Back to school means learning opportunities at the Wilton Library for kids, too! If you have an 11- to 15- year-old who would like to become a certified babysitter, reserve a spot in the extremely popular American Red Cross one-day session on Sunday, September 11th, from 11 am to 5 pm at the Library. The training costs $50 per child and space is limited - both advance registration and payment are required. Students are asked to bring a bag lunch.

You may register online, in person, or by phone at 762-3950.

Thursday, September 15th, the Wilton Library and St. Matthew's Episcopal Church will co- host a trip to the spectacular Yale Center for British Art. A true jem in our own back yard that was presented to the university by Paul Mellon (Class of 1929)‚ the Center houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of British art outside the United Kingdom. The collection of paintings‚ sculpture‚ drawings‚ prints‚ rare books‚ and manuscripts reflects the development of British art‚ life‚ and thought from the Elizabethan period onward.

Space on the bus is limited, so please register in person, by phone or online and pay the $35 per person fee immediately to secure a seat. We'll leave the Library at 9:30 am after gathering in the lobby to take attendance. Admission and a tour of the collection highlights are included in the $35 fee. Lunch will be "on your own," but we will provide a list of nearby restaurants recommended by the Center. Our bus will depart New Haven at 4 pm to arrive back at the Library by 5 pm.

During September, we'll have two terrific seminars for kids and parents on the college theme: On Thursday, September 15th, at 7 pm, testing service consultant Dan Hughes will host an informational seminar on the new SAT essay. Students will be able to take a practice essay under test-like conditions and will receive tips on how to score well. There is no charge for the program, but advance registration is suggested by phone at 762- 3950, in person, or online.

On Thursday, September 22nd, at 7:30 pm, Janet Bertoldi, Ph.D. will examine issues parents face during their teenagers' freshmen years. She'll review typical adjustment issues freshmen often face - balancing social and academic life; separation anxiety, homesickness and loneliness; identity issues; independence and dependence; roommates and other relationship issues; drinking, drugs and sex; academic pressure - and how parents can be supportive, not intrusive. If you are a parent or grandparent of a freshman, this discussion is a must... and we've tried to time it before "Parents' Weekend!" Again, there is no charge for the program, but advance registration is suggested by phone at 762- 3950, in person, or online.

Mark your calendars! One of the most popular events of the year is coming up - the sixth annual Wilton Library ladies' soirée and silent auction. Celebrity bartenders will serve up beverages and you'll enjoy terrific hors d'oeuvres as you shop and catch up with friends. This year's theme is "Just Jewels," and you will find both fine and fun adornments to bid on and buy, so bring your credit cards and checkbooks. Your $25 admission price and all proceeds from the auction will directly benefit the library's technology fund, so come - and invite your friends! Our gorgeous new gallery will be the setting for a fabulous evening on Sunday, September 25th from 6-8 pm... don't miss it. You can make your reservation online or in person, or call 762-3950, extension 405 to tell us how many will be in your party.

Please join us on Wednesday, September 28th, from 7:30-9:30 pm as the Wilton League of Women Voters, the Wilton Chamber of Commerce and the Wilton Library join forces to host the first in a series of question and answer sessions with members of and candidates for our elected boards and commissions. This first forum will feature the Board of Finance and lively discussion is on the docket as we learn about the issues facing the BOF and its representatives.Following the forum, participants are invited to stay for refreshments and a chance to speak to candidates and Board members informally. The program will be held in our new meeting room upstairs - what a wonderful opportunity to sample the new space!

Please register in advance in person, by phone (762- 3950) or online.

Wilton Library Readers will kick off the month on Wednesday, September 14th at noon with a discussion of David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens led by Susan Boyar. Please join us (and bring your lunch!) for what's sure to be a wonderful discussion of this classic, written in 1850 and still beloved today.

Ben Van Vechten will bring us five poets in a 5-part series on Thursday mornings from 10:30-noon. The sessions start September 22nd and continue on September 29th, October 6th, 20th and 27th. Ben will talk about the work of William Butler Yeats, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Frost, Dylan Thomas and Emily Dickinson. Representative poems are available to borrow at the front desk - please register in advance in person, by phone or online.

We are so fortunate to have Betsy Bray, a well-known authority on Beatrix Potter and Beatrix Potter Society member join us to talk about the author's fascinating life. Betsy will present a lively and interesting look at Potter's remarkable career as a children's book author, illustrator, land conservationist, gardener, furniture collector and sheep farmer! Don't miss this program (suggested for teens and adults) on Wednesday, September 21st at 7 pm... register in person, by phone or online.

Local authors Pamela Spiro Wagner and Dr. Carolyn S. Spiro are so very alike in some ways and so different in others. They have just published Divided Minds, a book that chronicles Pamela's struggle with schizophrenia and how this illness impacts not only the victim, but also the entire family. Recently reported upon in the New York Times Magazine, the tale has captured quite an audience. These identical twins have a startling and uplifting story to tell at our Library on Sunday, September 25th at 2 pm - don't miss it! Register in person, by phone at 762-3950, or online. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Mark your calendars! Blue Tulip cordially invites you to attend an opening celebration to benefit the Wilton Library Association on Wednesday, September 28 from 6-9pm. 50% of the proceeds will benefit the Wilton Library Association. This special event will be held at Blue Tulip's newest location in The Wilton Campus Shops, 5 River Road.

According to store manager, Stephanie Filardi, "Blue Tulip celebrates family, friends and the occasions that bring us together. From handmade cards to custom invitations; from inspired gifts to entertaining accessories; from beautiful jewelry to great stuff for kids, we know how to enhance the joy in celebrating life's special moments and provide you with an array of truly memorable gifts."

Although it is impossible to adequately thank all who donate money, time and services to the Library each month, I'd like to mention a few recent gifts:

• Thanks to the Lumpkin Family Foundation for its generous gift to fund several new book bins for the Children's Library. Thanks to Jim Durkin and In Phase Audio for the loan of audio equipment for one of our wonderful courtyard concerts. Thanks to the Wilton Bank for its upcoming sponsorship of Wilton Reads II (to take place this fall and winter). Thanks to The Toy Chest for the donation of several new cars for our beloved - and now refurbished - train set. Thanks to John Keogh for his hard work refurbishing the train platform.Thanks to the Connecticut State Library for awarding us a significant grant to provide resources for families of special needs kids.
• Thanks to those who gave gifts to the Library in memory of our dear friend, Jimmy Crofts.