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The “official” holidays in December run the gamut from International Volunteer Day for Economic & Social Development to Rhubarb Vodka Day, with Earmuff Day and International Mobile Phone Recycling Day among the many others. This year, we all seem to be cobbling together our holidays in our own ways, much like the wide-ranging, perhaps random, list that I’m providing here. (Find it here, if you are interested.) At the library, this means no there will be no Mitten Tree to grace the bow window in the adult reading area and no off-the-cuff holiday book recommendation sessions at the circulation desk. It does not mean, however, that we have given up on the community connection that inspires and motivates us. While you may try a Zoom cookie exchange with friends and family, we are trying some new things as well. Keep yourself company with Kanopy. Our Kanopy service begins this month and with your library card, you can access films and documentaries of all kinds, including a special KidsKanopy site! Or, join Susanna for a "crafternoon" session to catch up and create as you go. If you are missing the chance to browse the stacks, Margaret shares titles from the bookshelves every Friday morning at 10 am. This is a live session, so you can share your suggestions too. We welcome your ideas for other new programs as we move forward together.
A few housekeeping details that also accompany our switch in schedule:
- Our Porch Pickup schedule has changed to accommodate work and school schedules. The new hours are:
- Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 11 am to 6 pm
- Tuesday and Thursday, 10 am to 5 pm
- Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm.
- Porch Pickup items will be available in the library vestibule for the winter season. This will help to keep our materials safe and dry before you take them home. Please enter only when the vestibule is empty and maintain a 6-foot distance from others if you wait on the porch.
A couple of reminders as well: don’t forget to fill out the Community Resilience survey and consider taking part in the Friends' first annual Cozy Raffle. Details for both of these are listed below.
Be well, take care and please let us know how we can help you as we all work together to keep our community safe and happy.
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New Library Card Benefit: Kanopy!
All you need is your library card and password to set up an account (password hint: your last name with standard capitalization, e.g. Smith, McCord-Ball) Start watching today!
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Friends "Get Cozy" Raffle
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The centerpiece of the "Get Cozy" Raffle is a beautiful and comfy quilt made by Amanda Herzberger. It is surrounded by coffee from Paradiso, cocoa and Lake Champlain Chocolates, tea, beeswax candles, and an assortment of great books. Tickets will sell for $5 each, or 5 for $20.
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Bird Window Ornament
All December
Bird Feeding Season begins December 1. Celebrate our feathered friends with this simple and whimsical bird for your window. We supply the materials and pattern; you supply the creativity and fun. Be sure to share your birds with us!
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DIY Recipe Packets
All December
Pick up a bag from the library vestibule to get started! Packet choices include: herbal tea, hot cocoa, mulled cider, turmeric chicken, dukkah, and more!
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Become a Winter Bird Watcher
Do you know how bird population numbers are gathered? Do you want to assist in the counting? Cold-weather birds are very hardy. By fluffing up their feathers and tucking their legs underneath, birds can stay warm when temperatures plummet, but their preferred food is often absent. This is where you can make a difference.
One way is through Project FeederWatch, a program run by Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology. Your family will receive a package of colorful, useful charts and detailed directions. There is a fee which helps cover research, education and the annual winter-bird report.
To get your family started on winter bird watching, stop and pick up a simple bird feeding kit and recipes for an easy bird "cookie" on the Charlotte Library vestibule during porch pickup hours.
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How to Be an Antiracist Book Discussion
December 1, 3, 10 & 15
6:30-8pm on Zoom
In his book, Ibram X. Kendi weaves together ethics, history, law, and science– including the story of his own awakening to antiracism. He challenges readers to rethink their deeply held beliefs (even if implicit) and their personal relationships and re-examine the policies they support. This discussion will take a critical look at Kendi’s ideas, and unpack, dissect, and reflect on them as we think about how we can take ourselves from being “not racist” to “antiracist." Copies available at the library and on Libby.
Facilitated by the Peace & Justice Center, in partnership with Carpenter-Carse Library.
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Book Meanderings
Fridays beginning Dec. 4
10:00-10:30am
Meander: to take a winding or indirect course. We'll be doing just that! Join Margaret for a virtual stroll through the library collections. Focusing on a different section each week, she'll share new titles and some old favorites. There will be plenty of time to share your ideas and suggestions, too!
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Wrapping up a Good Read
Wednesday, Dec. 9
1:00-2:00pm
Join us for an online book show-and-tell session, just in time for the holidays. Staff from the Charlotte Library share their favorite selections for all ages. Books available to purchase at the Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne. Zoom link available on 12/8 on the Senior Center homepage.
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Coding Club: Hour of Code x 2
Wednesday, December 9 & 16
3:00-4:15pm
Join Susanna and coding mentor Charlie on Zoom for two weeks of an Hour of Code. All levels are welcome to learn Scratch or hone their Scratch skills. Ready to take your coding know-how to the next level? We will have a breakout room for kids with more experience to explore Python, a text-based coding language. 4th grade and up. This session we will meet twice. Registration is required.
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Using the Libby App to Borrow Audiobooks & eBooks for Beginners
Wednesday, Dec. 9
10:00-11:00am
Library closed? Check out your next read on Libby! Learn how to use your library card to read and listen to books on your computer or device with the Libby app in a live, hands-on Zoom session. Register now!
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How to Hoopla for Beginners
Wednesday, Dec. 23
10:00 – 11:00am
Learn how to use Hoopla to read and listen to books and watch tv shows and movies at home for free with your library card. Susanna will get you started with Hoopla on your device and share some tips and favorites. Register today!
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Community Resilience Assessment Survey Open Houses: Completing the Survey Q & A
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 6-7pm (host: Kevin Goldenbogen)
Thursday, Dec. 10, 10-11am (host: Mike Yantachka)
Make your voice heard! The town-wide Resilience Assessment* survey is a tool to understand the strengths and challenges of the Charlotte community. The results will inform ways we can build on those strengths and address problem areas across the many sectors that make up our community. Have some questions about the Community Resilience Assessment survey? Join us for a Zoom session! We’ll walk you through the survey and answer any questions you might have. You can also watch a short video about the survey.
Join a Q & A session:
Zoom link (same for both sessions)
Meeting ID: 865 8457 1730
Passcode: 925288
*The Community Resilience Assessment is a project of Charlotte Community Partners, an informal group that came together to coordinate response to the COVID-19 crisis, in conjunction with Community Resilience Organizations.
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Craft & Chat|
Tuesday, Dec. 15
2:00-3:00pm
Grab a cup of tea and your latest project and meet up with Susanna and fellow crafters for a relaxing hour of conversation and inspiration.
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Mystery Book Group
Monday, December 21
10:00 – 11:00am
Raven Black begins on New Year’s Eve with a lonely outcast named Magnus Tait, who stays home waiting for visitors who never come. The next morning the body of a murdered teenage girl is discovered nearby, and suspicion falls on Magnus. Inspector Jimmy Perez enters an investigative maze that leads deeper into the past of the Shetland Islands than anyone wants to go. The audiobook is available on Hoopla and hard copies are available at the library.
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Printing Options
The library is closed to the public, but you can still print. Email the document to info@charlottepubliclibrary.org and we will print it for you. It will be available to pick up in the library vestibule. Please indicate if you need it to be in color, double or single-sided, etc.
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Youth Book Authors Adopted!
With much excitement and a huge amount of gratitude, a Charlotte family has offered to adopt two of their favorite authors. The Charlotte Library now has seven new Mike Lupica sports novels and when Vermont's own Lindsey Stoddard's next release, Bea is for Blended, comes out in 2021, they will purchase it for the library collection.
Please consider signing up to Adopt an Author. You agree to purchase all new (or previous!) titles by the author at the 47% discount price. In exchange, you will get first dibs on the books by that author and contribute to the well-being of the library at the same time.
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