The Norfolk Library Night Owl - June 23, 2023

Imperial Beach Library, 2017
San Diego, CA
Jeff Katz Architecture with domusstudio
Interior Design: Delawie Architects
Now that summer is officially here, we feature a library designed for the season. The Imperial Beach Library is part of the San Diego County Library and goes all out with its beach and surf theme, illustrated by the facility’s lobby. The wave-shaped roof runs the length of the building, carpeting emulates a native beachscape, and computer stations are shaped like surfboards. Stephen Whalen Photography, photo.

Books & Boots at North Swamp Trail
Sunday, June 25, 2:00 p.m.

Read Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson, then lace up your boots as we hike the North Swamp Trail in Norfolk under the leadership of Hartley Mead. All hiking abilities welcome. In the event of rain, we will meet at the Norfolk Library for the book discussion. This program is in partnership with the Norfolk Land Trust and the Norfolk Church of Christ Green Team.

Park and meet at the tennis courts at Botelle Elementary School at 128 Greenwoods Road in Norfolk at 2:00pm on Sunday, June 25th. Bina Thomson from the Norfolk Library and Hartley Mead from the Norfolk Land Trust will be waiting to greet people.

Please register here.

Buzz, Sting, Bite is available at 10 libraries throughout Connecticut. If our copy is checked out and you would like to request a copy through inter-library loan, please contact Norfolk Library’s Front Desk Circulation at 860-542-5075, ext. 2.

All Together Mondays: Wild Weavings with Jean Bronson
Monday, June 26, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Our 2023 Summer Reading series of Monday programs begins on June 26 when we welcome Jean Bronson. She will teach children how to weave yarn with flowers, feathers, and other natural materials. Limited to 12 children. Please register here.

Haystack Book Talk: John Ashbery's Playlist
Karin Roffman and Melvin Chen
Sunday, July 9, 4:00 p.m.
Karin Roffman, author of The Songs We Know Best: John Ashbery's Early Life, and Melvin Chen, Director of the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, explore the life and soundscape of John Ashbery (1927-2017), one of the greatest 20th-century American poets. Roffman's "John Ashbery's Music Library: A Playlist" appeared in the Evergreen Review.
Visit here to find out more and to register for this program.

BOOK BINGO is back!
Come to the Library to get your card.

Is summer reading only for kids? According to The New York Times, no. Every year since 1897, The New York Times has published a summer reading issue. Here's a bit of history.

Summer reading became popular in the mid to late 1800s as Americans were increasingly able to take summer vacations. Publishers saw an opportunity to promote novels that had a light topic, were portable, and could be read under a tree or on a beach. The summer novel had a few characteristics that may sound familiar. The novel took place over the course of a summer at a resort, a summer community, or a grand hotel. The plot was “devoted to lovers … their thrills, their perturbations, their mishaps, and their triumphs,” as the Book Review wrote in the introduction to its 1898 summer reading issue. The novel ended with an engagement or marriage, as the characters prepared to return to society at the end of summer.

The New York Times has expanded its topics since then to include Historical Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, and Thriller. Some of these topics are also squares on our Summer Book Bingo sheets. Let us know if you need suggestions for books that will fill in a square! Book with an LGBTQ+ character? Less by Andrew Sean Greer. Book that became a movie? Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. Book with a red cover? Many --- come in and look around!