stock up on all the books, DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks that we think you ll want, sometimes what you want isn t here when you want it. But that doesn t mean you re stuck! Connecticut is lucky to have a statewide delivery system called C-Car. We usually get deliveries every day of the items our patrons have requested from other libraries. Knowing you can get that book you want will be particularly helpful to you with summer reading! We have limited copies of the books on the Bethel schools summer reading list, but every town has a different list. So, while The Violinist s Thumb or A Long Walk to Water may be very popular here, other libraries won t have the same demand and probably will be happy to deliver them to us for your use. So go ahead and place a hold or put in a request for these titles. In a super rush and the book you want is close by? Ask us to call the library to set it aside for you. You can use your valid Bethel Library card at any other public library in Connecticut. For some nearby libraries, such as Brookfield and Newtown, the use is seamless. For Danbury, you will need to register your card the first time, which will probably require your parent or guardian to be with you. ~Amy Schumann Teen Librarian W E VE M AD E IT E AS I E R TO PERUSE S CI-FI & FAN TA S Y Many of you may have already noticed that in the past month or so we have been working on reorganizing the Library's Fiction collection. Patrons were always interested in browsing books by different literary genres: horror, romance, fantasy, science fiction, etc. So, in order to make our collection more user friendly, we decided to separate fantasy and science fiction books into their own collections. We hope this will help readers have easier access to their favorite authors as well as give an opportunity to discover new books and authors in these genres. Also, if you do not see books of your favorite science fiction or fantasy author in our collection, you may always submit a suggestion for purchase. The new collections are located on the second floor of the Library after the Fiction and Mystery sections. Fantasy books will be labeled FAN and Science Fiction will be labeled SF on the spine labels. If you are having trouble locating books, please do not hesitate to ask a staff person at the Reference desk. As always, we are happy to help you. ~Kate Soboleva Adult Services Librarian 2 Be curious. Be enlightened. Be inspired.

3 M Y BOOK S ON HOLD, N OW WH AT? If you re like many of our patrons, you probably appreciate the ability to place requests on items that aren t immediately available, or to place a request when you aren t able to come in and pick items up right away. Whether we get the item from another library or pull it off the Bethel Library s shelves, once it is here for you, we always give you five days to come in and pick it up. There are three ways to be notified when an item is being held for you. We can telephone you and leave a message (or tell you in person). Or, if you have an address on file, our system will automatically send notification. More recently, we have added text message notification to our list of options. All we need is your cell phone number and the name of your mobile carrier, and the system will automatically send you a text message telling you your requested item is available. You can give that information to the Circulation staff, or log in and add it to your record yourself. It is a fast and efficient way of communicating with you, and one more option for hold notification. ~Priscilla Massmann Circulation Manager R E AD E R TO RE AD E R Please your review to newsletter@bethellibrary.org or bring to the Reference Desk. A Disease in the Public Mind: An Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War by Thomas Fleming This is a most exceptional book, especially for readers who are interested in the role of the media that fomented the disease in the public mind, much as the media infected a later public spirit with McCarthyism. See, too, the role of the media and the spurious rationale for the invasion of Iraq. Actually, the media of the 1860 s was worse, as it infected the minds of both North and South with a mutual bloodlust, that there was no way to resolve the issue of abolition and states rights without killing. Scare tactics were planted and measures were taken to suppress slaves who dared to assert their natural rights. The book brings forth the complexity of the proposition to free slaves. By the time of the Emancipation Proclamation, there were some 500,000 already freed slaves, most living in the north. To free those in the South implied a grave upset to the economic viability of slave holders, a few of the border states, and even what we may think of as the West, for example, Kansas. Of course, Robert E. Lee enters the scene. The book explains how the times and the public disease of the mind impacted his own mind. With offers from both Lincoln and Jefferson Davis to lead their respective armies, he barely survived his own troubled psyche before opting for the South and his home state of Virginia. An extremely interesting and informative weave in the book is the ethical and moral angst of consequential figures, some of whom were slave owners such as George Washington. For brother to kill brother, yes, a disease of the public mind. A surprise in the book was the extent of Abraham Lincoln s somewhat private thoughts regarding the potential of Negroes, whom he thought were inferior to whites in many ways. Strangely, these personal revelations had me in some way admiring Abe who placed his moral principles about the equality of man above his private assessments. He paid for this way of being with his life. For and against Abolition, 500,000 died victims, so to speak, of the disease in the public mind. Reviewer: Dr. Jerry Brooker From a Patron: I have been coming to this library since the age of nine. I love the staff, and quiet beauty of it. There is a painting on the wall upstairs that fits very well. It describes the beauty to be found in the fascinating collections. Kindles and Tablets and imacs Oh, My! Technology Petting Zoo for all ages at the Library: Kindle Fire HD and Samsung Galaxy Tab3 in the Children s Department will provide opportunities for kids to play games and read downloadable books! Kindle Fire HD, Nexus 7, and ipad Air are upstairs at the Reference Desk for adults to try out before making a decision about whether to purchase one for themselves. Two imacs are upstairs and now available for public use! Be curious. Be enlightened. Be inspired. 3

4 BETHEL PUBLIC LIBRARY 189 GREENWOOD AVE. BETHEL, CT B E T H E L P U B L I C L I B R A R Y w w w. b e t h e l l i b r a r y. o r g Courtesy of the Friends Museum Passes for Free or Reduced Admission Available with Your Library Card! SOME PLACES TO VISIT: The Children s Museum The Peabody Museum Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art CONTACT US Director x6 Children s Services x5 Adult Services x4 Teen Services x0 Circulation Services x3 I NSIDE THIS ISSUE Programs for All Seelye Celebrates 100 Friends Special Program Explore Sci-Fi and Fantasy Technology Petting Zoo How to Get Notified This Newsletter is co -sponsored by R.E. Lawlor Graphics & Printing, LLC and by the Friends of the Library. YOU ARE INVITED! Saturday, July 12 Celebrate 100 Years of the Seelye House! Join us for refreshments and a look at the transformation this National Historic Register house has undergone! THE DOOR TO THE PAST IS OPEN! Delve into Bethel s Past Find a Place for Quiet Study Research Your Family History Curl Up with a Good Book Discover Local Lore Regular Hours: Monday 12-8, Tuesday 12-3, Wednesday 3-8, Friday 10-3, Saturday 10-2 Don t miss the opportunity to purchase your hometown Library s History Book at a special centennial price!

5 Programs for Adults & Teens One-on-One Device Advice Tuesday July 8, 10:00 am-noon Wednesday, July 23, 2:00-4:00 pm Wednesday, August 13, 3:00-5:00 pm Make an appointment for a 25-minute, individual lesson with a Librarian. Check website for more information. Online Dating for Seniors (50+) A two-part series that introduces seniors to online dating sites. Part I: August 19, 3:00-4:30 pm Part II: August 26, 3:00-4:30 pm Registration required and limited to 9 attendees age 50+. On the BIG Screen in the Community Room! POPULAR FILMS JUST RELEASED! Wednesday, July 30, 7:00 pm Heaven Is for Real Rated PG Saturday, August 9, 2:00 pm Divergent Rated PG-13 Library-Hosted Book Discussions for Adults & Young Adults July book: All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque August book: The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton Monday evenings, 6:30-7:45 pm July 14 & August 11 Wednesday mornings, 10:15-11:30 am July 30 & August 27 Books available for checkout with a Library card. No registration. Doctor Who Party! August 7, 7:00-8:30 pm In the Community Room Celebrate Doctor Who with trivia, crafts, and more! For Grades On the Big Screen for Teens Only! August 6, 5:00 pm Community Room Divergent Crafts All Summer Long! Monday Evening Crafts July 7, 6:30-7:45 pm: Working with Clay Morse Conference Room. Grades July 21, 6:30-7:45 pm: Sharpie Tees Outside, weather permitting. Grades August 4, 6:30-7:45 pm: Rock Art Morse Conference Room. Grades August 18, 6:30-7:45 pm: Ice Cream in a Bag Morse Conference Room. Grades Here-Comes-the-Sun Crafts July 9, 4:00-5:00 pm: Solar S Mores Outside, weather permitting. Grades July 16, 4:00-5:00 pm: Sun Prints Outside, weather permitting. Grades Millefiori Craft July 18, 2:00-3:30 pm: Millefiori with Laurie Lynne Make beautiful beads, then string them for a necklace. Morse Conference Room. Grades Saturday Morning Crafts July 19, 10:15-11:30 am: Bleach Design Tees Outside, weather permitting; otherwise Children s Program Room. Grades August 16, 10:15-11:30 pm: Brush Bots & Bot Race Morse Conference Room. Grades Registration is required for all programs. The programs on this page are suitable for adults and teens Grade 6 and above unless otherwise noted. For more information, please call x4. Be curious. Be enlightened. Be inspired.

6 Programs for Children Lunch Bunch Wednesdays, 11:30-12:00 noon July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 & August 6 For children ages 3-8 who are able to sit alone without a parent/caregiver. Parent/caregivers must remain in the Library during the program. Children may bring a snack or their lunch. No registration required. CHILDREN S SUMMER READING PROGRAM Continues through August 9, 2014 All kids entering preschool through Grade 5 may participate! Read 6 books or more to be eligible to play the program s game and enter the raffle. You could win great prizes, such as park certificates, food coupons, and fun toys! An Hour of Fizz! and Boom! Chemistry-in-a-Bag Monday, July 21 3:00-4:00 pm For kids entering Grades 3-5. Kids experience the scientific reaction of mixing together three chemicals during this bubbling program! Registration required and limited to 20. Summer-Themed Crafts...New Each Week! Thursdays, July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, and August 7 10:30 am-4:00 pm in the Children s Library For kids of all ages! Each week there will be a new, fun project related to our Summer Reading theme for children to enjoy! All kids must be accompanied by a parent or adult caregiver, who must remain in the Library while children participate. No registration required. Nutmegs in the Afternoon Tuesdays, July 8 and 22, and August 5, 3:00-4:00 pm For kids entering Grades 4 & 5 Join us for book discussions and activities based on the 2015 Nutmeg Children s Intermediate Book Nominees. Call the Children s Library for titles. Parents/guardians must remain in the Library during the program. Registration required, 2 weeks before each session, and limited to 12 kids per discussion date. Children s programs take place in the Children s Program Room on the 1st floor unless otherwise noted. Children under 12 years of age may not be left unattended in the Library at any time. For more information and to register, please call x5. Be curious. Be enlightened. Be inspired.