Russell Library - Events for February 2016

 

Russell Library 123 Broad St., Middletown, CT

 

COMING EVENTS AT RUSSELL LIBRARY

For Release: Appropriate Dates in February 2016

Russell Library Hours for February 2016

Russell Library, 123 Broad St. in Middletown is open 9am-8:30pm Monday through Thursday; 9am-6pm on Fridays; Saturdays 9am-5pm. Sunday hours 1pm – 4pm. The Library will be closed Sunday, February 14^th and Monday February 15^th.    

All library programs are free of charge.

EXHIBITS

Proud To Be In The Service: Images of African Americans Who Served in the U.S. Military During World War II

Throughout February. Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. An exhibit of black and white photographs featuring African Americans service in the military during World War II will be on display on the second floor of the library. The photos are part of a collection featured in the book by the same name by William H. Foster III, who will be reading from his book February 25 in the Hubbard Room.

ARTFARM: 10 Years of Shakespeare in the Grove

Throughout February. Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. Shakespeare in the Grove has been produced by ARTFARM since 2006. In celebration of the ten-year anniversary, posters from each of the productions will be exhibited on the first floor gallery.

ARTFARM is a non-profit, professional theater organization, based in Middletown. It was created and is being led by long-time local artistic leaders Dic Wheeler and Marcella Trowbridge. Throughout the year, ARTFARM offers touring shows, teaching residencies in local schools and arts centers, and a circus arts training program. Every summer, ARTFARM's professional Shakespeare Ensemble brings its signature physical style to a beautiful cedar grove overlooking the Connecticut River Valley on the campus of Middlesex Community College.

The Faeries of Fernwood Forest Exhibit

Throughout February. Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. Beautiful one-of-a-kind, handcrafted art dolls by Susan Doyle Tolis will be on display in the lobby case. Using polymer clay, fabric, feathers, handmade papers, wire, beads and findings from the forest, the dolls measure approximately 7 to 12 inches tall. Each doll has a definitive character name and story to accompany them.

Ms. Tolis grew up in Middletown and attended the University of Connecticut, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Puppetry and a Master of Arts in Costume Design. She worked as a designer and builder for various companies before returning to work at UConn as the Costume Shop Manager.

ONGOING PROGRAMS

The Russell Writers Online Forum.  Participate any day, any time, from the comfort of your own computer. Register and log in for this online writing group where you can post your work for critique, provide feedback for your fellow Russell Writers, exchange ideas and tips, and participate in the monthly writing prompts. Go to: http://russellwriters.freeforums.net. Beginning and experienced writers welcomed! For more information, contact Michele Rousseau at shellywriter@sbcglobal.net

PROGRAMS

Russell Library’s Gaming Guild

Monday, February 1 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. Meeting Room 3, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. If you like Minecraft, Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, board games, or electronic games, this is the club for you! Explore Middletown’s Minecraft server and create your own space. The club has laptops, decks of cards, and an XBOX 360 with plenty of games! Bring your own cards and geek out from 3:30 to 4:30!  

Grades: 7 to 12. No registration is required.

Twilight Tales

Tuesdays, February 2, 9, 16 & 23, 6:30pm. Children’s Activity Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Twilight Tales is a relaxing way to end the day. Drop by for some stories; share in making a craft together & stay to play.  The stories are selected for the 3-5 year old audience, but siblings are welcome too! Best for ages: 3 – 5 years and their caregivers.

Drop-in, no registration required.

Teen Advisory Council

Wednesday, February 3 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm.  Meeting Room 2, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Come join the new and improved Russell Library Teen Advisory Council (TAC). TAC meets on the first Wednesday of each month, from 3:30-4:30 pm. Earn community service hours, plan library activities, decorate bulletin boards, and much more. If you cannot make it to the meeting, but would like to join TAC, please contact Heather at hscussell@russell.lioninc.org.

Grades: 7 to 12. Registration is required, in person or by phone, 860-347-2528.

Baby Rhyme Time

Wednesdays, February 3, 10, 17, 24, 1:30 pm.

Children’s Activity Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Looking for something to do with your infant or toddler?  Come join us for Baby Rhyme Time, a program for babies one year old and under and their caregivers.  We’ll sing songs and learn rhymes, finger plays and more in this fun, interactive program. Ages: Babies one year old and under with their grown-ups.

Drop-in, no registration required.

Concert: Michael Brown, piano

Thursday, February 4, 7:00 pm. The Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Works by Faure, Mendelssohn, Brown, and Bernstein will be featured in this performance by Pianist and Composer Michael Brown. Winner of a 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Michael Brown has been described by The New York Times as a 'young piano visionary” and 'one of the leading figures in the current renaissance of performer-composers.” Mr. Brown is equally committed as a pianist and composer; his unique artistry is reflected in a creative approach to programming that often interweaves the classics with contemporary works and his own compositions. 

A native New Yorker, Mr. Brown earned dual Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano and Composition from The Juilliard School. In 2015, Mr. Brown joined The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s CMS Two program, through which he will perform with the Society both in Alice tully Hall and on tour, including visits to Chicago and Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The New York Times has called Mr. Brown “a confident young composer with a talent for precision” and described his work as “darkly alluring.”

This program is being sponsored with funds from The Friends of the Russell Library.

We Were There: Writing Your Military Experiences

Thursdays February 4, 11, 18, and 25 at 7:00pm. Meeting Room 2 at Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. Author Elisabeth Petry will continue to lead The Veterans' Writing Group. This series, in its third year, invites Veterans to share their stories and photos in their own voices. All Veterans, either active or retired, are encouraged to come and share their experiences for their own benefit or to share with family and friends. We encourage new members to visit us this winter to see what we are all about! Currently, we have servicemen from combat, and non-combat situations from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraqi Freedom. We hope to hear from other Iraq War Vets, and those who have served in Afghanistan. 
Old Saybrook native Elisabeth Petry is a writer and former journalist and lawyer. Her first book, a collection of letters that she edited, was Can Anything Beat White?:A Black Family's Letters. Her second is At Home Inside: A Daughter’s Tribute to Ann Petry. She lives in Middletown with her husband, Lawrence Riley, who is a dog trainer and Commander of the American Legion Milardo-Wilcox Post 75, Middletown, Connecticut.
The workshop facilitator and contact person from the Russell Library is Christy Billings. She can be reached at (860) 347-2528 or cbilling@russell.lioninc.org.
This program is being sponsored with funds from The Friends of the Russell Library.

T’ai Chi For Balance

Saturdays, February 6, 13, 20, 27, 10:30-11:30am. The Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Tom Cushing teaches a unique and integrative T’ai Chi Style call Hun Yuan Tai Chi which incorporates the fluid movement of traditional T’ai Chi forms with qigong for health. Tom offers a fun and relaxed approach to T’ai Chi and easy access to the health benefits of Hun Yuan Taiji through 60 minute T’ai Chi classes which are open to all ages and designed to benefit all students.

Drop-in, no registration. Space is limited, however, so come early.

The program is generously funded by the Department of Health, City of Middletown.

Take Your Child to the Library Day

Saturday, February 6, 10:00am. Children’s Activity Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. In celebration of Take Your Child to the Library Day, a Children’s Librarian will share her favorite stories with you! AND we will give each child a surprise gift from the Poet Laureate of Middletown! Drop by for stories and stay to make a craft together. The stories are selected for the 3-5 year old audience and their caregivers, but all ages are welcome.

Master Builder’s Club

Monday, February 8 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. Meeting Room 2, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Did you who enjoy Builder’s Club in the Children’s Department, but feel too old to continue? Then this club is for you! Compete in Challenges, create pieces of artwork by using the Lego© Picture Creator, and be creative by making your own inventions. Learn how to program the Library’s NEW Lego© Mindstorm EV3. The Master Builder’s Club meets on the 2^nd Monday on each month from 3:30 to 4:30.

Grades: 7 to 12. Drop-in, no registration.

Russell Readers

Join us on Tuesday, February 9, 7:00 pm. when we will discuss “The Gay Old Dog” by Edna Ferber from the collection 100 Years of the Best American Short Stories.  Discussions are based on the Great Books Foundation method in which readers talk in open gatherings, under a leader, about the great issues that have shaped civilization as reflected in the readings.  The group meets the second Tuesday of each month from 7-8:20pm in Meeting Room 2 at Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. For more information about participating in the group or acquiring the text, contact Chantal Foster at (860) 573-2946 or email Chantal.foster@comcast.net. 

The discussions are sponsored by The Friends of the Russell Library.

Otakus - Anime / Manga Club – Game Night

Tuesday, February 9, 7:00pm. Meeting Room 3, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Do you enjoy Anime, Manga, Cosplay, or gaming? Then Otakus is for you! Otakus is Russell Library’s teen group for fans of Anime, Manga and all things Japanese. Meeting twice a month, we view anime shorts, discuss our favorite manga series and explore the culture that has produced such art forms. Food, music, costumes, arts and other expressions of Japan are all parts of Otakus.

Ages 11 & up. Drop-in, no registration.

Valentine Card Craft

Friday, February 12, from 4:00pm to 5:30pm. Children’s Activity Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Make a card for your parents, grandparents or even your sweetie pie! We’ll have all sorts of valentine stickers and trim to make a beautiful, one of a kind Valentine Card for someone you love!

For ages 3 and up. Drop-in, no registration.

Phil Klein: The Dog Listener

Saturday, February 13, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. The Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Certified Dog Listener Phil Klein will present a workshop on understanding and training your dog. Learn how canines see the world and the underlying reasons for unwanted behaviors like hyperactivity, destructive chewing, incessant barking, toileting in the house, jumping on guests, and aggression. Learn the four main areas of canine communications, including the leadership signals that will eliminate or minimize these behaviors and turn your dog into a relaxed, joyful companion. BRING YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT NOT YOUR DOG for an enlightening event!

Drop-in, no registration.

Builders Club

Friday, February 19, from 4:00pm to 5:30pm. Children’s Activity Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Come build with your favorite interlocking blocks! Each week we will have a challenge, and your creation may be chosen to be displayed in our glass case. We use very small builders pieces, so younger children are encouraged to enjoy our toddler room during Builders Club.

Ages: 5 – 12. Drop-in, no registration.

Characters Create Story: Steven Liskow Writing Workshop

Saturdays, February 20, 2:00pm. The Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Modern fiction relies on complex characters who will move your story along and make your reader care.  Using examples from recent stories and films, this workshop combines techniques from drama, screenwriting, and fiction to create characters that will help you build a dynamic plot. 

A former actor, director, and English teacher, Mr. Liskow is now a member of the International Thriller Writers and Private Eye Writers of America and serves as a mentor and panelist for the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. His short stories have earned an Edgar nomination, the Black Orchid Novella Award, and two Honorable Mentions for the Al Blanchard Story Award. The Whammer Jammers, his first self-published novel, was a quarterfinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. The Kids Are All Right, his most recent Zach Barnes novel, is a finalist for the Shamus Award for best Indie Novel from the Private Eye Writers of America. Blood On The Tracks, the first 'Woody' Guthrie Novel, won Honorable Mention in the Writer's Digest Self-Published Novel Awards for 2014. The second book in that series, Oh Lord, Won't You Steal Me a Mercedes Benz, appeared in April 2015.

Drop-in, no registration.

This program is being sponsored with funds from The Friends of the Russell Library.

West African Dance: A Workshop with Abdou Sarr

Sunday, February 21, 2:00pm. The Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Abdou Sarr is a master teacher of the sabaar and djembe dances from Senegal, West Africa will be giving a demonstration/workshop in the Hubbard Room. Abdou is an extraordinarily dynamic performer. He is currently dancing and teaching in arts-in-education settings in the Northeast. Abdou teaches private classes, and performs with several artist groups. The workshop contains much more than learning Senegalese Djembe or Sabaar dances. The students’ experience will include learning and practicing West African dancing, some singing or call and response, hearing about Abdou's childhood in Senegal, why he values education and why he dances. Abdou will also teach some basic Wolof phrases.

All ages and abilities are welcomed. Drop-in, no registration.

This program is being sponsored with funds from The Friends of the Russell Library.

Otakus - Anime / Manga Club Featuring Cromwell Martial Arts

Tuesday, February 23, 7:00pm. The Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Cromwell Martial Arts will demonstrate and teach some basics of Martial Arts! You will get a chance to move around and try your hand (and feet)! Otakus is Russell Library’s teen group for fans of Anime, Manga and all things Japanese. Meeting twice a month, we view anime shorts, discuss our favorite manga series and explore the culture that has produced such art forms. Food, music, costumes, arts and other expressions of Japan are all parts of Otakus.

Ages 11 & up. Drop-in, no registration.

William H. Foster reading from Proud To Be In The Service

Thursday, February 25, 7:00pm. The Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. In conjunction with an exhibit of photographs from his new book, Proud To Be In The Service, Professor William H. Foster will be reading and answering questions about African Americans who served in the military during World War II.

Professor Foster is a long-time researcher of images of African Americans in print and has been an expert commentator for CNN News and National Public Radio. In November, he presented at the AltCom Comics Festival in Malmo, Sweden and the 2012 Comics Forum in Leeds, England.

Drop-in, no registration.

Says Who: Steven Liskow Writing Workshop

Saturdays, February 27, 2:00pm. The Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. One of the most overlooked and crucial decisions concerns who actually tells your story. Different narrators or perspectives can add texture or weaken your impact, and they all have special advantages and demands. Using recent examples, Steve helps you understand how to choose the narrator who can give your story that extra punch.

A former actor, director, and English teacher, Mr. Liskow is now a member of the International Thriller Writers and Private Eye Writers of America and serves as a mentor and panelist for the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. His short stories have earned an Edgar nomination, the Black Orchid Novella Award, and two Honorable Mentions for the Al Blanchard Story Award. The Whammer Jammers, his first self-published novel, was a quarterfinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. The Kids Are All Right, his most recent Zach Barnes novel, is a finalist for the Shamus Award for best Indie Novel from the Private Eye Writers of America. Blood On The Tracks, the first 'Woody' Guthrie Novel, won Honorable Mention in the Writer's Digest Self-Published Novel Awards for 2014. The second book in that series, Oh Lord, Won't You Steal Me a Mercedes Benz, appeared in April 2015.

Drop-in, no registration.

This program is being sponsored with funds from The Friends of the Russell Library.

Hip Hop Culture Slam

Sunday, February 28, from 2:00pm to 3:30pm. The Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad St., Middletown. Middletown's own B-Boy Bryan "Ling Ba Flare" Giles teams up with Djs N.E.B and Sotorious to lead an exhibition of the four artistic pillars of hip hop culture featuring  MC Arthur Ray and others. A selection of photos of work from graffiti artists will be part of an on-going slide-show throughout the slam. The show will be followed by a paneled Q&A session. All ages are welcome. Drop-in, no registration.

This program is being sponsored with funds from The Friends of the Russell Library.

JOB & CAREER PROGRAMS

Job Group

Thursdays February 4, 11, 18, and 25 at 9:30 am. – noon, The Hubbard Room at Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. Each Thursday a different topic related to careers is discussed. Presenters range from local business people to nationally renowned authors and career counselors. A one-hour networking session follows the presentation.

Social Media for Job Seekers – In depth with Heather Turner

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 from 6:00 to 8:00pm. The Hubbard Room at Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. Find out which social networks can be used to enhance your online resume and portfolio, how to clean up your online reputation/profile and how to leverage connectors and search engine optimization to find your perfect job.  We will be doing some in depth focus on using and customizing Linkedin, Twitter and Blogging for networking and job hunting, and also touching on Facebook and Google+.

About Heather Turner

Heather Turner, a.k.a. Forfeng, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has spent more than 20 years in the restaurant business. She trained under one of the PBS Series “Great Chefs of America,” Chef Yves Labbe at 4-Star acclaimed restaurant, Le Cheval D’or, and has been the Executive Chef at Bellini’s Restaurant, The Cliff House at Stowe Mt. Resort and Harvest Market in Northern Vermont and at The Olde Inn on Cape Cod. In 2003 she started her own business, which combines hospitality consulting with marketing for a variety of businesses. She writes a hospitality blog at https://chefforfeng.wordpress.com and is an accredited member (ACG, ALB) of Toastmasters International, as well as being a keynote and educational speaker at associations and conferences around the United States.

Practice Job Interviews

Improve your interviewing skills and get the job you want.  Bob Carlson will assist you by conducting and evaluating your practice interview, either by phone or at Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown.  Videotaping the session is optional and confidential. One-hour sessions are available.  Please call 860-347-2520 for more information and to sign up. You will receive a reminder call prior to the appointment.

Career Coaching

James Kubat, an Associate Director of the Wesleyan Career Center, gives private, confidential career coaching through appointments on evenings 6-8pm at Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown.  Please bring a resume (if you have one) to the appointment. Please call 860- 347-2520 to sign up for a one-hour appointment.  You will receive a reminder call prior to the appointment.  If you need to cancel, please allow 48 hours notice.

Resume Review

Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown, offers confidential resume critiquing and in-depth interview coaching appointments weekdays with business professionals. Please call 860-347-2520 to sign up for a one-hour appointment. 

Computer Classes

Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown, offers a wide variety of computer classes for all levels of competencies. Please call 860-347-2520 to check schedules and register. 

Contact:  Rolande Duprey      rduprey@russell.lioninc.org    860-347-2528, Ext 171

or Sue Honer                           shoner@russell.lioninc.org      860-347-2528, Ext. 135