Puppet Showcase

The Babcock Library was pleased to present puppeteer Roberto Maranhao for a special Puppet Showcase in the Knowlton Auditorium beneath the library on Saturday, April 26 from 7:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Roberto's performance celebrated the 10th Annual National Day of Puppetry in North America.

We hope you enjoy these pictures of the event!

Moving On

I have accepted the position of Electronic Resources Coordinator with the Connecticut State Library effective May 12. In that position I will be negotiating for electronic content on iCONN, the statewide digital library. My last day at the Babcock Library will be Friday, May 9. I am more than grateful to the library trustees, staff, friends, and users who have supported and encouraged me during my time as Library Director. I sincerely wish the best to them all.

Eric Hansen

World of Wine and Beer a Success!

The Friends of the Babcock Library World of Wine and Beer was attended by about 100 people on Sunday, and all but one of the silent auction baskets was sold. Enjoy these few photos of the event. Many thanks to the Friends for hosting this fun event! And thanks to Nord Yakovleff for permitting me to post his pictures.

World of Wine and Beer

Join us on Sunday, March 30th, to sample hors d'oeuvres, fine wines, spirits, and beer in Knowlton Auditorium beneath the Babcock Library, 25 Pompey Hollow Road, Ashford, CT. The event lasts from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., tickets are $20.00 per person and are available at the door.

Library Survey

Please tell us what you think! The Babcock Library wants to know your opinion about some things related to our collections and services. Please print out and complete our survey and return it to the library during the month of February 2008. Our street address is 25 Pompey Hollow Rd., Ashford, CT 06278. You can also fax it to us at 860-487-4438. We appreciate your input!

Closed For Election Day

Due to the requirement to provide "unfettered access" to the Knowlton Auditorium polling place, the Babcock Library will be closed on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 for the primary election. See you again on February 6th!

Curtain Cut-ups

Some of the Friends of the Babcock Library have found a new and innovative way to repurpose the old stage curtain from the Knowlton Auditorium (beneath the library). They use patterns to cut, stitch and sew pieces of the burgundy curtain into wreaths, stuffed animals, and other gift items. See the picture here for a booth the Friends made to display the products of their creativity! For a larger view, click on the picture.

Playaway Swap

The library has entered into a swap arrangement for Playaway ebook players. We have 6 new players in this month. Every 3 months we’ll swap for another batch. Playaways are compact devices (3 1/2 in. x 2 in. x 5/8 in.) that take a AAA battery and operate like a tiny cassette player, but with no tape. Use your own earphones to listen. See our display in the library for titles we have on hand right now.

Closed for MLK Day

The Babcock Library will be closed on Monday, January 21, 2008 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

New Web Calendar

Our library now has a new, improved event calendar on our web site. Click on the Calendar link to find out what's coming up at Babcock, print out events, and e-mail events to your friends or yourself. You can also search from a drop-down list for events that interest you (try "knitting" or "books" but without the quotation marks around the words). We are busy adding future events to it, so look for it to expand further and further into future months.

Holiday Closed Days

The Babcock Library will close at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, December 24.
The Babcock Library will be closed on Tuesday, December 25 for Christmas Day.
The library will close at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, December 31.
The library will be closed on Tuesday, January 1 for New Year’s Day.

Happy Holidays from the Babcock Library!

Thanksgiving Closed Days

The library will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday November 22, Friday November 23, and Saturday November 24. In addition, the library will close at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 21. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

New Hire

The library is happy to welcome Jessica Jahnke to the staff. Jessica is the new Library Assistant and will be responsible for adult programming and cataloging and the Babcock Book Club. She will assist with readers' advisory, reference, and circulation as well. Welcome to Jessica!

Babcock Book Club

The Babcock Book Club will meet next Monday, September 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ashford Town Offices lower floor conference room. We'll discuss Reyna Grande's book Across a Hundred Mountains, which is the One Book, One Region selection. The discussion is free of charge and all are welcome. Refreshments will be served. See you there!

New Staff

We are very happy to have two new Library Pages at the library. Emily Brown and Elizabeth Hernberg began their employment last week, and we are glad they're on board!

Closed Labor Day

The Babcock Library will be closed Monday, September 3, 2007 for Labor Day. A happy Labor Day to all!

Position Open

The Babcock Library needs a Library Assistant. The position is approximately 19 hours per week and requires at least a high school diploma and two years of library experience. For more details, see our ad on the Connecticut Library Consortium web site at http://www.ctlibrarians.org/ctlibs/jobs.html or call the library at 860-487-4420. We are accepting applications through August 31st.

Redesigned Web Site

Check out our redesigned and updated web site! Many thanks to Jean Jakoboski who made it happen! Our web address is www.babcocklibrary.org. There's lots of new content and links here now, also thanks to Jean.

Board Meeting Rescheduled

The Babcock Library Board of Directors normally meets the 4th Tuesday of each month. For May, the meeting has been rescheduled for Tuesday the 29th at 7:00 p.m.

Mr. Babcock's Birthday Party

We were pleased to celebrate Archibald Babcock's 227th birthday on April 28, 2007 in the Knowlton Auditorium. Party goers enjoyed the balloon twisting artistry of Nick Connell, music by Larry Gag and Jimbo of the J.J. Diamond Band, and cake from Chez Marie, served by Library Friend Paula Hallene. Here are a few shots taken by Library Friend and Board member Cindy Curry.

If you missed the party, you can still make a donation in his memory. Please take a candle or two from the cake in the Knowlton Auditorium upstairs to the library with your donation. We appreciate it!