Events

Making a Successful Career Pivot in Post-Pandemic Times

Saturday, January 23

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

You have probably been thinking: am I in the right job or career? Should I pivot internally or externally to find something better? Is there more opportunity waiting for me? Is my career safe? Learn 8 strategies to build your resilience to adjust to a career change and to evolving market demands. By the end of the presentation, you will learn 8 ways to grow as a professional and be ready for change and opportunity.

Presented by Mark Danaher.

Registration is required to receive a link to this online event. Click here to register.

A Conversation with Debby Irving

Monday, January 25

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Join us for an evening of conversation offering a fresh perspective on racial bias, stereotypes, and tolerance

Two Ways to Watch!

Register to watch through a Zoom webinar (and directly ask questions at the Q&A session) — OR —
Watch on Facebook Live – join our Facebook Live Watch Party group and stream the webinar when it happens!

Author Debby Irving will speak about her experiences in trying to better understand racial dynamics, unpacking her own long-held beliefs about colorblindness, being a good person, and wanting to help people of color. Includes a Q&A session, moderated by Roberta Gill-Brooks and Lonnie Reed.

In July 2020, Ms. Gill-Brooks, a Branford resident, joined Representative Lonnie Reed for a conversation about growing up Black in Branford. The overwhelmingly positive response from the community inspired Awakening to Change, a series designed to continue the conversation surrounding the dynamics of race and racism. We hope you will join us and begin (or continue) your own work of dismantling racism.

To learn more about Debby Irving and her extensive works, visit debbyirving.com.

READ THE BOOK BEFORE THE EVENT!

A limited number of copies of Waking Up White are available through the Blackstone Library. Call today to find out more! 203-488-1441 x 318

“If you’re white, chances are you’ve been taught not to talk about race. If you’re a person of color, you may be wondering what it is that white colleagues aren’t (yet!) understanding. My aim is to increase white racial consciousness while simultaneously shifting the conversation from blame, shame, and denial to humility, self-reflection, and honest dialog. Though my focus is primarily on awakening white community members, all are welcome and the voices and perspectives of people of color are encouraged and honored.”

— Debby Irving

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Nourishing the Nervous System: Herbs for Stress and Anxiety

Thursday, January 28

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

We could all use a little stress relief these days. Luckily, the plants are here to help! Join Nora Toomey, Clinical Herbalist of True Bloom, to dive deep into a handful of plants that nourish and support the nervous system. In this one-hour program, you will learn plant actions and energetics, as well as practical applications and preparations of various plants that prevent and relieve anxiety.

Twenty participants will receive a relaxing tea blend, so you can begin your relationship to these plants and jump-start your home apothecary! Tea blends must be picked up at the Blackstone Library in Branford and are first come first serve.

Tea blends will be available to pick up at the Circulation Desk of the Blackstone Library in Branford CT starting on Thursday, 1/21. There are 20 tea blends and they are first come, first served. You must be registered for the program in order to receive a tea blend and they are limited to one per participant.

Registration is required to receive a link to this online event. Click here to register.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library

Best Seller Book Club

Saturday, January 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. This month we’re reading Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. Read the full synopsis below:

Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment’s only bathroom, and you’ve got the worst group of hostages in the world.

Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.

Registration is required to receive a link to this online event. Click here to register.

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-on-One Virtual Tech Help

Tuesday, February 2

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Is a problem on your iPhone driving you crazy? Are you stuck trying to get emails on your iPad, or download an app, but it’s not working? Sign up for one-on-one tech help with Christina via Zoom or telephone call- your choice! Email ckondziela@blackstonelibrary.org for more information and to schedule a 25-minute time slot.

Virtual Game Night

Friday, February 5

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.

The Beatles: From Liverpool to Abbey Road

Saturday, February 6

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

This lecture will follow in the footsteps of The Beatles as they embark on their historic journey starting from their early days as a cover band in Liverpool and Hamburg, into the excitement of Beatlemania, including concert performances, and films, thru their creative ground breaking studio albums (Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Peppers) to the formation of Apple Corps and finally to their remarkable final recordings at Abbey Road Studios. Coming full circle, we will explore the highlights of each individual’s post Beatles work.

Registration is required to receive a link to this online event. Click here to register.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library

Virtual Branford Forum

Sunday, February 7

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

The Branford Forum, a community organization that brings nationally renowned figures to the Shoreline, is returning to the Blackstone Library for a series of virtual conversations. All presentations are 2:00 to 3:30 Sundays.

Registration is required to receive a link to this online event.

Adjusting to Digital Life During COVID-19

Thursday, February 11

2:00 pm - 3:15 pm

COVID-19 has made digital life more important than ever, and understanding our technology a crucial part of daily life. But many people feel left behind. This class will help you learn to navigate our new normal. Topics include emailing, web browsing, device maintenance, and more. Have a specific question? Submit a question to ckondziela@blackstonelibrary.org after you register, and we’ll do our best to address it. Please submit questions by February 1st.

Space is limited. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link. To register, click here.

Beyond the Amistad: Black History in Connecticut

Saturday, February 13

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

The Connecticut Historical Society will take you on a tour of items from their collection representing a spectrum of the Black experience in CT. You’ll learn about a Harlem Renaissance writer, Ann Petry, who carefully preserved artifacts chronicling the black community of Saybrook. Examine daguerreotypes by Augustus Washington, who abandoned a successful Hartford photography business to build a new nation in Africa. Browse through the photo album of a Hollywood actress who became a champion of labor rights for black entertainers. Marvel at the gorgeous costumes created by CT’s West Indian community for their annual MAS celebration, and see artifacts documenting the Civil Rights movement in our state.

Registration is required to receive a link to this online event. Click here to register.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library