February Break!

February Vacation Activities
First up, the weather. According to the NOAA, the 7-day forecast is looking good. After a blizzard, partly this or partly that is welcomed news so please do join us during vacation week! Regular and special events are planned.

Regular Story Hour and Story and Craft Programs
Have some fun with your little ones:
Tuesday Evening @ 6:30 p.m. : Story and Craft, Ages 4-7
Wednesday @ 10:00 a.m. : Story Hour 2 year-olds and Story Hour for 3 year olds
Thursday @ 10 a.m. : Time for Two's story, craft, and play for 2 year-olds
Friday @ 10:00 a.m. : Wiggle and Giggle for ages 12-24 months

Tuesday Film Night : February 19, 6:30 p.m.
Join us for first in a three-part series of films set in Paris. Vincente Minnelli's charming 1958 musical, which won a best-picture Oscar, starts the fun.  The movie comes complete with songs by Alan Jay Lerner, music by Frederick Lowe and stars Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan as friends who become more. Maurice Chevalier adds panache. No registration required.

Woof! The Basics of Caring for and Training Your Pooch : Thursday, February 21, 1:00 p.m.
It's wonderful to welcome a new dog to the family but building a foundation to keep Fido friendly, Rover a push-over, and Rosie to a mosey, does takes work. Michelle Larson, member of the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors will be ready to give you some tips. Also meet Michelle's beautious Bernese Mountain Dog! Click here to register.

Henna Art : Saturday, February 23, 2:00 p.m.
Mehndi, also known as henna tattoo, is a traditional Middle Eastern art used to adorn the body for weddings and other special celebrations. Local resident Jamilah, of Jamilah Henna Creations, will talk about the cultural significance of henna designs and demonstrate the ancient art of Mehndi. For teens and adults. Space is limited; tattoos temporary. Click to register.

Museum Pass Program
Use your library card and our museum pass program to explore a super selection of our area's premiere attractions! Our pass program is funded by the Friends of the East Hampton Public Library. Please do watch for the FOL's membership drive in March 2013. For as little as $10, you can give back to a program that has saved you at least $10... or more...

For Holiday Vacation Week Day-trippers

Museum Pass Fun
If you plan to stay close to home during the holiday vacation period, you can use our library's museum pass program to add a little money-saving spice to your day-tripping schedule.

Museum passes may be reserved up to 24 hours in advance of the day you plan to check out the pass or use it. Passes circulate for 2 days and are funded by the Friends of the East Hampton Library.

Passing Along the Fun : Places to Go and Things to Do
Here's a quick list of holiday places to go and things to do using a library pass. Special event charges may apply.

Mystic Aquarium (Mystic CT)
Winter Waterland : Saturday's and Sundays in December; Thursday, December 27 and Tuesday, January 1.

Peabody Museum (New Haven, CT)
Seasons of Change : Visit the interactive traveling exhibit about climate change. Don't forget the Discovery Room, which comes equipped with "Please Touch" exhibits for ages 5-12.

Connecticut River Museum (Essex, CT)
Make tracks to the 19th Annual Holiday Train Show, always extraordinary.

New England Air Museum (Windsor Locks, CT)
Take flight! Enjoy family vacation fun December 26-30. Special event program fees may apply.

Roger Williams Park & Zoo (Providence, RI)
Winter Wonder Days : "Into the wild" you'll go; exhibit opens New Years Day, January 1, 2013.

Harriet Beecher Stowe Center (Hartford, CT)
Typically open on weekends only, enjoy Child's Tour during vacation week and a kids-eye view of life in the Stowe household. Tour's start time is 1:30PM, December 26-28.

Old State House at Hartford (Hartford, CT)
If you plan to attend Hartford's First Night Celebration, kid-friendly activities begin at 2PM and end at 8PM.

Florence Griswold Museum (Old Lyme, CT)
Check out The Magic of Christmas, including free and for-fee events.

Second-Hand Prose

In For a Quarter...
If you fancy an inexpensive read -- more expensive than borrowing a library book for free but still absolutely, certainly inexpensive -- do check out the Second Hand Prose book shelves located in the library's lobby.  Paperback books sell for a quarter; hardcovers for a dollar. 'Special' books are often featured and are priced separately, as are occasionally donated DVDs.

Books for Kids
Children's books fans may also find inexpensive reads in the Children's Services area's book sale bins.  Most books sell for a quarter; some for a dime.

Friends of the Library
Proceeds from used book sales help our Friends of the Library group. The Friends annually fund the library's Museum Pass Program, summer reading activities and prizes, plus other special programs and projects.

If you have ever benefited from the museum pass program, please do consider volunteering your time to staff the Friend's Book Store on a Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sign up at the library or contact us at (860) 267-6621 for more information. It takes many dimes, quarters, and dollars to get you to a museum at discount or for free...

The Next Best Thing to Being There...

A Sunday on La Grande Jatte -- 1884
Georges Seurat

Google Art Project
Art lovers will surely appreciate Google's latest collaboration with museums from around the world and the endeavor to make great art more accessible to real people. The images are delivered in super high resolution; so much so that you can often use a 'zoom' function to see a master painter's brushwork details.

Featured museums include The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Musée d’Orsay (Paris). For some museums, you can even take a virtual tour, similar to the street view feature used on Google Maps.

Though online comments indicate not everyone loves virtual reproductions and there is surely a little cumbersome clunk in the project's search engine, truth is many of us won't be flying to Paris anytime soon. Have some fun with this one.

Regional Museums
Good news is the MetMuseum, MOMA, the Whitney, Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are not that far away.

Connecticut Art Trail and Library Passes
Also good news is you can enjoy the Connecticut Art Trail. The library offers discount admission passes to three museums on the Trail: Florence Griswold Museum, New Britain Museum of American Art, and Wadsworth Atheneum. These plus discount passes to the nationally renowned homes of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe...

Passes are funded by the Friends of the Library. Join the Friends today for as little as $5 to keep the program going.

For Your Little Museum Goer

Art and Artists for Kids
The library circulates passes to three area art museums: the New Britain Museum of American Art, the Wadsworth Atheneum, and the Florence Griswold Museum. Each provides discounted admission. If you have a little artist in your home, here's a short list of titles about art, artists, and museum going.

Picture Books and Easy Readers
Babar's Museum of Art by Laurent de Brunhoff
You Can't Take a Balloon to the Metropolitan Museum by Jacqueline P. Weitzman
Matthew's Dream by Leo Lionni
Bridget's Beret by Tom Lichtenheld
Art & Max by David Wiesner
Artist Ted by Andrea Beaty

Maisy Goes to the Museum by Lucy Cousins
The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum by Kate Bernheimer
Fancy Nancy at the Museum by Jane O'Connor
Katie's Sunday Afternoon by James Mayhew
Art's Supplies by Chris Tougas
Fancy Nancy, Aspiring Artist by Jane O'Connor
Ready to Dream by Donna Jo Napoli and Elena Furrow
There Was an Old Man Who Painted the Sky by Teri Sloat

More About Artists
Franz Marc : The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
Ed Young : The House That Baba Built : an Artist's Childhood in China
Mark Chagall : A Picture for Marc by Eric A. Kimmel

Diego Rivera : Diego Rivera : His World and Ours by Duncan Tonatiuh
Allen Say : Drawing From Memory
Claude Monet : Katy & the Waterlily Pond by James Mayhew
Andy Warhol :  Fabulous : A Portrait of Andy Warhol by Bonnie Christensen
Piet Mondrian :  Coppernickel Goes Mondrian by Wouter van Reek
Leonardo : Leonardo, Beautiful Dreamer by Robert Byrd
Pablo Picasso : Just Behave, Pablo Picasso by Jonah Winter
Modern Artists : Mousterpiece by Jane Breskin Zalben
Dadaism : Mimi's Dada Catifesto by Shelley Jackson
Artist's Childhoods : Before They Were Famous : How Seven Artists Got Their Start by Bob Raczka

Strolling Through the Park

Sears Park, State Parks, National Parks
Public parks, large and small; urban, suburban, and wilderness, are important parts of our national heritage.  Have some fun in our local and state parks this summer and if you have not had the pleasure to travel to a national park, armchair travel may be just as fun, too.

Sears Park Stickers
The library sells Sears Park stickers to town residents for vehicles and watercraft.  Click here for an overview of requirements. Purchase your stickers during any of the library's 51 public service hours which include day, evening, and Saturday hours.

State Park Pass
Borrow a pass and save some cash! The pass admits passenger vehicles to all state parks and forests and admits 2 adults and 4 children to Dinosaur, Gillette and Fort Trumbull State Parks. Click here for a complete listing of our museum pass offerings which includes a pass to Roaring Brook Nature Center.

National Parks and Forests
Our summer reading program theme is Dream Big Read! Enjoy a selection of books and films about our national parks and forests and the dreamers and doers who helped lead our country's early conservation movements.

Midnight Forests : A Story of Gifford Pinchot and Our National Forests by Gary Hines
The National Parks : America's Best Idea
National Parks Collection
This Land is Your Land by Sylvia Whitman
Adventures in Your National Parks
The Camping Trip That Changed America by Barbara Rosenstock
John Muir : America's First Environmentalist by Kathryn Lasky
Gentle Wilderness by John Muir

and just for fun...
Haunted Hikes : Spine Tingling Tales and Trails from North America's National Parks by Andrea Lankford

Surf's Up
CT DEP : State Parks and Forests
Mapping the National Parks (Library of Congress)
National Park Service

Fun Stuff to Borrow and Do...

Image courtesy of Manhattan-Elwood 

Public Library District

Thinking Big About Library Services
Beyond traditional services -- lending books, music and movies -- we offer a quick list of library services : better known, lesser known, and downright unusual.  Fun stuff!

Energy Meters

Borrow an energy meter and use the meter to determine how much power your home appliances or gizmos and gadgets consume.  Use these as a stepping-off point and take the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge!

Sign Up for Emergency Alerts

If you don't own a computer, stop by the library to sign up for East Hampton Alerts Townwide Notification System.  If you're not computer savvy, we can help you navigate the sign-up process.

Museum Passes
Visit a premier museum or attraction for free or at discount off regular admission.

Art Prints
If you are home-staging, would like to enhance your office decor, or are otherwise looking for a change of view, the library lends art-to-go.  Most of our art-to-go selections were created by local artists.

Early Childhood Literacy Kits
Does your kiddo like fish? Bears? Big rigs or trains?  Try one of our multimedia kits which include a variety of theme-related books and media materials.

Sear's Park Stickers
Purchase a Sears Park sticker for your automobile, watercraft/boat, or both during any of the library's 51 public service hours.

Book Club Support
If you're running a local book club, the library can help you obtain multiple copies of your club's selected reads, subject to availability. Phone the library for information on how to get started.

Video Games
Find a growing collection of video games for Wii, PS3, and X-Box 360.

Museum Pass Deals

Take Two!
Planning a day trip?  You may now borrow the following museum passes together, subject to availability:

The Mark Twain House & Harriet Beecher Stowe House are located next door to each other.  Borrow the passes together and explore the private lives of these two highly influential American authors.

Make a day of it in Hartford by borrowing the Wadsworth Atheneum pass and the Old State House pass at the same time.  Subject to availability, you may also request a discount coupon for the CT Science Center.  Add to your trip list a visit to the Museum of Connecticut History (also in Hartford) where admission is always free.

Take a trip to Mystic and enjoy the Mystic Aquarium & Institute of Exploration and the Mystic Seaport.

Reserves and Loan Periods
Each pass may be reserved by phone 24 hours in advance of the day you plan to check out the pass or use it.  Passes circulate for 2 days and are funded by the Friends of the East Hampton Library.

Combination offers are suspended during school vacations and July/August.

Steampunk!

More Than Old-Fashioned Contraptions...
If you are interested in how the future was conceived in the past, join us at the library for a couple of Steampunk-related programs. If you would like to read ahead on the subject, click for a few recommended books, including the Steampunk Bible.

On Tuesday, November 15th, we'll be showing The Time Machine (the ultimate Steampunk gizmo) based on 1895's same-name speculative novel by H.G. Wells. If you grew up with this film, we invite you to join us and share your comments.  Click on over and watch the trailer.  Film discussion program begins at 6:30 p.m.; all are welcomed.

On Thursday, November 17, Our Take A Break Series will feature an overview of Steampunk as a genre in both fiction, film, and art. Also use your creativity to make yourself a Steampunk-inspired brooch.

Next New Museum Pass Added

Save Cash, Borrow a Pass!
If you would like to visit the Mark Twain House & Museum, located in Hartford, you can borrow a pass from the library and save money in the process. Pass admits one adult or two children with the purchase of one adult pass. Guided tours are available of this 19-room, Tiffany decorated mansion, where Mark Twain raised his family and worked from 1874-1891, writing many of his famous stories.

Also check out special events at the Twain House, many of them free or affordable.

The pass is funded via used book sales offered by and membership dues to the Friends of the East Hampton Public Library. Check out the used book sale shelves located in the library lobby for good deals on good reads! 

New England Air Museum Pass Now Available

Lockheed Electra, built
at the same time as
as Amelia Earhart’s plane

Family Fun at an Affordable Price
The latest addition to our menu of museum passes has arrived! Borrow a pass to the New England Air Museum and take advantage of discounted admission to New England's largest aviation museum. Enjoy regular exhibits and activities for families.

This pass brings the total number of library pass offerings up to 17 with three more on their way: Mark Twain House House & Museum, Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, and Imagine Nation Children's Museum.

Save Some Cash and Borrow a Pass!
Our pass program is funded by the Friends of the East Hampton Public Library. You can help support the program by joining the Friends; an annual family membership costs $10.  

Museum Pass Program Expands

Borrow a Pass and Save Some Cash!

In September, the library will add three new passes to its list of money-saving circulating museum passes. Other than Middletown's Kid City (pass unavailable for purchase), these are the three most-requested passes we've been asked to add to our menu.

New England Air Museum

The New England Air Museum has two huge display hangars housing more than 70 aircraft from all periods of history as well as an outdoor exhibit area. Discounted admission for 2 adults and 2 children (ages 6-11) free.

Mark Twain House & Museum

Guided tours are available of this 19-room, Tiffany decorated mansion, where Mark Twain raised his family and worked from 1874-1891, writing many of his famous stories. The pass admits one adult or two children with the purchase of one adult admission.

Harriet Beecher Stowe House
The Stowe Center is the home of the author of the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It includes three historic buildings surrounded by gorgeous gardens: the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, the Carriage House, and the Katharine Seymour Day House. Pass admits two.

More to come on new passes and do watch for forthcoming combo deals which will allow you to check out two complementary passes at a time.

Steampunk

Say What?
Experts at the Mark Twain House & Museum describe "steampunk" best:

"Steampunk"? Steampunk is the future as imagined through the eyes of the past. It is mechanical gears and boilers, dirtiness mixed with shininess of brass and copper with the deep red of cherrywood. It is a time for tea and gadgets, airships and ether. Steampunk is a trip to the moon through the barrel of a cannon. It is progeny of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells finding their voice in fiction, fashion and music. Steampunk is all of these things, none of them and more. Steampunk is "punk".

Coming this Fall to the Mark Twain House and Museum
Beginning October 1, 2011, visit the Steampunk Bizarre exhibit at the Twain House. Thanks to your ongoing support for the Friends of the Library "Second Hand Prose" summer book sale rack, we'll be adding the Twain Museum pass to our menu of money-saving pass options in early September, if not before.

Steampunk Art
If you are interested in the how-to end of steampunk art or the glory of major steampunk artists, click here and enjoy.

Steampunk Fiction and Films
Steampunk owes more than a short salute to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Time Machine.  Since you've asked, expect follow-up recommendations for steampunk books and films, both classic and contemporary...

Road Trip! New Britain Museum of American Art

One World, Many Stories: East Hampton Library Takes a Road Trip

On August 4th, 2011 the East Hampton Public Library will sponsor a field trip to the New Britain Museum of American Art.

East Hampton kids entering grades 3-6 in Fall 2011 are invited to join us for a guided tour of the museum's paintings, sculptures, pictures, and illustrations from a wide variety of American artists. Works from numerous times periods and styles will be on display. Kids may even get to try their hand at some art of their own as they learn how people have told stories through pictures over the years.

About the Museum

The New Britain Museum of American Art was established in 1903 and was the first institution in our country devoted to collecting and exhibiting American art. The museum has a substantial permanent collection, but also hosts visiting pieces. The museum prides itself as an institution of learning and conservation.

Trip Details and Registration Information

This field trip is open to East Hampton children entering grades 3-6 in Fall 2011. Transportation is provided. The bus will leave the library at 9 a.m. sharp for a 10 a.m. tour and return at approximately 12 noon.

The program is free to participating kids with museum admission funded by the Friends of the East Hampton Public Library, who also fund our circulating Museum Pass Program.

Registration is required and may be done in person, by phone at 860-267-6621, or by using our online Events Calendar. Parents interested in chaperoning are encouraged to volunteer; contact the library for more information.

The Library's Museum Pass Program

Save Some Cash This Summer
Use our museum pass program this summer to visit premiere attractions that are less than a ga$ tank away.  Each pass offers discounted or in some cases free admission to great places including art museums, aquariums, state parks, children's venues and more.  Pass conditions vary; click here for a list of current pass offerings.

How to Reserve a Pass
Passes may be reserved up to 24 hours in advance of the day you plan to use or checkout the pass.  Passes circulate for 2 days and may not be renewed.  One pass at a time per family.

Thank the Friends of the Library
For more than a decade, our museum pass program has been funded by the Friends of the East Hampton Library.

If you would like to help support the pass program, join the Friends.  Membership costs as little as $5 or less than what you save when you use a pass!

Field Guides

From Backyard to the Sea

If you don't always know the difference between one tree or another; which tweet is serenading you from a backyard nest; or what creature called your latest beachcombed shell home, you may enjoy any of the following generously illustrated field guides.

The Book of Leaves by Allen J. Coombes

This five pound wonder includes actual size photos of 600 leaves from around the world. New England's trees are not short-shrifted.

The Books of Shells by M. G. Harasewych & Fabio Moretzsohn

You'll find another 600 entries here, most about familiar mollusks and the geographical regions in which they live.  Among others, DK's Shell, a kid's title by Alex Arthur, may serve as useful companion.

A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes by Valerie A. Kells & Kent Carpenter

If you fish marine waters, this guide may be for you.  The guide will also appeal to rod and reel lovers who are looking to plan a fishing vacation trip to an east or gulf coast locale.

The Book of Fungi by Peter Roberts and Shelley Evans

Due out next week, this guide showcases both the beauty and role of fungi in the natural world. Location maps show each species’ known global distribution.

Birds of North America [American Museum of Natural History]

Any novice or avid birder is likely to enjoy this armchair reference book.  Also try the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America or Bird Songs Bible.

Field Guides and Your Family

Field guides can offer a useful way to plan and forward exploratory outings with your kids.  Pair any of the above guides with how-to books by Richard Louv, who also hosts a website about keeping not just city kids in touch with the natural world.

The library also offers money saving passes to CT's state parks, as part of the statewide No Child Left Inside initiative.

Dinosaurs!

Dinomania!
Itching to learn more about dinosaurs and other animals that lived in their time period?  The library has plenty of the books, DVD's, and information about dinosaur events and destinations.  Here are a few of our favorites.

Books and Reading
Dinosaurs in Your Backyard by Hugh Brewster
Giant Sea Reptiles of the Dinosaur Age by Caroline Arnold
Dizzy Dinosaurs : Silly Dinosaur Poems
How Do Dinosaurs.....? series by Jane Yolen
Dinosaur Cove Series by Rex Stone
Window into the Jurassic World : Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Dinosaurs : the Most Complete, Up-to-date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages by Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.

Also try sports-friendly, tongue-twisting, but still easy-reading titles by Lisa Wheeler : we've got basketball and hockey, plus the soccer title is on its way.

On DVD
Dinosaurs Alive
National Geographic Society: Dinosaurs and Other Creature Features
Ice Age
Sesame Street Dinosaurs
Land Before Time Series

Places to Go, Things to Do
Sea Rex, a 3-D film about marine life alive during the age of the dinosaur, is now playing at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford. Click here to learn more about the film or read a review of the film courtesy of the Smithsonian.  Keep in mind that the library offers coupons worth 20% off the price of general admission to the Science Center for up to four (4) people.

Also consider a day trip to Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Connecticut and see real fossilized dinosaur footprints as well as participate in a variety of interactive exhibits.  Borrow a library pass and save some money!

Thank a Friend... Be a Friend!

Friends of the East Hampton Public Library
The Friends of the Library -- an all-volunteer group of people who share our passion for books, learning, and high-quality recreational opportunities -- have for over a decade operated a used book store located in the East Hampton Community Center.

The Friends Book Store is one of the few regular library book store operations located in our state. Proceeds from book store sales have for years supported a variety of public library programs.

Over the the course of the last snowy days of February (here's hoping) and throughout March, we'll post about what the Friends do as library ambassadors in our community and how their book store benefits you. First up...

Museum Pass Program
This program offers free or discounted admission to 13 premiere 'staycation' attractions located in our area. Though pass conditions vary, we offer one example: fully using our Mystic Seaport pass (2 adults, 2 children) saves your family $65-$70. Last year alone, 82 individual adults borrowed this pass for a total savings of $1,636 and needless to say, none of the 82 used the pass to visit the Seaport alone...

On the compound savings front, and since the Seaport pass is not the only one we offer, the book store-funded pass program annually yields major savings to our community's families. Thank a Friend... Be a Friend!

Coming Next Week:
Books 'On the Cheap' in Your Good and Hard Times

Daytripping...

Close to Home
If your holiday plans include travel of the nearby variety, the latest edition of Fun with the Family, Connecticut : Hundreds of Day Trips with the Kids by Doe Boyle may be helpful. The book is arranged by county and provides much needed information for each place listed; top picks by country and appeal by age group are very useful features. Something for everyone summarizes the scope of this family-friendly guide book.

Pair the above with Connecticut Restaurants 2009/10, an outstanding Zagat Guide which covers Connecticut, plus near-by Berkshires and New York dining establishments. The directory surveys and rates restaurants and offers a stunning array of indexes to help guide your choices.

The Library's Museum Pass Program
Also keep in mind the library's circulating museum pass program, funded by the Friends of the East Hampton Public Library. Courtesy of the CT Science Center, the library also provides discounted admission coupons to this latest addition to our state's portfolio of premier attractions. Coupons, while they last, offer a 20% discount off family admission; save about $12 for a family of four.

This Saturday, December 5 @ The CT Science Center
If your calendar is uncluttered, enjoy Half Price Day at the Science Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Discount applies to general admission only; the offer may not be combined with the library's coupon program.

Post by Bev Simmons

No Child Left Inside 2009

The Pass Is Back!
CT has 800 miles of hiking trails; 2,000 miles of rivers and streams; 1,300 campsites in 14 parks; 9 historic sites, and 237 lakes and ponds. Combine these recreational, educational, and natural features with 139 state parks and forests and you've got No Child Left Inside 2009, a free way to enjoy CT's great outdoors with your family.

State Park Pass @ your library
The Connecticut Library Consortium and the CT DEP have partnered to provide one CT state park day pass to public libraries across the state, yours included. Beginning April 18th, you may borrow the pass to obtain free parking at state parks where fees are charged and free admission to any museum located within a park. This summer, we'll be using donated funds to purchase a second pass to help meet local demand for free recreational opportunities.

Other Museum Passes
The Friends of the East Hampton Public Library, an all-volunteer organization, have been funding our museum pass program for more than a decade. Check out library pass offerings and please consider joining the Friends or patronizing the Friends Bookstore, which features gently used materials that you may purchase at very low cost.