Wilton Library Association Newsletter
August 2003
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
in this issue
-- Expansion News
-- More Expansion News
-- Summer Music & More Wrap-Up
-- Animalia! Continues
-- Book Sale and Ice Cream Social Results
-- New Art Exhibit - Reception August 15
-- New Teacher Reception @ The Library
-- Reel Wednesdays in August
Greetings!
Expansion
News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As you may have heard by now, the only variance in the zoning
regulations that the Library sought for its expansion was a reduction
in the number of queuing spaces required for our drive up window (where,
on the Godfrey Place side, patrons will be able to drop off returns
AND pick up previously reserved materials). The regulations call for
five car lengths and we asked that the number be reduced to four so
that we could save a large maple tree that currently exists at the
corner of our parking lot and would be in the path of the longer queuing
lane. The application for a variance was denied by a vote of 4 to 1
- the commissioners citing safety concerns. Though we will be sorry
to lose the tree, we were very glad to hear that the Zoning Board of
Appeals agrees the new window will be extremely popular with all segments
of the community. Response from the "Library Listens" survey last year
suggested Wilton is wild about the concept, but, as we told the Board
of Appeals, we really don't know exactly how many cars will line up
at a time as this is the first window of its sort in Connecticut and
possibly in all of the Northeast. Drive up windows are being used by
libraries in the Midwest and in Florida, but we simply can't predict
usage with any degree of accuracy from their examples.
We will present our complete plans to the Planning and Zoning Commission for their approval next month. Because of the time it will take to go through the approval process, we anticipate ground breaking in early spring 2004, but will keep you posted on the calendar for construction as we go along.
More
Expansion News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Final planning is underway for the Library's gala weekend in
September. Although no more reservations are being taken for the completely
sold-out "A Mid- September Night's Dream" Saturday dinner dance (September
20th), Wilton families can join us for the "September Faire" the next
day (September 21st) - a fun-filled celebration complete with games,
face- painting, the "Wilton Idol" contest and much, much more. The
Library will be transformed into a medieval forest for both events,
so join us if you are able!
Fund raising continues in its "quiet phase" this summer and we continue
to be awed and tremendously gratified by donations to date. Recently,
the Kiwanis Club pledged $25,000 to the project, following the lead
of our local Newcomers Club that had designated the Library as its
first ever charity of the year! Individuals, businesses, organizations
and foundations are bringing us closer to our funding goal. We will
be mailing an appeal to the entire town in October so that everyone
will have an opportunity to join us in making this wonderful expansion
a reality. Please spread the word and urge your friends and neighbors
to be part of the community-wide effort that will ultimately touch
and benefit us all.
Summer
Music & More Wrap-Up
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our Summer Music & More concert series has been a tremendous
success this summer - please join us if you can for the final concert,
jazz singer Cynthia McCorkindale with Cafe Musette, this Thursday,
July 31 at 5pm. Hundreds of concert attendees of all ages have enjoyed
the entertainment and refreshments compliments of the Village Market
and wine compliments of the Grand Crew, a local wine club. Thank you
Peter Keating, Nancy Dolnier and Michael Crystal! Special thanks go
to Wilton Library staff members Janet Crystal, Heather Collier, Carol
Becker, and Mary Anne Franco who were on hand each week to oversee
the food and drink. And extra special thanks to Jose Marquez, our custodian,
for all the extra work our summer fun entails.
More than $600 was contributed by concert-goers to our Building Fund during the six weeks of courtyard music -- thank you, Wilton!
Animalia!
Continues
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hundreds of kids have registered for the Animalia! summer reading
fun at the Library. Hippos and elephants decorate the walls of Children's
Services, keeping track of all the wonderful books they have read this
summer. A contest to name our courtyard hippo and elephant statues
continues and all are invited to enter their suggestions. Critter Craft
sessions and most of our entertainments took place in July, but we
will have two wonderful events in August that include live animals
at the Library:
Live Animals of Connecticut, a session for ages 3 and up, has been rescheduled
for Tuesday, August 5th at 2:00 p.m. There is no charge for the program, but
we suggest that you call ahead to register. We were so sorry that this show
did not take place on its originally scheduled date of July 23rd, but will
be calling the more than 100 kids and parents who registered to let them know
of the new time and day.
The Llamas are Coming! at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 14th. Wilton
residents Nancy and Bob Anderson will bring their llamas and other
friends for a free, fun and fact-filled visit suitable for all ages.
We look forward to seeing them all!
The entire summer reading program was made possible by a grant from our neighbors
at Stop & Shop - thanks go to Rick Donegan and his crew for their support.
Book
Sale and Ice Cream Social Results
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This year's summer book sale was a resounding success, thanks
to the hard work of many volunteers (particularly Jan MacEwen, Jan
Galletley, Pat and John Curran, and Shirley Robbins). We made over
$5,300, including $375 from the Kiwanis ice cream sales! This money
(considerably above last year's total), along with income from other
book sales throughout the year, will help to defray the Library's operating
costs.
New
Art Exhibit - Reception August 15
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our 59th Annual Summer Art Exhibition featuring the works of
over 50 Wilton artists will give way in mid- August to a show of landscapes
in oils and watercolors by artist Len Freas. From 6-7:30 pm on Friday,
August 15th, the Library will hold an opening reception for the new
show - please join us! The exhibition will run through Saturday, September
13th.
New
Teacher Reception @ The Library
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are so fortunate in Wilton to have a close and collaborative
approach to education that brings our librarians and teachers together.
For many years, all second (and last year for the first time, all sixth)
graders tour the Wilton Library to show them new ways in which we can
help them with school projects and more. Within the last five years,
all new teachers have been invited to the Library before the start
of school to introduce them to our staff and other resources -- forging
a bond from the first that directly benefits Wilton's students. On
Thursday, August 21st, staff new to the school system will join us
at the Library for lunch and a tour as part of their orientation. We
look forward to presenting new staff members with Wilton Library cards
and speaking with them about how we can help them and their students.
Reel Wednesdays in August
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We have a new feature at the Library: feature film showings!
Thanks to the sponsorship of our new Business Friend, Dreyfus Corporation,
we will be able to turn our Community Room into a theater on Wednesdays
in August. The schedule is as follows:
- Wednesday, August 6th
- Adults, 10-noon: The Hours
- Children, 2-4 pm: Lilo & Stitch (PG)
- Teens, 5-7 pm: Ferris Bueller's Day Off
- Wednesday, August 13th
- Adults, 10-noon: Road to Perdition
- Children, 2-4 pm: Monsters Inc (G)
- Teens, 5-7 pm: Clueless
- Wednesday, August 20th
- Adults, 10-noon: Far From Heaven
- Children, 2-4 pm: Shrek (PG)
- Teens, 5-7 pm: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- Wednesday, August 27th
- Adults, 10-noon: The Pianist
- Children, 2-4 pm: Beauty and the Beast (G)
- Teens, 5-7 pm: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Note that movies for teens are among those recommended by WHS humanities
teachers for summer viewing. Bring your friends and spend a couple
of cool hours at the Library, catching up on that film you might have
missed or watching an old favorite. Popcorn is free!
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: library@wiltonlibrary.org
voice: 203-762-3950
web: http://www.wiltonlibrary.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~