Atwater Memorial Library

1720 Foxon Road
North Branford, CT 06471
203-315-6020 / Fax 203-315-6021

Edward Smith Library

3 Old Post Road
Northford, CT 06472
203-484-0469 / Fax 203-484-6024

 

Hours for Both Libraries:
Monday – Thursday: 10:00 – 8:00
Friday: 10:00 – 5:00
Saturday: 9:00 – 3:00
Sunday: CLOSED

 

 

 

Upcoming Programs

Needle Arts

Enjoy the friendly camaraderie of your fellow artisans and join us on Wednesday mornings! Beginners are welcome. Knit, crochet, embroider, quilt -- all kinds of needle craft.

No registration necessary.

10:30am - 12:30pm View Details

Our Failed Attempts to Make English Eezier to Spell with Author Gabe Henry

Have you ever wondered why the English spelling of words is sometimes… well… just weird? Come on a surprisingly hilarious journey with us and author Gabe Henry through the history of the English language, while we discuss troublemakers like Mark Twain who broke all the rules. 

Anyone who has the misfortune to write in English will, every now and then, struggle with its spelling. In our erratic system, choir and liar rhyme, daughter and laughter don’t, and somehow you and ewe can’t agree on a single letter. So why do we still use it? If our spelling is so inconsistent, why haven’t we tried to fix it? 

In the comic annals of linguistic history, legions of rebel wordsmiths have died on the hill of spelling reform, risking their reputations to simplify English spelling. This book is about them: Mark Twain, Eliza Burnz, Noah Webster, Upton Sinclair, Emma Dearborn, Theodore Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin, and the countless other “simplified spellers” who, for a time in their lives, became fanatic about writing kof instead of cough, tung for tongue, and fyzics for physics (and tried futilely to get everyone around them to do it too).

 In Enough is Enuf, Gabe Henry humorously traces the “simplified spelling movement” from medieval England to Revolutionary America, from the birth of standup comedy to contemporary pop music, and explores its lasting influence in words like color (without a U), plow (without -ugh), and the iconic ’90s ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Finally, Henry brings us to the digital age, where the swift pace of online exchanges now pushes us all 2ward simplification. 

Register now for this informative and entertaining conversation to find out why Gabe Henry thinks UR not a bad speller, the English language is. 

About the Author: Gabe Henry is the author of three books including the poetry anthology Eating Salad Drunk, a humor collaboration with Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Odenkirk, Mike Birbiglia, Margaret Cho, and other titans of comedy. Eating Salad Drunk was featured in The New Yorker in February 2022 (“A Smattering of Haiku for the Burnout Age”) and ranked one of Vulture’s Best Comedy Books of 2022. Henry’s work has been published in TIME, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, the Weekly Humorist, US News & World Report, and more. He has spent more than a decade exploring the strange and forgotten history of simplified spelling, which, by his own admission, has only made him a worse speller. He lives and works in New York. Learn more at www.gabehenry.com.

2:00pm - 3:00pm View Details

Our Failed Attempts to Make English Eezier to Spell with Author Gabe Henry

Have you ever wondered why the English spelling of words is sometimes… well… just weird? Come to the Edward Smith Library for a surprisingly hilarious journey with us and author Gabe Henry through the history of the English language, while we discuss troublemakers like Mark Twain who broke all the rules. 

Anyone who has the misfortune to write in English will, every now and then, struggle with its spelling. In our erratic system, choir and liar rhyme, daughter and laughter don’t, and somehow you and ewe can’t agree on a single letter. So why do we still use it? If our spelling is so inconsistent, why haven’t we tried to fix it? 

In the comic annals of linguistic history, legions of rebel wordsmiths have died on the hill of spelling reform, risking their reputations to simplify English spelling. This book is about them: Mark Twain, Eliza Burnz, Noah Webster, Upton Sinclair, Emma Dearborn, Theodore Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin, and the countless other “simplified spellers” who, for a time in their lives, became fanatic about writing kof instead of cough, tung for tongue, and fyzics for physics (and tried futilely to get everyone around them to do it too).

 In Enough is Enuf, Gabe Henry humorously traces the “simplified spelling movement” from medieval England to Revolutionary America, from the birth of standup comedy to contemporary pop music, and explores its lasting influence in words like color (without a U), plow (without -ugh), and the iconic ’90s ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Finally, Henry brings us to the digital age, where the swift pace of online exchanges now pushes us all 2ward simplification. 

Register now for this informative and entertaining conversation to find out why Gabe Henry thinks UR not a bad speller, the English language is. 

About the Author: Gabe Henry is the author of three books including the poetry anthology Eating Salad Drunk, a humor collaboration with Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Odenkirk, Mike Birbiglia, Margaret Cho, and other titans of comedy. Eating Salad Drunk was featured in The New Yorker in February 2022 (“A Smattering of Haiku for the Burnout Age”) and ranked one of Vulture’s Best Comedy Books of 2022. Henry’s work has been published in TIME, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, the Weekly Humorist, US News & World Report, and more. He has spent more than a decade exploring the strange and forgotten history of simplified spelling, which, by his own admission, has only made him a worse speller. He lives and works in New York. Learn more at www.gabehenry.com.

2:00pm - 3:00pm View Details

DNA, Crime, and Law Enforcement (Series Part 2 of 3)

Please join us for a fascinating evening of exploration in the use of DNA as a tool in law enforcement.

How can we as a society use genetics to keep people safe, solve crimes, and, at the same time, develop policies that provide appropriate safeguards and privacy protections?

The second session of a 3-Part Series!

Presented by Personal Genetics Education & Dialogue

6:00pm - 8:00pm View Details
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full Events Calendar
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Online Library

The Palace Project is a free collection of more than 11,000 openly licensed eBook and eAudio titles.

A streaming movie service that offers access to pop culture favorites, box office hits, award-winning feature films, documentaries, and shorts.

To access iNDIEFLIX, sign into your LION: Libraries Online account using either the Libby app or the web version of the Libby app from your computer.
Look for “EXTRAS” and click on iNDIEFLIX.

Over 1,400 in-depth instructional videos for all creative makers from basic instruction to advanced techniques for fabric and yarn crafts, baking, drawing, and much more.

To access Craftsy, sign into your LION: Libraries Online account using either the Libby app or the web version of the Libby app from your computer.
Look for “EXTRAS” and click on Craftsy.

FamilySearch is the world’s largest repository of free genealogical records, based in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Records from over 130 countries include birth, marriage, death, census, probate, land, military, International Genealogical Index, and more. In-Library use only. Remote access is not available.

Driving-Tests.org offers access to Connecticut DMV handbooks and practice tests to help you prepare for your learner’s permit, driver’s license, motorcycle license or commercial driver’s license

Unlimited access to hundreds of courses for lifelong learning and personal enrichment on subjects like history, food & wine, finance, travel and much more.

To access The Great Courses, sign into your LION: Libraries Online account using either the Libby app or the web version of the Libby app from your computer.
Look for “EXTRAS” and click on The Great Courses.

Interview coaching, resume assistance, career guidance, and an Adult Learning Center.

Launched by a math teacher in 1997, Coolmath4Kids is an amusement park of math, games, and more, designed to teach math and make it FUN, for ages 12 and under.

ConnecticutHistory.org connects you to the people, traditions, innovations & events making up the rich history of the Nutmeg State, through primary source images, documents, and objects.

Khan Academy Kids makes learning fun with thousands of educational games, books, and activities that inspire a lifetime of learning and discovery for children ages 2-8. Explore math games, spelling activities, digital books, and more. Kids can learn reading, phonics, writing, and social-emotional development through fun educational games and lessons.

 
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