The Heron is Home!

After several months in storage, the Great Blue Heron sculpture, by Elliot Offner returns to welcome visitors to Darien Library!

The sculpture and its dedication plaque were installed this morning in the Courtyard fountain at the Library. (Click here to see photos of the installation.)

The Great Blue Heron Bronze was dedicated to the Darien Community on May 31, 1987 and stood in the entry courtyard at the old Library for more than 20 years. Today, it takes its perch at its new home.

It's sure to bring a smile to your face! Please stop by soon.

As usual, when it comes to Events, we've got lots to tell you about. Adult Summer Reading is our biggest news for June, but we'll also be offering a Musical Film Series, and we've already begun a weekly program for Job Seekers and Networkers. Both of these are brand new initiatives here at Darien Library and we're really excited about them!

Some of these events begin right at the start of the month, so please take note!

On Friday, June 5th, we will begin our first-ever Musical Film Series.

The first film will be The Band Wagon, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse.

All films will begin at 7:30 p.m. and refreshments will be served.

For more information, click here.

Monday at Seven is an initiative to provide resources to Job Seekers and Networkers. We will open our doors every Monday (or the first day of the workweek if Monday is a holiday) from 7 to 9 a.m. to provide a resource and meeting center for residents of Darien and Darien Library members.

Access to computers, office software, specialized databases, and the Internet will be available and documents and resumes may be printed and faxed at no cost. “Monday at Seven” also provides the physical space for meetings, education, and networking. Participants may also receive resume advice and Library staff will provide technology assistance and proofreading support. 

Click here for a complete description of Monday at Seven.

The June Events Calendar at the Library will also be culturally enriching. Programs include a Shakespeare lecture, an art exhibit and reception, and theatrical performances.

On Thursday, June 4th, at 7 p.m. Mark Schenker (pictured, right) of Yale University returns to Darien Library for a discussion about A Midsummer Night's Dream. A Midsummer Night's Dream will be the summer production of Shakespeare on the Sound. More information is available right here.

If you've been by the Library during the past several weeks, hopefully, you've had a chance to see the Art on View in the Art Gallery. This Land is Your Land, paintings of Darien Land Trust properties will be on exhibit in the Art Gallery on the lower level of the Library through this week.

There will be an Artists' Reception open to the public this Friday at 6:30 p.m.  

On Sunday, June 14 at 2:30 p.m., the Actors/Playwrights Workshop will present the first public-staged reading of selections from the plays in the Community Room!

Click here for the details.  

And, on Tuesday, June 23rd, we will kick off our 4th Annual Adult Summer Reading program. Read all about it right here!

On Thursday, June 4 at 7 p.m., Mark Schenker of Yale University will lead a discussion of A Midsummer Night’s Dream here at the Library. A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be the summer production of Shakespeare on the Sound, now in its 14^th year. Mr. Schenker will discuss the play both as an individual work and with respect to its place in the Shakespeare canon.  Long considered one of Shakespeare’s finest comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream presents a world capable of being transformed by magic, by love and by art. The play combines elements of music, dance, and pageantry with the comic misadventures of two pairs of star-crossed lovers and the comic prose of the “rude mechanicals,” common tradesmen who labor to create and perform a drama that serves as counterpoint to the sophistication and formality of the larger comedy that encompasses it. 

Mark J. Schenker has been at Yale College since 1990.  He is currently an associate dean of the College and dean of academic affairs.  Born and raised in New York City, he received his Ph.D. in English Literature from Columbia University and has taught at Columbia, New York University, and Trinity College (Hartford).  He has led book discussion series in public libraries in Connecticut for over twenty years through programs sponsored by the Connecticut Humanities Council and lectures frequently on literary topics for public audiences. He was the recipient of the 2001 Wilbur Cross Award for Outstanding Humanities Scholar, presented by the Connecticut Humanities Council. (Pictured above: Mark Schenker)

Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen's).

Our Summer Film Series is still weeks away but we'll be back showing films on Fridays in June! We'll consider it "a musical interlude" and we are thrilled to be able to offer a great lineup of musicals that we think you'll enjoy! So are you ready to jump on the Darien Library movie bandwagon? Good! We are proud to present our brand new Musical Film Series!

JUNE 5

The Band Wagon (1953) Starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse; Not rated; 111 minutes

Each song and dance routine, from the lovely "Dancing in the Dark" through the insanely happpy "A Shine on Your Shoes" to the thrilling coda "That's Entertainment" is a slice of cinematic magic in this delightful musical. The original ballet sequence "Girl Hunt" choreographed for Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse by Michael Kidd is especially notable.

JUNE 12

A Hard Day's Night (1964) John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr; Rated G; 85 minutes

A re-release of the 1964 classic musical comedy about four shaggy-haired lads from Liverpool, this is a playful day-in-the-life look at the emerging rock stars: John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Pursued by hordes of shrieking girls caught up in Beatlemania, they dash in and out of railways, through London streets, and into a TV recording studio. With concert footage of The Beatles performing "She Loves You," this movie survives as an indelible portrait of a particular time.

 JUNE 19

Funny Girl (1968) Barbra Streisand and Omar Sharif; Rated G; 149 minutes

Marvelous musical biography of the legendary Ziegfield girl, Fanny Brice. Fanny (Barbra Streisand) was all-laughs on-stage, but her personal life was considered a tragedy. Barbra Streisand received an Academy Award® for her leading role.

JUNE 26

Singin' in the Rain (1952) Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O'Connor; Not rated; 102 minutes

Considered by many to be the finest musical comedy of all-time, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is sheer delight. Betty Comden and Adolph Green wrote this wonderful film about the time when movies were changing from silent to talkies. The songs range from the hilarious "Make 'Em Laugh" performed by O'Connor, to the delicate "You Were Meant for Me" and the show-stopping classic "Singin' in the Rain" solo by Gene Kelly.

All movies are at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Admission is free and refreshments will be served. 

Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen's).

This Land is Your Land

Artists' Reception: Friday, June 5 at 6:30 p.m. 

The Fairfield County Plein Air Painters and other local artists painted the beautiful vistas of open spaces of Darien Land Trust's land held in preservation for Darien. The paintings will be on display in the Art Gallery on the Lower Level through June 7th. You won't want to miss this great exhibit, nor will you want to miss the Artists' Reception on June 5th! 

"This Land is Your Land” features paintings by Pam Abear, Britt Bair, Betty Ball, Donna Collins, Carol Conze, John Coots, Mindy Daly-Green, Amy Danielson, Kathy Draper, David Dunlap, Chris Filmer, Vicki French Smith, Merion Frolich, Hanneke Goedkoop, Dana Goodfellow, Jeanne Greaves, Kathleen Erin Lee, Joan Manning, Mary Morant, Madeliene Mueller, Phyllis Padro, Chet Saur, Lisa Thoren, and Meg Tweedy.

The Art Gallery is located on the Library's Lower Level.

A 17-year-old girl living in West Virginia and her disabled younger brother. What stories lie trapped in the boy's head and how did all of the layers of their past combine to create their present? Jayne Anne Phillips slowly reveals long-kept secrets as new forces threaten to separate the brother and sister in this stunnning novel...a work of fiction that defies easy description but remains absolutely engrossing at every level.

We'll be discussing Lark & Termite on Sunday afternoon, May 17 at 2:30, and welcome your comments, insights, discoveries...anything you'd like to share about this book (even if you don't get to finish it in time!). Our Sunday afternoon book discussions are open to all and full of ideas for similar reads and great new authors. The facilitator is Jordon Pecile, who has taught at numerous colleges and universities, most recently the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He's been a favorite here for many years and always sparks lively conversations! This is our final spring session and promises to be a special one. Please join us!
 

In the Art Gallery

Darien Land Trust Art Show - This Land is Your Land

May 15 - June 7

Recent paintings of Darien Land Trust properties will be exhibited in the Art Gallery on the lower level. The show is entitled “This Land is Your Land”  and will be on display until June 7th.

(Plein Air painter Pamela Riley-Abear at work on a painting of the Land Trust peninsula on HollyPond.)

 (above, l-r: Holly Pond by Britt Bair, Contentment Island by Chris Filmer)

“This Land is Your Land” features paintings by Pam Abear, Britt Bair, Betty Ball, Donna Collins, Carol Conze, John Coots, Mindy Daly-Green, Amy Danielson, Kathy Draper, David Dunlap, Chris Filmer, Vicki French Smith, Merion Frolich, Hanneke Goedkoop, Dana Goodfellow, Jeanne Greaves, Kathleen Erin Lee, Joan Manning, Mary Morant, Madeliene Mueller, Phyllis Padro, Chet Saur, Lisa Thoren, and Meg Tweedy. It's a beautiful exhibit. Please be sure to stop by.

There will be an artist's reception on Friday, June 5^th at 6:30 p.m. Please join us!

Now that we're moved in, and you've attended some children's programs...what do you think? 

Which programs would you like to continue?

In the new Library, what has your program experience been for children in their First Five Years?

Update: Please note that this author event has been cancelled. This event will be rescheduled in the future. Please check back on our website for details.

On Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m., author James Collins will be speaking here at the Library. His novel Beginner’s Greek, a national bestseller, will be coming out in paperback that week and we look forward to welcoming him to Darien!

We'll be hosting two author events here at the Library during the month of May. One author will talk about taking chances, the other, about second chances.

W. Randall (Randy) Jones will be here on Sunday, May 3 at 5 p.m. to talk about  his new book, The Richest Man in Town: The Twelve Commandments of Wealth.

Jones, the founder of Worth magazine, interviewed the richest men and women in the 100 largest towns in America – all of them self-made financial giants. In his book, he reveals the common traits of these individuals and makes their success tips available to everyone. 

A book signing and reception will follow the presentation. Books will be available for purchase. Mr. Jones' talk is part of our Grand Opening Author Series.

On Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m., James Collins will be here to talk about his novel, Beginner's Greek, a national bestseller.

Update: Please note that this author event has been cancelled. This event will be rescheduled in the future. Please check back here on our website for details.

Brand new to paperback, "Beginner's Greek" is a romantic comedy with a distinct literary vein running beneath its surface. (The cover asks the question: "Could they have a second chance at love at first sight?")

"Jane Austen fans will feel right at home" - Library Journal

Refreshments will be served. A book signing will follow the presentation and books will be available for purchase.

Please join us for these special author events!  

Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen's).