Hello!

May is bursting with exciting events at the Library, and the weekend of May 17-18 is particularly noteworthy, with back-to-back "signature" occasions for exceptional entertainment, jazz, and giving opportunities.

As you may know, Wilton Library is a private association that provides library services to all who live, shop, and work in Wilton. Every year we receive a grant from the Town of Wilton to help fund our efforts, but more than 20% of our budget for library materials and operations comes from charitable donations. The public/private partnership works well to maintain the excellence in service, collections and programs that our community of users needs and expects.

On Saturday, May 17th, starting at 6 pm, the Library will be transformed for our spring gala, Moonlight in the Garden. Cocktails, dinner, jazz by the Rex Cadwallader Trio, silent and live auctions will all be part of this celebration to benefit the Library. Please call Anne Rowlands (762-3950, extension 216), for more details and to reserve your tickets. It will be an evening to remember - plus the proceeds will fund programs, technology, and services everyone can enjoy.

We'll do a quick turnaround the following morning (thanks to our wonderful volunteers and staff members!) to host another in our exceptional Hot & Cool: Jazz at the Brubeck Room concert series on Sunday, May 18th, at 4 pm. I'm thrilled that this concert will feature The Brubeck Brothers Quartet, an exciting jazz group featuring two members of one of America's most accomplished musical families, Dan Brubeck (drums,) and Chris Brubeck (bass & trombone). Guitarist Mike DeMicco and pianist Chuck Lamb complete this dynamic quartet. A reception will follow the performance, which is funded by the William and Karen Tell Foundation (which supports our continuing Hot & Cool: Jazz at the Brubeck Room series), with special thanks to Ed and Catherine Romer. Advance registration is strongly recommended and pre-registrants must arrive by 3:50 pm to be guaranteed seating. After 3:50 pm, and if space available, wait-listed and walk-in registrants will be admitted. The suggested donation for this Sunday afternoon "happening" is $10 per person.

I hope to see you on the 17th and 18th - and throughout the month at the Library.
Kathy Leeds, Director

Special Note: Please don't forget to vote for the Town budget either on Tuesday, May 6th (after the Annual Town Meeting that starts at 7:30 pm) or on Saturday, May 10th, during the adjourned voting session. We count on your support to pass the proposed budget that includes our Library's grant from the Board of Selectmen - particularly on May 6th at the Annual Town Meeting to prevent further cuts (beyond the $50,000 already taken) that will further impact service delivery in the coming year.

The Library's custom-made May Pole will be set up in the courtyard (or in the Children's Library if the weather doesn't cooperate) from 11 to 11:30 am and children who want to participate can wear or carry their creations from the drop-in crafts to do a tradional May Day dance. Please join us to welcome spring!

The results are in and the combined surveys from parents and their children form the largest survey sample size since 1998. Survey results will be presented on screen, with an expert panel on hand to explain the results, answer questions, and address concerns. Please register in advance to reserve a seat.

This program is sponsored by Positive Directions, Wilton Youth Services, the Task Force to Reduce Underage Drinking, and Wilton Library.

The popular International Book Group that discusses literature of other lands will hold its next meeting on Thursday, May 1st, from 7 to 8:30 pm. Our guest speaker will be Jacqueline Smith from Switzerland who will discuss The Xenophobe's Guide to the Swiss, by Paul Bilton. You'll be sure to expand your horizons and friendships by attending. Refreshments and international desserts will be served. Please register in advance.

On Wednesday, May 14th, from 12 to 1:30 pm, professional book discussion leader Susan Boyar will talk about The Emperor's Children, by Claire Messud. You may bring lunch, and beverages will be provided. Please register in advance.

On Tuesday, May 27th, at 11 am, discussion leader Barbara Jones, joined by Seema Saksena of India, will talk about The Space Between Us , by Thrity Umrigar for our special Senior Center discussion series. This group meets the fourth Tuesday of each month September through May (with no meeting in December), and all are welcome to attend. Please call the Senior Center for details and to register at 834-6240. The Senior Center is located at Comstock Community Center, 180 School Road, Wilton.

Professor Levinson will address questions regarding our Constitution, including:

• How should we read the Constitution?
• What are the different methods by which the Supreme Court interprets the document?
• Is the Constitution the best guide for twenty-first century America?

A question and answer session will follow the talk. Please note that this talk is fully subscribed, but you may sign up for the wait list, in the event that current registrants are unable to attend. We are most grateful to The Wilton Bank and Devereaux A. Clifford and Family, whose grants made the 2008 series possible. We've already begun planning for a 2009 series based on the tremendous demand shown for this year's initiative and will keep you informed as those plans advance.

On Tuesday, May 13th from 6:30 to 8 pm, and Thursday, May 15th from 12:30 to 2 pm, Head of Wilton Library's Network Services, Mary Anne Mendolo Franco will teach classes on Intermediate Word skills. You'll learn how to format text, work in a table, and find and insert pictures into a document. Basic computer skills, including mouse proficiency are required for these "hands-on" classes (limited to 10 students per class). Please register in advance for May 13th or May 15th.

On Tuesday, May 20th, from 6:30 to 8 pm and Thursday, May 22nd, from 12:30 to 2 pm, Mary Anne will teach you how to format a spreadsheet and create graphs in her Intermediate Excel classes. Again, basic computer skills, including mouse proficiency are required for these "hands-on" classes (limited to 10 students per class). Please register in advance for May 20th or May 22nd.

Please note: to insure the best learning experience for all in our "hands-on" classes, latecomers will not be seated after ten minutes past the posted starting time.

Please register in advance so that we can save you a seat, and feel free to call me at the Library (762-3950, extension 215) if you have questions or would like to help us fund future cultural programs for children or teens.

Following the Tea, volunteers and others who love wonderful classical music are invited to attend a concert, on May 4th from 4 to 5 pm, in the Brubeck Room. Part of our Connecticut's Own classical music series, this concert will feature The Amore Trio, a talented group of Connecticut musicians who play violin, cello, and piano. Founded in 2002, the group seeks to bring the beauty of the great composers to Connecticut residents in a variety of settings, including libraries. The afternoon's program will include selections from Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. Advance registration is suggested and pre-registrants must arrive by 3:50 pm to be guaranteed a seat. After 3:50 pm and if space is available, waitlisted and walk-in registrants will be admitted. There is no charge for the concert, but contributions are always welcome.

If you aren't free that evening, please note that the exhibit will continue at the Library through Thursday, May 29th. Please stop by and see the amazing work done by Wilton's students!

There is no charge for the program, but we ask that you register in advance.

Her most recent book, The Alphabet from A to Y With Bonus Letter Z!, written with celebrated entertainer and writer Steve Martin, creates an alphabet that will captivate Mom and Dad as much as the kids. For each letter, readers will find Martin's zany humor in an alliterative couplet, accompanied by a cleverly detailed Chast drawing. From Bad Baby Bubbleducks who "beat up his bed with bashed up bananas," to Quincy the kumquat who "queried the queen," Chast and Martin's lettered world will delight readers of all ages. And it only gets better with each rereading. The ABCs have never had it so good!

Roz will have books available for purchase and signing at the conclusion of her talk - come meet her in person when she joins us in the Brubeck Room on Wednesday night, May 7th, at 7 pm! Note that this talk was postponed in February due to inclement weather.

Please register immediately in person, by phone (762-3950), or online to reserve a seat. Pre-registrants must arrive by 6:50 pm to be guaranteed seating. After 6:50 pm, and if space is available, waitlisted and walk-in registrants will be admitted.

On Thursday, May 8th (10 am to 8 pm) and Friday, May 9th (10 am to 6 pm), children of all ages can drop by during Library hours to make a special Mother's Day themed craft. No reservations are required, and we'll supply materials and guidance.

On Saturday, May 10th, from 2 to 3 pm, Daryl Beyers, Assistant Editor of Fine Gardening Magazine, will talk to kids ages 5 through 8 about gardening. Participating children will plant seeds and decorate pots for Mother's Day gifts. Advance registration is required. This lovely program has been made possible by the Coyle Family Fund.

If you are considering a significant annual gift of $2,500 or more, but want to be more involved in how it is used, we would be delighted to work with you, your family, or organization to find a "funding fit," perhaps for a speaker or music series, for technology or programs specifically for children or teens, or for a special book or media collection. We work closely with the funder and report back annually on all purchases made. It's a more "hands on" way to help out this terrific Library, and we promise to make it a meaningful experience! Call 762-3950 ext. 215 (Kathy Leeds) or 762-3950 ext. 216 (Anne Rowlands) to learn about our current "wishes."

On Monday, May 12th, from 11 am to noon in the Brubeck Room, Steven Wander, a specialist in medieval art, will present an illustrated lecture on medieval art at The Cloisters. Professor Wander, formerly assistant professor and chair of the Art History department at the University of California, Irvine, is currently an adjunct at the University of Connecticut, Stamford, returning to teaching after a career in business. He was educated at the Fieldston School in Riverdale and received his PhD from Stanford University. This talk will serve both as an introduction to the museum and as a preview to the second museum destination in this spring's collaborative series of Wilton Library and St. Matthew's Episcopal bus trips.

All are welcome to attend the lecture, whether in anticipation of visiting the museum the following day, or just wishing to learn more about The Cloisters Museum and its collections. Please register in advance for this beautifully illustrated presentation.

On Tuesday, May 13th, departing from the Library promptly at 9:30 am and returning at approximately 4:30 pm, we'll sponsor a comfortable mini-bus trip to The Cloisters so that you can see the medieval masterpieces in person. Our visit will include a guided tour through the building and gardens. Participants may choose to eat lunch at either the Trie Cafe in the Museum itself or at the nearby New Leaf Cafe (lunch is not included in the cost of the excursion). Cost for bus and museum admission, including our tour is $55 for Adults and $50 for Seniors (65 and older). Space is limited to 22 seats and we must receive payment in advance to reserve your place. Please call (762-3950) with your credit card information or stop by the Library's front desk immediately to register to be included in what is sure to be a popular trip!

The films will be sent via broadcast, videoconference and the Internet and viewed in places such as Cairo, Dharamsala, Kigali, London, New York City, Ramallah, Rio de Janeiro and Tel Aviv, so that millions will see the images at the very same time. Please come to the Brubeck Room to witness this global community event. There is no charge for the showing, but we ask that you register in advance.

A question and answer period will follow Elizabeth's talk and books will be available for purchase and signing. Please register in advance - and wear your most interesting clothes (just kidding!).

A question and answer session will follow the slide presentation and talk. There is no charge for the program, but we ask that you register in advance.

Bring your lunch, if you like. This program is made possible by Parent Connection and is co-sponsored by Wilton PTA Council, Wilton Youth Council and the Wilton Library. Please register in advance.