Support Your Library on Giving Tuesday

In these unprecedented times, Perrot Memorial Library is here for you more than ever!

For more than 115 years, Perrot has provided our community with incredible information, entertainment, and educational programs. What most people do not know about Perrot is that it is a private institution, owned and operated by the Perrot Memorial Library association. 

When the reality of COVID-19 hit, and we needed to temporarily close our doors, Perrot's amazing staff worked hard to transition seamlessly to the Zoom-connected world. From our homes, our community has come together and enjoyed virtual events: 

• Live and recorded author talks
• Informative lectures with local experts
• Book discussions with the Greenwich Pen Women
• Concerts
• Children's storytimes
• Young Young Critics and Young Critics Book Clubs

You can now get personalized children's book bundles of both picture books and chapter books for independent readers.

Our wonderful volunteers have been hand-delivering items to patrons who cannot get out to utilize our convenient and popular curbside pick up and drop off service. 

And Perrot's free WiFi is still available to all in our parking lot and grounds. 

Please become a member of the Perrot Memorial Library Association by making a tax-deductible contribution today. All of Perrot's fabulous programs are free, and made possible by your support. 

It is your generosity that our programs depend on and which makes Perrot Memorial Library so special.

Click to donate securely via PayPal

(A PayPal account is not required to make a donation)

Annual Lions Club Grapefruit Sale

The Old Greenwich Lions Club is running its annual sale of grapefruits and oranges, as part of its fund-raising efforts to fight blindness worldwide.

This year’s LIMITED EDITION inventory of 500 cases Texas Ruby Red grapefruit and 100 cases navel oranges can be purchased at $26 per case (Cash or check made out to Greenwich Lions Foundation).

This year, please order by phone. Call 203-637-3888 and leave a message with the quantity needed and date and time you would like to pick up at the library.

Upcoming Event: Making Spirits Bright, A Holiday Celebration

 

Upcoming Event:

Making Spirits Bright, A Holiday Celebration

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020, at 7 PM

Register today via Zoom

Join local artists, Justine and Jenny Goggin, for a night of holiday songs and stories, accompanied by guitarist, Tommy Song. From carols, to standards, to favorite radio tunes, the trio will share the songs that make their hearts warm with holiday magic.

Jenny Goggin is a writer and singer. She graduated from Columbia University in 2020, where she studied creative writing. She writes and produces songs. Follow her on Instagram @jennygoggin for some original music.

Justine Goggin is a vocalist and actor. She is the proud founding Artistic Director of The Sappho Project, a non-profit focused on bringing gender equity to the musical theater industry. Education: Dartmouth College, 2018 cum laude www.justinegoggin.com IG: @justine.goggin

Tommy Song is an artist and academic. Currently working as a research assistant at Columbia and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. He graduated from Columbia College this past May with a degree in history and political science. He writes about the global intellectual history of anti-racist thought and the conceptual history of race. As a musician, he writes and records original acoustic music. 

Watch this year's NIGHTMARES from home!

For a spooky Halloween treat... watch this year's NIGHTMARES from home! The Crone of Old Greenwich has cooked up some terrifying tales to haunt your dreams... 

WARNING! These stories are SCARY-- recommended for kids in Grades 2 and up only!

Upcoming Virtual Event: My Creative Space, with local author Donald M. Rattner

 

Upcoming Event: 

My Creative Space: How to Design Your Home to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation, a virtual discussion with author Donald M. Rattner

Wednesday, November 18th, 2020, at 7 PM

Register today via Zoom

Join Perrot Library for a virtual discussion of the award-winning book, My Creative Space: How to Design Your Home to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation, with local author Donald Rattner. As an architect, educator, and consultant, Rattner advises individuals and organizations on how to optimize creative performance by applying scientific research to the shaping of space. With winter fast approaching and working/earning from home still very much de rigeur, there has never been a better time to learn some practical and scientifically proven tips on how to design your home to boost creativity. 

Jacqueline Jones-Peace of the Equal Justice Initiative

 

Upcoming Event: Virtual Discussion with Jacqueline Jones-Peace of Equal Justice Initiative

A Greenwich Reads Together Event:

 Virtual Discussion with Jacqueline Jones-Peace of Equal Justice Initiative

Thursday, October 29th, 2020, at 7 PM

Register today via Zoom 

Perrot Memorial Library and Greenwich Library present a virtual discussion with Jacqueline Jones-Peace, Senior Attorney and Director of Development at Equal Justice Initiative. Ms. Jones-Peace will share the history of the Equal Justice Initiative, the organization founded by Bryan Stevenson and detailed in his book, Just Mercy. She will also discuss key past and current cases, and talk about what’s next for the organization.

Before joining EJI, Jacqueline Jones-Peace was on the faculty at New York University School of Law as Co-Associate Director of the Lawyering Program. Prior to that, she was a Litigation Associate at Cleary Gottlieb in New York for several years after clerking for U.S. District Judge John S. Martin in the Southern District of New York. She is a 1995 graduate of New York University School of Law.

Upcoming Event: Screening of Just Mercy at the Avon Theatre

Screening of JUST MERCY 

at The Avon Theatre Film Center, Stamford

cosponsored by the Perrot and Greenwich Libraries

Wednesday, October 28th, 2020, at 7 PM

Purchase tickets via the Avon

Perrot and Greenwich Libraries present this screening of JUST MERCY, the movie adaption of the book JUST MERCY, by Bryan Stevenson, which is one of the 2020 Greenwich Reads Together selections. Advance tickets must be purchased through the Avon.

Michael B. Jordan and Oscar winners Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson star in JUST MERCY, an inspiring drama that brings one of the most important stories of our time to the big screen. Award-winning filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote, based on the award-winning nonfiction bestseller by Bryan Stevenson. A powerful and thought-provoking true story, JUST MERCY follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley. One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian, who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the system—stacked against them.

This in-person event will follow strict health protocols. Everyone who attends must wear a mask and their temperature will be taken when they enter the theater.

Upcoming Event: A Zoom Discussion with the Greenwich Tree Conservancy

Perrot Library and the Garden Club of Old Greenwich

present a Zoom Discussion with the Greenwich Tree Conservancy

Wednesday, October 14th, 2020, at 7 PM

Perrot Memorial Library, in partnership with The Garden Club of Old Greenwich, present an informative program highlighting the Greenwich Tree Conservancy. Join us for an overview of this local non-profit that seeks to preserve and enhance the tree and forest resources of Greenwich to benefit our community, our health and our quality of life. 

Register for this event today!

Perrot Library Reopening Status Update, 10/2/2020

Perrot Library Reopening– Status Update, October 2nd, 2020

Perrot Memorial Library is offering the following services:

• We are providing requested materials for borrowers through our no-contact curbside pick-up service

• Our book return is available for your convenience 24/7/365

• We provide same-day reference, readers’ advisory and lending service via telephone, email, and the Library’s online catalog

• We are presenting virtual storytime programs, virtual singalongs and book clubs for our Young Readers

• We offer a broad array of virtual programs for adults, with an emphasis on book talks

• Internet access is available for visitors using their own digital device in our parking lot, garden and front plaza

• Patrons can make an appointment to use a computer, printer, or photocopier inside the library seven days a week

• While the majority of our services are available, we cannot allow visitors in the building until we complete preparations to ensure the safety of library patrons and staff, with the exception of very restricted access for computer use

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me directly at your convenience.

-Kevin McCarthy, Library Director, 203-637-3888, kmccarthy@perrotlibrary.org

Adult Summer Reading Winners 2020

 

Thank you to all our Library patrons who took part in our 2020 Adult Summer Reading Program!

Here are this year's winners:

First Prize - $100 gift card to Applausi Osteria Toscana: Jennifer Rich

Second Prize - $50 gift card to Beach House Café: Anne Akyuz

Third Prize - $25 gift card to Aux Délices: Eleanor Bowman

Fourth Prize - $15 gift card to Joe Studio: Jackie Bein

Fifth Prize - $10 gift card to Starbucks: Gina Mugavero

All winners have been notified.

Computers by Appointment

Perrot's public computers are now available for use by appointment only. 

• In order to allow for contact-tracing in the event of a COVID outbreak, same-day or next-day appointments for public computer use are temporarily limited to Greenwich residents and Greenwich and Perrot Library cardholders who are 18 and older. This includes non-resident fee patrons and non-resident workers. Patrons must present an unexpired library card or driver’s license showing their Greenwich address. Non-resident workers may present a paystub as proof that they work in/for the Town of Greenwich
• We have two public computers available, as well as our black & white printer and photocopier
• You may use a computer for up to 1 hour
• Computer appointments are available between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM, Monday through Friday. Appointments are also available on Saturdays from 10 AM-4 PM, and on Sundays from 2 PM-4 PM 
• Library visitors must call 203-637-3870 in advance to schedule their day/time to use a computer and/or printer/photocopier
• You must provide your Perrot or Greenwich Library card number when you call to schedule your appointment
• When you arrive for your appointment, you must call the Reference Desk at 203-637-3870 to be escorted by library staff via the front door to the Binney Room. When you have completed your work, staff will escort you back through the front entrance. All other sections of the library remain closed to the public
• Only one person at a time will be allowed for each computer session. No one else is permitted in the building at the time of your reservation, including children, spouses, siblings, friends, and relatives
• Everyone must wear a face mask while in the library

Please contact the Reference Desk if you have any questions or concerns: lwhite@perrotlibrary.org, 203-637-3870.

Upcoming Event: Zoom Book Discussion on Just Mercy

Perrot Memorial Library & The Greenwich Pen Women

present a Zoom Book Discussion on

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

by Bryan Stevenson

A Greenwich Reads Together 2020 Selection

Facilitated by Adrienne Reedy of Greenwich Pen Women

Through personal stories, Bryan Stevenson lets us take a close look at our nation’s judicial system and elucidates the travails of poor black men who are unjustly placed on death row. Thankfully, through DNA testing, technology helps prove the innocence of many of his cases. Through perseverance and grit, Mr. Stevenson has made it his life’s mission to answer the question, "Is justice for all?"  As founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, he has given hope to many who otherwise would be dead or unjustly left behind prison bars. His work has awakened the consciousness of men and women across our country, to look critically at our prison system and the inherent racial biases that impact its structures. Just Mercy provides altering perspectives on how we can become a more just society in how we handle the mentally ill, law, and restorative justice as part of prison reform.  

Monday, October 26th, 2020 at 7 PM via Zoom

Register for this event 

For more information, contact lending@perrotlibrary.org

Just Mercy is available to check out as a physical copy, an audiobook CD, an ebook, or a downloadable audiobook

Greenwich Reads Together 2020 Selections

For the first time ever, Greenwich Reads Together will explore not just one book, but two! Both books explore themes that have been especially prevalent in the last year, public health and racial justice.

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, by Bryan Stevenson, is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice as he founds the Equal Justice Initiative and defends those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system.

In Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World, Pulitzer Prize—winning author Tracy Kidder tells the true story of a gifted man who loves the world and has set out to do all he can to cure it. Paul Farmer found his life’s calling: to cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools of modern medicine to those who need them most. Kidder’s magnificent account takes us from Harvard to Haiti, Peru, Cuba, and Russia as Farmer changes minds and practices through his dedication to the philosophy that "the only real nation is humanity."

The Middle School selections are the Young Readers' Editions of Just Mercy and Mountains Beyond Mountains. The Elementary School selections are The Undefeated, by Kwame Alexander, and Manjhi Moves a Mountain, by Nancy Churnin.

We hope you join us this fall in reading both powerful stories and exploring these extremely relevant topics through a number of virtual events. The lineup of programs and events will be announced soon! To check out a copy of the books and find out more about GRT, visit www.greenwichreadstogether.org.

Haiku Contest Winners and Participants

Check out our booklet of submissions to Perrot's Haiku Contest! The contest ran from May 5th through June 1st. Entrants submitted their original haikus (3-line, 17-syllable poems) describing their experiences with COVID-19-- the pandemic, the closures, and their impact on daily life. We received 98 adult entries, 14 teen entries, and 47 children’s entries. We received entries from as far away as Pakistan and the U.K. Members of the Greenwich Pen Women judged the adult/teen entries, and our Youth Services staff judged the children’s entries. The winning entries received gift cards to Diane’s Books (if local) and to Amazon (if outside of Greenwich).