Perrot Newsletter

The Spring 2014 edition of Perrot's newsletter, Précis, is now available! Pick up a copy in the library, or read it online (in PDF format).

Author Jennifer Vanderbes returns to Perrot on April 9th to discuss her latest novel

Author Jennifer Vanderbes returns to Perrot to discuss her latest novel, 

The Secret of Raven Point

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014, at 7:30 PM  

Children's Wing, Perrot Memorial Library

1943: When seventeen-year-old Juliet Dufresne receives a cryptic letter from her enlisted older brother pleading for help, and then finds out he’s been reported missing overseas, she lies about her age and volunteers as an army nurse to find him. Shy and awkward, Juliet is thrust into the bloody chaos of a field hospital, living in a sprawling encampment north of Rome, where she forges new friendships with her fellow nurses and is increasingly consumed by the plight of her patients. One in particular, Christopher Barnaby, a deserter awaiting court martial, may hold the answer to her brother’s fate—but the trauma of war has left him unable to speak. Racing against the clock, Juliet works with an enigmatic young psychiatrist, Henry Willard, to heal Barnaby’s psychic wound before the authorities take him away and any clues as to her brother’s fate are forever lost. Plunged into the horrifying depths of one man’s combat memories, Juliet and Willard are forced to plumb the moral nuances of a so-called just war, and to face the dangers of their own deepening connection. Kirkus Reviews calls the novel "unusual and affecting."

Upcoming Event: Author Marta McDowell on Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life

Upcoming Event: 
Author Marta McDowell on Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life
Wednesday, March 19th, 2014, at 7:30 PM in Perrot's Children's Wing

Marta McDowell, author and past New York Botanical Garden Instructor of the Year, will discuss the origins of Beatrix Potter's love of gardens and plants, and show how this passion was reflected in her work. McDowell's book, Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Classic Children's Tales, is a biography, a season-by-season tour of Potter's gardens, as well as a traveler's guide. Rich with photographs and Potter's own charming watercolors, the book brings to light a delightfully different side of the celebrated author.

Donald Davis Family Storytelling Concert, Feb. 22nd

Perrot Memorial Library will present an afternoon of storytelling in memory of our beloved Children's Librarians, Kate McClelland ("Mrs. Mac") and Kathy Krasniewicz ("Mrs. K"). Those who knew Kate and Kathy know how much storytelling was a part of their lives and how they used it to enchant and educate the youth of our community.

We are delighted that Donald Davis, a nationally-known storyteller and a friend of Mrs. Mac and Mrs. K, will be returning to entertain us with more of his fabulous tales in a special family storytelling event. Please join us at the First Congregational Church of Greenwich at 3:00 PM on Saturday, February 22nd, 2014. No tickets are required, but seating is limited.

Donald Davis was born in a Southern Appalachian mountain world rich in stories. "I didn't learn stories, I just absorbed them," he says as he recounts tales learned from a family of traditional storytellers who have lived on the same Western North Carolina land since 1781. Davis grew up hearing gentle fairytales, simple and silly Jack tales, scary mountain lore, ancient Welsh and Scottish folktales and, most importantly, nourishing true-to-life stories of his own neighbors and kin.It was Uncle Frank, a man who "talked in stories," who helped Donald capture the real and daily adventures of life... and it was Uncle Frank who gave him the creative courage to tell about them. Davis remembers, "I discovered that in a story I could safely dream any dream, hope any hope, go anywhere I pleased, fight any foe, win or lose, live or die. My stories created a safe experimental learning place.”

For more information about Donald Davis, please visit his website: http://www.ddavisstoryteller.com/

Perrot staff in the news

Perrot's Youth Services Director, Kathy Jarombek, was a member of the 2014 Newbery Award Committee. The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery, and is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. This year's Newbery winner is Flora & Ulysses, by Kate DiCamillo. Four Newbery Honor Books were named this year: Doll Bones, by Holly Black; The Year of Billy Miller, by Kevin Henkes; One Came Home, by Amy Timberlake; and Paperboy, by Vince Vawter. Read an interesting interview with Kate DiCamillo, that includes her experience receiving the call informing her of her Newbery win. And kudos to Mrs. J for all her hard work this year!

Part-time Youth Services Staff Member Annie Merrill has advanced to the finals of the Intel Science Talent Search! She will travel to Washington, D.C., in March to compete for the first-place prize of $100,000. Annie's research focused on the environmental benefits of pairing a form of charcoal known as biochar with worms. Read more about Annie's research in the front page Greenwich Time article, Greenwich High senior reaches Intel finals. Congratulations, Annie!

Kate McClelland and Kathy Krasniewicz Memorial Scholarship to the ALA Annual Conference

Random House Children's Books continues to honor the memories of Perrot's beloved librarians, Kate McClelland and Kathy Krasniewicz, with their annual scholarship for a new or student librarian to attend the American Library Association Annual Conference.

ALA Members: In 500 words or less, tell us about a new librarian or library student who has never attended an ALA Annual Conference, and in whom you see great devotion to the library community and promise in the field. Tell us how he/she would benefit from attending the ALA Annual Conference. The new librarian/library student could win a trip to attend the 2014 ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Visit the Random House Teachers & Librarians website for more information and to make a nomination.

Perrot Closing at 4pm, Tuesday, January 21st

Perrot Library will close early today, Tuesday, January 21 at 4 pm due to the inclement weather. 

Children's Winter/Spring Program Lottery/Program Openings

Registration cards for our Winter/Spring 2014 children's programs were mailed back today! If you don't receive your card in the next few days, please don't hesitate to call (203-637-8802) and we can check the rosters for you.

Also, we still have room in our Spotlight program (for 2nd & 3rd graders). The theme for Spotlight this session is Go For the Gold: Super Achievers, and it will meet on 1/29, 2/5, 2/26, and 3/5 (Wednesdays) at 4 PM. Please give us a call if you would like to sign up your child for Spotlight.

Upcoming Event: Observations of the Superintendent

Dr. William McKersie, Greenwich Superintendent of Schools, will be visiting Perrot to discuss Greenwich Public Schools today. This is part of our continuing series of Community Conversations.

Wednesday, January 15th, 2013
7:30 PM in the Children's Wing
Doors will open at 7 PM

Youth Services 2013 Gift Buying Guide

Each year our Youth Services Librarian puts together a list of books that make great holiday gifts! The list features picture books, books for middle graders, and books for ages 12 and up. Please take a look at our Youth Services Holiday Gift Buying Guide for 2013.The list is also available at the Youth Services Desk as a paper brochure.

Children's Program Registration Is Going on Now!

Registration for Youth Services' Winter/Spring 2014 Program Session is going on now through Sunday, January 12th, 2014. [View the winter program schedule]

•     Our program registration is by lottery
•     You must have an active library card in good standing to register
•     Obtain a registration postcard for the program(s) of your choice from the Youth Services Desk
•     Fill out ALL of the required information. Incomplete applications will not be considered
•     Address the reverse of the card to yourself
•     Affix a first-class stamp (46¢)
•     Drop off your card at the Youth Services Desk by January 12th
•     Registration cards will be mailed back to you within a week of the close of registration

Questions? Please give us a call at 203-637-8802, or comment on this post.

Youth Services Winter/Spring '14 Program Schedule Now Available

The Youth Services Winter/Spring 2014 Program Schedule is now available!

Our program registration is by lottery. Pick up a registration postcard for the program of your choice from the Youth Services Circulation Desk, beginning on Monday, December 9th, through Sunday, January 12th. Don't forget to bring a stamp!

Detailed registration instructions are available on our website, as are descriptions of all our program offerings.

If you have other questions, please comment on this post, or call us at 203-637-8802.

December Events at Perrot

Local a Cappella Group The Grace Notes
Saturday, December 7th, 2013, at 4:00 PM
Returning to usher in the holidays and Old Greenwich's First Light Festival, we are again pleased to host a musical performance of holiday tunes by local women's a cappella group, The Grace Notes.


Shakespeare Talk on Juliet of Romeo & Juliet
Wednesday, November 20th, 2013, at 7:30 PM
Anne Gilhuly will give a talk on Juliet, of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. Actors Florence Phillips and Dick Leonard will read scenes from the play. Anne Gilhuly, a Classics teacher at Greenwich Continuing Education, leads our continuing series of Shakespeare talks. This is the fifteenth year that Perrot has sponsored these programs.


Curiosity Concerts: Adventures in Opera
Sunday, December 15th, 2013, at 1:00 PM
Opera singer Caroline Worra and harpsichordist Jennifer Peterson perform “Adventures in Opera,” a recital that explores the characters and emotions behind great arias of the Italian and English opera repertoire. Curiosity Concerts is a new series of classical music concerts for families with children ages 5-8 years old and their interested siblings of any age. The concerts are performed by professional national and local musicians and presented at various venues in the Greenwich, CT area. Curiosity Concerts are under one hour, free, and fun! The series is a coalition effort launched in association with the Greenwich Arts Council.

Please create a PIN for your library account

Due to a coming upgrade to the Greenwich library catalog, all patrons must add a 4-digit PIN to their library accounts beginning today, 11/4. More info from Greenwich Library: http://www.greenwichlibrary.org/blog/library_news/2013/11/create-your-new-library-pin.html

Perrot's Cupola: Under Construction

Restorations are underway on Perrot's historic cupola, which has served as a beacon to our community for over 80 years.

The cupola restoration includes eight new 9-foot-tall windows, a copper roof, a stainless steel finial for the weather vane, a new frame and door to the exterior roof, replacement of rotted sills and trim boards under the windows, new roofing material around the base of the cupola, and fresh paint for the exterior.

See some photos of the work that is underway on Perrot's Facebook page.

The project is expected to take 4 to 6 weeks to complete.

You can help support the restoration of Perrot's cupola by becoming a member.