Beyond the Bookends Newsletter of the Friends of the Library & the Board of Trustees Summer 2014 Tuesdays @ 7:00pm ~ July & August JULY 8 ~ “How to Get Published” with Brian Jud JULY 15 ~ Mystery Authors JULY 22 ~ History & Non-Fiction JULY 29 ~ Children’s Literature AUGUST 5 ~ LOCAL AUTHOR BOOK FAIR!! Featuring 30 authors! AUGUST 12 ~ Biography & Memoir AUGUST 19 ~ FINALE! “The Audiobook Experience” with Johnny Heller Letter from the Presidents of the Friends of Avon Public Library Children’s Specialist Tim Guay recently hosted a Minecraft Party for kids in grades 3-6 as part of ScreenFree Week, an initiative encouraging families to enjoy all manner of nondigital entertainment and activities. June 2014 Dear Friends, We have come to the end of our fiscal year, which runs from July 1 - June 30. Thank you for keeping programming lively and varied by supporting the Friends of AFPL! In May, we celebrated YOU with a very successful Wine and Cheese Social, exclusively for Friends. Over 100 members enjoyed piano music and lively conversation, and a good time was had by all. If you missed this great event, look for it next year! The Book-tique has been a great success! Thanks for your positive comments and patronage. In the first two months, we earned almost $1400, which will go towards more programming for everyone to enjoy! Many thanks for the unbounded energy and enthusiasm of our chairs, Susan Reboul and Lisa Berman, and their dedicated, efficient team of Sorters. Our Annual Ice Cream Social will be held Wednesday, July 16 at 1:30 pm. See inside for details! Many thanks to Garden SWAT Team, for doing such a wonderful job keeping our gardens looking beautiful! Be sure to “stop and smell the flowers” which are beginning to bloom near the parking lot. It is you, as a member of the Friends, who make our library a better place with great programming and events everyone can enjoy. Check out the great summer offerings on these pages and on the website! See you around the stacks! Peggy Beauregard and Linda Jordano, Co-Presidents, Friends of the Avon Library www.avonctlibrary.info SCOOPS & SMILES Navigating the Different Ways to a Green Card Thursday, June 26th @ 7:00pm The Friends of the Avon Library will host its Annual Ice Cream Social on Wednesday, July 16th @ 1:30pm! Each summer, patrons of all ages enjoy delicious, locally made J. Foster’s ice cream. Please join us outside in the beautiful courtyard or inside in the airconditioned community room. This event will be held rain or shine, but we are all crossing our fingers for shine! Join us for a free public forum on the various ways an aspiring American can obtain permanent legal residency and ultimately citizenship. Presented by Milagros Immigration, Hartford. Thursday Evening Conversational English Group at the Avon Public Library is on summer break and will resume Thursday, September 18, 2014, 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Book collection continues! We are especially in need of children’s hardcovers and cookbooks. The books can be placed in the donation closet at the end of the Gallery hallway. Receipts for donation are in the pocket on the door. Thank you! Summer Events for Adults Wednesdays: Technology Showcase! A mix of classes and demonstrations from Staples, Best Buy, Verizon, local experts and Avon High School’s Uberbots! History of Magic Gallery & Exhibit ~ June to Labor Day This summer, we invite you to visit our special History of Magic display in the History Room and Gallery Hall of the Library, created by Avon residents Chris and Michele Tabora, and their company, Mind Scramblers. This unique collection features autographed photos, props and programs from many famous magicians, and colorful magic posters from contemporary magicians to vaudeville-era performers. Foodie Film Fridays! A special series of food-themed films with food-themed snacks from area restaurants! Join us @ 1:30 pm in the Community Room - no registration required. Please visit www.avonctlibrary.info for more information. Red Velvet & Chrome, The Experience ~ August 21st @ 7:00pm Is the show magic, mind-reading, or mentalism? Yes, yes, and yes! It’s all of that, and much, much more. This show is appropriate for ages high school & up. Sponsored by the Friends of the Avon Library. From the Desk of the Director By now, you have probably noticed some big changes to our online catalog. Avon Library, along with 29 other libraries in the greater Hartford area, upgraded to an entirely new library services platform in early June. This upgrade affects not only the catalog, but also the software that runs our self-checkout stations, staff computers, and the reporting tools that help us understand how our collection is being used. The new catalog is called Encore, and provides a number of exciting features. The Google-like, single search box offers a simple interface that can search all 30 libraries plus numerous online databases at once, or you can easily narrow your search down to just books available at Avon Library using the choices in the left column of your search results. Encore automatically switches to a mobile-friendly interface when you access it on a tablet or smartphone, and provides the ability to pay your overdue fines with a credit or debit card right from the catalog. Users can build custom reading lists that can be saved to your account, emailed or printed and there is an “opt in” feature that allows you to track which materials you have borrowed. Coming in the near future will be better e-book integration and options for text message notifications of holds and overdue materials. As with any change, there will likely be some issues during our transition, so please be patient as staff work to become experts with the new system and we continue to introduce additional features to the catalog. If you have any questions or comments on the new interface, or just want a guided tour, please stop by our reference desk and speak with a librarian. Glenn Grube, Director, Avon Free Public Library www.avonctlibrary.info page 2 860-673-9712 Be a part of our 2014 Summer Reading Program! Children ~ up to grade 6 Teens ~ entering grades 7-12 Register today! Visit our website @ www.avonctlibrary.info for all the details!! Bach 2 Rock! Kick off the Summer in Irish Style!! featuring Tuesday, July 1st @ 11:00am & 3:00pm Electric Violinist CARYN LIN for ages 4 – 12 The Scoil Rince Luimni Irish Dance Academy will provide lively jigs and reels followed by a demonstration. All attending children will be given the chance to learn a step or two and try it with us! Drop-in, no registration required! Wednesday July 9th @ 2:00pm for ages 5 and up Presented by Courtney Jay Sponsored by the Friends of the Library Special events for TEENS! Uberbots Robotics Super Show presented by Avon High School Wednesday July 2nd @ 2:00pm for ages 5 and up To register for these programs, or for more information, please visit our Fri. 7/18 @ 8:00pm-Midnight – Mad Science Lock In! Games, Food & Fun Wed. 7/30 @ 10:00am-2:00pm – Kids & Teen Craft Fair Sign up early to be a seller! Come shop the day of! Thurs. 8/14 @ 6:00pm-7:00pm – Sea Tea Improv Show Laugh until it hurts! Fri. 8/15 @ 2:00pm-3:30pm – Summer Reading Prize Auction! Prizes, gift cards, signed books! Bring all your Library Loot!! For a complete list of upcoming programs, visit www.avonctlibrary.info website @ www.avonctlibrary.info Bubblemania! The Yo Yo Show Wednesday, July 23rd @ 2:00pm Wednesday, August 6th @ 2:00pm for ages 5 and up for ages 5 and up The amazing John Higby will show off new and bizarre yo-yo tricks! Casey Carle will WOW you with his spectacular bubble show!! You will not want to miss this! Sponsored by the Friends of the Library Sponsored by the Friends of the Library Summer Celebration with Zoodle! FRIDAY AFTERNOONS ~ 2:00-3:30 pm ~ Teen Room for children of all ages July 11: Disc”ART”ed Books - Cut, paint, and create. July 25: Tie Dye - *Bring your own prewashed items* August 1: DIY Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream - Delicious! August 8: Papercraft / Minecraft - Creature & Land Creation www.avonctlibrary.info Wednesday, August 13th ~ 2:00pm to 5:00pm page 3 Fizz, Boom, Read! Celebrate the End of Summer Reading with Zoodle Face Painting & Balloon Twisting! All are welcome to join us on the floor of the Children’s Library. 860-673-9712 Non Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Avon, CT 06001 Permit No. 6 FRIENDS of the Avon Free Public Library 281 Country Club Road Avon, CT 06001 Free Blood Pressure Screenings @ Avon Public Library Mondays, 4:00 pm— 7:00 pm July 7 — August 25 in the library parking lot For a complete list of vendors, please visit our website @ www.avonctlibrary.info Craft & Hobby Workshops for Adults Thursdays @ 2:00pm in the library’s Atrium Registration required for all programs, class size is limited. Register online at www.avonctlibrary.info or call 860-673-9712 x 4. June 26 David Ryan Maple Syrup Making (featuring Pancakes!) July 3 Ariel Nathan Personalize Your Stationery July 24 Holly Greer Re-purposing Your Old Sweaters July 31 Tim Guay Board Gaming: Beyond Monopoly August 14 Cyndi Larsen Decorative Picture Frames Summer Dates: Thursday, June 19: 12:00-1:30pm Friday, July 18: 12:15-1:45pm Friday, August 1: 12:15-1:45pm Friday, August 15: 12:15-1:45pm A Community Program of Farmington Valley VNA Visiting Nurse Association 8 Old Mill Lane, Simsbury CT 06070 860-653-5514 www.farmingtonvalleyvna.org