Refugee Resettlement: An In-Depth Look
Tuesday, June 22
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Refugee? Asylum seeker? Undocumented immigrant? What’s the real difference?
Join Chris George, Executive Director of IRIS (Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services), for an informative discussion on the worldwide refugee crisis and the origins of resettlement in the United States. You’ll learn about the path of a refugee once they leave their homeland, the services that resettlement agencies like IRIS provide to refugees and new immigrants, and about the realities of restarting their lives here in the U.S.
Registration is required to receive a link to this online event. Click here to register.
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, June 26
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres. This month we’re reading The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. Read the full synopsis below:
Texas, 1921. A time of abundance. The Great War is over, the bounty of the land is plentiful, and America is on the brink of a new and optimistic era. But for Elsa Wolcott, deemed too old to marry in a time when marriage is a woman’s only option, the future seems bleak. Until the night she meets Rafe Martinelli and decides to change the direction of her life. With her reputation in ruin, there is only one respectable choice: marriage to a man she barely knows.
By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as crops fail and water dries up and the earth cracks open. Dust storms roll relentlessly across the plains. Everything on the Martinelli farm is dying, including Elsa’s tenuous marriage; each day is a desperate battle against nature and a fight to keep her children alive.
In this uncertain and perilous time, Elsa―like so many of her neighbors―must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or leave it behind and go west, to California, in search of a better life for her family.
The Four Winds is a rich, sweeping novel that stunningly brings to life the Great Depression and the people who lived through it―the harsh realities that divided us as a nation and the enduring battle between the haves and the have-nots. A testament to hope, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit to survive adversity, The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.
Registration is required to receive a link to this online event. Click here to register.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
The Blackstone Library has a limited number of copies available for book club participants. If you are interested in obtaining a library copy, please call us at (203) 488-1441 ext. 318 or email programs@blackstonelibrary.org. Copies are first come, first served.
Awakening to Change: A Social Justice Book Club
Thursday, July 1
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
We are often asked to be the change we want to see in the world, but we can’t change what we can’t see.
As part of our Awakening to Change series, the Blackstone Library is offering a social justice book club. Each month we’ll read a book selected to help us develop a shared understanding of the complex issues surrounding racism. Over the course of several in-depth discussions, we aim to begin understanding the world in a new way.
The series continues in July with I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown. In her book, Brown writes in breathtaking detail about her journey to self-worth and the pitfalls that kill our attempts at racial justice. Her stories bear witness to the complexity of America’s social fabric—from Black Cleveland neighborhoods to private schools in the middle-class suburbs, from prison walls to the boardrooms at majority-white organizations.
The discussion will take place on three Thursdays in July at 7:00 via Zoom. Please be sure to register for all three sessions individually.
The book will be broken up into 3 parts to allow for more in depth and essential conversations.
7/1: Pages 11 – 80
7/8: Pages 81 – 127
7/15: Pages 128 – 182
Copies of the book will be available at the library for you to borrow. You can email programs@blackstonelibrary.org or call (203) 488-1441 ext. 318 to do so.
If you would like to purchase a personal copy for your own social justice library, People Get Ready Books in New Haven will donate 15% of every purchase to the Blackstone Library. Simply visit their website to order, use promo code AWAKENING, and you’ll be supporting both the library and a women and black owned local business. Books can also be picked up at the store at 119 Whalley Ave, New Haven CT 203.954.6678
Registration is required to receive the link to the program. Click here to register.
Virtual Game Night
Friday, July 2
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Join us for a night of silly online games with some fun, laid-back people, without having to leave the house! Get all the info you need and RSVP here on our Meetup page. Adults of all experience levels are welcome.
Ovenbirds and Wood Thrush, Research, and the CT Bird Atlas: Presented by DEEP
Thursday, July 8
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Connecticut is completing three-year project for The Connecticut Bird Atlas. This undertaking combined efforts of the public with DEEP and University researchers to tabulate the populations of all birds found here in Connecticut. Changes have been seen in many species. Two species, the Ovenbird and Wood Thrush will be highlighted by Min Huang, Wildlife Biologist and one of the Coordinators of the atlas project, to show changes and new knowledge about these species.
Registration is required to receive a link to this online event and is managed by DEEP. Click here to register.
Awakening to Change: A Social Justice Book Club
Thursday, July 8
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
We are often asked to be the change we want to see in the world, but we can’t change what we can’t see.
As part of our Awakening to Change series, the Blackstone Library is offering a social justice book club. Each month we’ll read a book selected to help us develop a shared understanding of the complex issues surrounding racism. Over the course of several in-depth discussions, we aim to begin understanding the world in a new way.
The series continues in July with I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown. In her book, Brown writes in breathtaking detail about her journey to self-worth and the pitfalls that kill our attempts at racial justice. Her stories bear witness to the complexity of America’s social fabric—from Black Cleveland neighborhoods to private schools in the middle-class suburbs, from prison walls to the boardrooms at majority-white organizations.
The discussion will take place on three Thursdays in July at 7:00 via Zoom. Please be sure to register for all three sessions individually.
The book will be broken up into 3 parts to allow for more in depth and essential conversations.
7/1: Pages 11 – 80
7/8: Pages 81 – 127
7/15: Pages 128 – 182
Copies of the book will be available at the library for you to borrow. You can email programs@blackstonelibrary.org or call (203) 488-1441 ext. 318 to do so.
If you would like to purchase a personal copy for your own social justice library, People Get Ready Books in New Haven will donate 15% of every purchase to the Blackstone Library. Simply visit their website to order, use promo code AWAKENING, and you’ll be supporting both the library and a women and black owned local business. Books can also be picked up at the store at 119 Whalley Ave, New Haven CT 203.954.6678
Registration is required to receive the link to the program. Click here to register.
An Education in the Grotesque: The Gargoyles of Yale University
Wednesday, July 14
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Presented by the Branford Historical Society!
Join us for a lecture by Mathew Duman highlighting a selection of gargoyles and grotesques found throughout the buildings of Yale University’s campus in New Haven, CT. Using original photographs from his book, “An Education in the Grotesque”, he explores the artistic, historic, architectural, and even humorous significance of these decorative sculptures, as well as their role in communicating the identity of Yale University as a place of learning and enlightenment. Yale has a special connection to the town of Branford as the school was founded at Rev. Samuel Russel’s house in 1701.
Registration is required to receive a link to this online event. Click here to register.
Awakening to Change: A Social Justice Book Club
Thursday, July 15
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
We are often asked to be the change we want to see in the world, but we can’t change what we can’t see.
As part of our Awakening to Change series, the Blackstone Library is offering a social justice book club. Each month we’ll read a book selected to help us develop a shared understanding of the complex issues surrounding racism. Over the course of several in-depth discussions, we aim to begin understanding the world in a new way.
The series continues in July with I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown. In her book, Brown writes in breathtaking detail about her journey to self-worth and the pitfalls that kill our attempts at racial justice. Her stories bear witness to the complexity of America’s social fabric—from Black Cleveland neighborhoods to private schools in the middle-class suburbs, from prison walls to the boardrooms at majority-white organizations.
The discussion will take place on three Thursdays in July at 7:00 via Zoom. Please be sure to register for all three sessions individually.
The book will be broken up into 3 parts to allow for more in depth and essential conversations.
7/1: Pages 11 – 80
7/8: Pages 81 – 127
7/15: Pages 128 – 182
Copies of the book will be available at the library for you to borrow. You can email programs@blackstonelibrary.org or call (203) 488-1441 ext. 318 to do so.
If you would like to purchase a personal copy for your own social justice library, People Get Ready Books in New Haven will donate 15% of every purchase to the Blackstone Library. Simply visit their website to order, use promo code AWAKENING, and you’ll be supporting both the library and a women and black owned local business. Books can also be picked up at the store at 119 Whalley Ave, New Haven CT 203.954.6678
Registration is required to receive the link to the program. Click here to register.
Start, Manage, & Grow Your Business with Reference Solutions
Thursday, July 29
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Are you interested in learning about new technologies to help you start or grow your own business? Guest speaker TJ Pridell with Reference Solutions will be hosting an interactive lead generation marketing seminar catering to the Branford business community. To accommodate the needs of business owners, sales & marketing representatives and job seekers, the Blackstone Library is offering a service called Reference Solutions, an online provider of business and consumer research.
Reference Solutions helps library users create effective marketing plans, conduct essential competitive analysis, raise funds and locate people in order to expand & grow their book of business. The online database provides real-time access to more than 44 million businesses and 270 million consumers.
Please join us to learn more about how you can assist your business in establishing and growing your business with Reference Solutions!
Registration is required to receive a link to this online event. Click here to register.
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, July 31
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres. This month we’re reading Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. Read the full synopsis below:
Klara and the Sun, the first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, tells the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her.
Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator, and one that explores the fundamental question: what does it mean to love?
Registration is required to receive a link to this online event. Click here to register.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
The Blackstone Library has a limited number of copies available for book club participants. If you are interested in obtaining a library copy, please call us at (203) 488-1441 ext. 318 or email programs@blackstonelibrary.org. Copies are first come, first served.
One Bird, Two Climates – A Look at Shorebirds: Presented by DEEP
Thursday, August 5
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Birds migrate to and from Connecticut connecting not just continents but climate regions. Many bird species have requirements for survival in polar to temperate, or temperate to tropical climates if they call Connecticut their home. How are climate shifts affecting these birds and what are the species to be watched? Join wildlife specialists to learn the importance of these indicators’ species helping us understand climate impacts.
Registration is required to receive a link to this online event and is managed by DEEP. Click here to register.
Bats!: Presented by DEEP
Thursday, August 26
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Our flying mammal is in the spotlight. Bats have had some big problems in the past years and are showing impacts. How are they doing and what can be done to help with their survival. Join Master Wildlife Conservationist Maureen Heidtmann as she explains their behavior and biology in time for you to go out and observe your local bats.
Registration is required to receive a link to this online event and is managed by DEEP. Click here to register.
Uncovering the Hidden Job Market with Reference Solutions
Thursday, August 26
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Using this free service offered through the library, Reference Solutions allows users to research area businesses and apply to available job openings, create marketing plans, & provide helpful tips on how to strengthen your resume. Use Reference Solutions to acquire career insight and find gainful employment!
Guest speaker, TJ Pridell, with Reference Solutions will be hosting an interactive career program catering to the Branford job seeker community. To accommodate the needs of business owners, sales & marketing representatives, and job seekers, the Blackstone Library offers a service called Reference Solutions, an online provider of business and consumer research.
Please join us to learn more about how you can leverage Reference Solutions to uncover more job opportunities aligning with your strengths.
Registration is required to receive a link to this online event. Click here to register.
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, August 28
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres. This month we’re reading The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. Read the full synopsis below:
Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.
As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.
Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated.
Registration is required to receive a link to this online event. Click here to register.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
The Blackstone Library has a limited number of copies available for book club participants. If you are interested in obtaining a library copy, please call us at (203) 488-1441 ext. 318 or email programs@blackstonelibrary.org. Copies are first come, first served.
On-site Shredding Event
Saturday, September 18
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Come out for the Blackstone Library’s Shred-A-Thon shredding event!
Pricing and details to come.
protect your privacy | protect your identity | protect your confidentiality
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, September 25
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, October 30
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
Library Closes at 5:00 pm Today
Wednesday, November 24
All Day
The library closes at 5:00 pm today for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, November 27
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, December 25
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, January 29
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, February 26
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, March 26
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, April 30
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, May 28
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, June 25
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, July 30
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library
Best Seller Book Club
Saturday, August 27
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Have you ever thought about joining a book club? It’s a fun way to get connected, make new friends, and read more books! In the Best Seller Book Club, we’ll be reading and discussing newly released, highly rated books from a wide variety of genres.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library