Take Your Child to the Library Day

Stop by for Take Your Child to the Library Day, this Saturday, February 1st, 2020. We'll have stickers to give out, bookmarks to color, and a raffle to enter!

Upcoming Event: Author Talk with Christine Coulson

Upcoming Event: Author Talk with Christine Coulson

Wednesday, February 26th, 2020, at 7:30 PM

Join Perrot in celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Metropolitan Museum of Art! Christine Coulson will discuss her new novel, METROPOLITAN STORIES, with Page Knox, adjunct professor of art history at Columbia University, and a lecturer and educator at the Met. Couslon's enchanting novel, inspired by her 25-year career at the Met, takes us behind the scenes in the museum with amusing and poignant vignettes that reveal larger-than-life characters, surreal situations,and the powerful voices of the art itself.

Top Circulating Titles at Perrot 2018-2019

Perrot Library salutes our colleagues at the New York Public Library on the occasion of their 125^th Anniversary https://125.nypl.org/125/topcheckouts

Here are the top circulating books, movies and music from Perrot’s collection last fiscal year (2018-2019). Cheers!

Top Circulating Adult Books: 
1. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, by John Carreyrou
2. Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate
3. The Death of Mrs. Westaway, by Ruth Ware
4. There There, by Tommy Orange
5. Warlight, by Michael Ondaatje


Top Circulating Children's Books:
1.-5. A Big Guy Took My Ball! and other Elephant & Piggie books, by Mo Willems
6. Fly Guy and the Alienzz by Tedd Arnold
7. Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties, by Dav Pilkey
8. Dog Man: Unleashed, by Dav Pilkey
9. The Itchy Book!, by LeUyen Pham
10. Llama Llama Loves to Read, by Anna Dewdney


Top Circulating DVDs
1. Chappaquiddick
2. 7 Days in Entebbe
3. Mile 22
4. The Girl in the Spider’s Web
5. The Catcher Was a Spy

Top Circulating CDs
1. Diamonds, by Elton John
2. The Beatles. 1967-1970
3. Beatles for Sale
4. The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
5. Classic Stax

Upcoming Event: Author Talk with Mary Calvi

Upcoming Event: Author Talk with Mary Calvi on her book Dear George, Dear Mary

Wednesday, February 5th, 2020, at 7:30 PM

Perrot Memorial Library

In advance of Presidents Day, join Perrot in welcoming Mary Calvi, a television news anchor and winner of ten New York Emmy Awards, who will discuss her debut novel, Dear George, Dear Mary: A Novel of George Washington's First Love. Based on thousands of archived letters, eyewitness accounts, and journal entries, the novel explores the relationship between George Washington and Mary Eliza Philipse, his first love and the richest belle of colonial America. This never-before-told store, hidden away for centuries, reveals the unrequited love that helped to ignite a cause that became the American Revolution.

Children's Winter/Spring Program Lottery/Program Openings

Registration cards for our Winter/Spring 2020 children's programs were mailed back today! If you don't receive your card in the next few days, please call us (203-637-8802).

Also, we still have room in our 2s and 3s Together, Fun for 4s and 5s, Stuff & Nonsense (K/Grade 1) and Spotlight programs (Grades 2/3). Please call us if you are interested in signing up!

Upcoming Event: Book Discussion on City of Light, by Lauren Belfer

Upcoming Event:

Book Discussion on City of Light, by Lauren Belfer

Facilitated by Barbara Ehrentreu of Greenwich Pen Women

Monday, January 27th, 2020, at 7 PM (Snow Date is Monday, February 3rd, 2020)

The year is 1901. Buffalo, New York is poised for glory. With its booming industry and newly-electrified streets, Buffalo is a model for the century just beginning. 

Louisa Barrett has made this dazzling city her home. Headmistress of Buffalo's most prestigious school, Louisa is at ease in a world of men, protected by the titans of her city. But nothing prepares her for a startling discovery: evidence of a murder tied to the city's cathedral-like power plant at nearby Niagara Falls. This shocking crime-- followed by another mysterious death-- will ignite an explosive chain of events. For in this city of seething intrigue and dazzling progress, a battle rages among politicians, power brokers, and industrialists for control of Niagara. And one extraordinary woman in their midst must protect a dark secret that implicates them all. As Louisa struggles with her own problems and attempts to solve the mystery of the unusual murders and deaths, Buffalo is preparing for the Great Exposition and the visit of President McKinley and his wife, which will end in his assassination. 

Copies of the book are available for checkout at the Circulation Desk. Seating for the event is limited!

Children's Program Registration Is Going on Now!

Registration for Youth Services' Winter/Spring 2020 Program Session is going on now through Sunday, January 5th, 2020. [View the Winter/Spring 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 (55¢)
• Drop off your card at the Youth Services Desk by January 5th
• 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!

Jetty McNamara

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Jetty McNamara, one of our longtime Reference Desk librarians. Our thoughts and love go out to Jetty's family at this difficult time.


Jesslyn "Jetty" O'Connell McNamara (1926-2019)

Jesslyn "Jetty" O'Connell McNamara died on Thursday, November 21st in Greenwich, Connecticut.

She was born July 22, 1926 to Col. Thomas and Mary Carroll O'Connell in Worcester, MA. Jetty graduated with honors from SUNY Purchase in 1985 and went on to receive an MA from Simmons College of Library Science in 1988.

For 25 years she was the reference librarian at Perrot Memorial Library in Old Greenwich and previously worked in Reference at the Greenwich Library, Cos Cob Library, and Byram Shubert Library.

Jetty served as board member of the Greenwich Symphony, The Women's Club of Greenwich, and The Southern Fairfield Alumni Association of Simmons College. She was a devoted Eucharist Minister at Saint Catherine of Sienna Roman Catholic Church. She was also a dedicated volunteer for the Greenwich Antique Society, the Greenwich Historical Society and the Bruce Museum.

Jesslyn was preceded in death by her husband James W., who died in 1984; by her sisters, Carol Dalton and Patricia O'Connell; and by her brothers Jeffrey, Brian, and Thomas.

She is survived by her children Ann Baffico, Kevin McNamara, and Polly Loughran; by her grandchildren Meggie, Austin, and Lily Smith, Connell and Patrick McNamara, and Meg and J.P. Loughran; and by her great-grandchildren Kiran and Liam Chatterjee. She will be dearly missed by them and by her many, many friends.

Donations may be made to Hill House and the Perrot Library.

A Funeral Mass will be held December 18 at 10:00 in the Chapel of St. Catherine of Siena & St. Agnes Church, Riverside, CT

-Obituary published in the Greenwich Time, December 7th, 2019

Winners of the Semi-Annual Y2C2 Jeopardy Tournament

CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the Semi-Annual Young Young Critics' Club (Y2C2) Jeopardy Tournament!

The winning team is The Book Wizards, from left to right: Luke F, Liam, Andrew, Fiona, Lucia, and Tessa

They are the current holders of the coveted Wonderful Golden "Y" Award! The winners have demonstrated their mastery of trivia questions related to the books that the Young Young Critics' Club (our book club for 4th- and 5th-graders) has read during the past year. (Yes, it looks like a lobster, but trust us, it’s also a wonderful golden ‘Y’-- stop by the Youth Services Department and see for yourself!)

Upcoming Event: Stuffed Animal Sleepover

Bring your stuffed animal friends (dolls and other "babies" are allowed as well) to story time, tuck them in, and see what adventures they had when you pick them up the next day! 

Story time will be at 4 PM on Tuesday, December 10th. 

Pick up your stuffed animal the next day, Wednesday, December 11th. 

For 3-, 4-, and 5-year olds. 

Limited to the first 25 children-- sign up today at the Youth Services Desk!

Upcoming Event: Young Strings Workshop

Calling all Young Strings Players! 

Bring your instruments and learn the secrets of becoming a good strings student. This workshop, presented by the Young Artists Philharmonic, will review basic skills such as:

-How to tune your instrument

-How to take care of your instrument (especially during the cold winter months)

-How to hold and rosin your bow

-How many minutes you should practice each day to achieve best results

Darwin Shen, professional violinist and conductor of the Young Artists Philharmonic Young Strings Ensemble, will lead this workshop and help young strings students become confident string players.

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019 from 4 PM to 5 PM

For strings students in grades 4 through 8. Limited to the first 20 registrants-- sign up today at the Youth Services Desk!

Upcoming Event: Author Talk with Teru Clavel

Upcoming Event: Author Talk with Teru Clavel

Wednesday, November 20th, 2019 at 7:30 PM

Perrot Memorial Library

Perrot welcomes author Teru Clavel for an insightful discussion of her book World Class: A Mother's Journey Halfway Around the Globe in Search of the Best Education for her Children. An education consultant, Clavel spent 10 years in Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong with her three children. There, she saw firsthand how Asian schools differ from their American counterparts, which gave her a new perspective on the challenges of education in the U.S. Clavel offers advice for parents who want to ensure their children become lifelong learners and receive an education that is truly world-class.

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.

Fruit is available for purchase at Perrot-- please ask at the Adult Circulation Desk.

Pricing:
Grapefruit: $24/case, $12/½ case, $47 for 2 cases
Juice Oranges: $24/case, $12/½ case, $47 for 2 cases

Upcoming Event: Enjoying a Gluten-Free Thanksgiving, with Nutrition Expert Anne Roland Lee

Upcoming Event: Enjoying a Gluten-Free Thanksgiving, with Nutrition Expert Anne Roland Lee

Wednesday, November 6th, 2019 at 7:30 PM

Perrot Memorial Library

Please join us for an informative evening with Anne Roland Lee, Assistant Professor of Nutritional Medicine in the Department of Medicine and the Institute for Human Nutrition at Columbia University and the dietitian for the Celiac Disease Center. A well-respected expert on gluten-free living, Ms. Lee will offer clever tips and ideas on how to navigate a gluten-free Thanksgiving. This will be a wonderful opportunity to hear from an authority on nutrition who has developed numerous educational materials on the gluten-free diet for patients and both clinical and food service professionals. 

Upcoming Event: Author Talk with Patricia Walsh Chadwick

Upcoming Event: A Talk with Patricia Walsh Chadwick, author of Little Sister: A Memoir

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019, at 7:30 PM

Perrot Memorial Library

Join us for a discussion with author Patricia Walsh Chadwick on her first book, a memoir entitled Little Sister, that chronicles her unorthodox upbringing. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, Leonard Feeney, a controversial Catholic priest, founded a religious community called The Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is where the author, her parents, and four siblings, lived a life shielded from the outside world-- without television, radio, newspapers, or any exposure to the events of the day. Little Sister is a tale of resilience and grace that, in riveting prose, describes a surreal childhood and does so without rancor or self-pity.