New year, new calendar for Whiting Library

Based on community feedback, Whiting Library, 117 Main St. in Chester, has made some changes to its scheduled events programming to include more people of all ages and abilities. It is also adding programming from the Vermont Humanities Council.

Schedule Changes

Playtime

The weekly drop-in playgroup will be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays. Attending playtime can help your child develop skills to learn to read through guided play using our collection of toys and early literacy materials. The library will provide toys and activities for infants and children up to 5 years of age.

Storytime

Weekly Story Hour is moving to 10 a.m. on Wednesdays. Enjoy books, rhymes and songs that build on practices that prepare children to learn to read. Storytimes are designed for families and caregivers with preschool-aged children. However, all ages are encouraged to join in the fun, which will be adapted for those present.

School-Age Gaming

Our monthly Pokémon gaming club is expanding to a weekly open-play event. Join us every Friday at 3 p.m. for an hour of video and board games after school.

New Ongoing Programs

Young Adult Games for Kids 13 and Up

This weekly open-play gaming event will take place at 3 p.m. on Tuesdays. Some games will be available, but feel free to bring your own to share.

Adult Crafternoon: Cookies, Coloring and Conversation

Drop by from 1 to 2 p.m. each Friday to unleash the artist within. Refreshments, craft materials, coloring books and colored pencils will be provided; you supply the conversation. Alternatively, bring a craft that you are working on or try something new.

Page-to-Screen Film Series

Each third Wednesday of the month, the library will screen a film based on a book. The 2023 film The Marsh King’s Daughter, based on the book of the same name by Karen Dionne, will be shown at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 17. Free popcorn will be served.

Cooking the Book Cookbook Club

This new club will meet at noon on Saturday, March 9 and on the second Saturday of each month thereafter. If you like to cook (or eat), join your neighbors for food and conversation. Everyone will take home copies of the same cookbook and prepare one of the recipes to enjoy at the following month’s meeting. Discussions will cover the food and the assigned book, food traditions and other topics.

Special Events

Saxtons River Art Guild Art Exhibit Reception

Members of the Saxtons River Art Guild will be present from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13 to talk about their art. Refreshments will be provided. Twelve members of the Saxtons River Art Guild working in various media, including watercolor, oils, acrylics and colored pencil, are exhibiting their work at the library through Feb. 28.

Poetry and Pie

Enjoy an afternoon of poetry at our open mic and pie-tasting event from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20.

2024 Total Solar Eclipse Informational Lecture

Southern Vermont Astronomy Group member Claudio Veliz will give a presentation at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 24. The total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024 is significant because it will be within a day’s drive of one of the most populous regions of our planet. Veliz will discuss why the Earth has a moon and why we are so fortunate to experience these events, as well as how to prepare for the eclipse, where to be and what to do if it is cloudy. The presentation will be graphics-rich, with additional material for those who wish to delve deeper into the subject matter. The library will hand out safe solar-filtered glasses to in-person attendees, complete with instructions for use when this stunning event arrives.

Family Winter Jigsaw Puzzle Challenge

Are you a whiz at jigsaw puzzles? Then sign up for the challenge, which will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27. At exactly 10:30 a.m., each team will be handed a sealed 750-piece jigsaw puzzle titled Library Mischief. The first team to finish wins bragging rights and a gift certificate to a restaurant in Chester. Registration is required; please call or stop by the library to sign up or send an e-mail with your team’s name.

Adult Crafternoon: Supply Swap

Bring your unwanted or unused craft supplies to the library between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3 and trade them for something that you will use.

Souper Bowl

Bring your favorite soup to share from noon to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10. Votes will be cast for the favorite soup and trivia games will be played. Everyone is welcome to attend, even if you are unable to bring soup to the party.

Library Lovers’ Hot Chocolate and Tea Party

Come warm up and join the party to celebrate Chester’s Winter Carnival, as well as Library Lovers’ Month, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17. Make crafts while sipping on hot cocoa and tea, accompanied by delicious snacks. This event is open to all ages and abilities.

MEOW Mixer: Cat Party!

Join the Youth Librarian at 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 23 to celebrate all things CATS. The party will include unique cat-themed games and activities. Call 802-875-2277 to RSVP.

Vermont Reads Book Discussion: Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo is the book selection for Vermont Reads 2023. Join the discussion at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 23. The book explores themes of self-acceptance, familial and cultural ties, U.S./China relations, LGBTQ+ and feminist history, McCarthyism and xenophobia, music of the 1940s and 1950s and the Asian American experience, among others.

The Red Scare in Vermont

What happened in Vermont when the anti-Communist fear known as the Red Scare swept the country? Quite a bit, as it turns out. Rick Winston, author of the recently published Red Scare in the Green Mountains: Vermont in the McCarty Era 1946-1960, explores some forgotten history at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27. There were several fascinating stories in the Green Mountains, including a high-profile academic firing, a conservative senator who helped take down Joseph McCarthy, controversies involving left-leaning summer residents and some veteran newspaper editors who spoke out against McCarthy’s tactics. This is a Vermont Humanities Council event.

The Middle East

The term “Middle East” is a changing geopolitical concept. Throughout recent history, this term referred to a political, cultural and geographical region with no clear boundaries. Moreover, this concept serves to generate stereotypes and misunderstandings. A multimedia presentation by Mohamed Defaa at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 30 provides an analytical framework within which to understand the histories, social identities and cultures behind this complex concept. This is a Vermont Humanities Council event.

A few more regular programs are still in the planning stages, so check the library’s online calendar for updates. Here, you will also find numerous one-time programs for children and teens, parties and special events, craft programs, movies, lectures and more.

The library is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. All programs are free and open to the public. Whiting Library is committed to providing universal access to all of its events. For more information about the programs, questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, call the library at 802-875-2277 or send an e-mail. Please give at least two weeks’ advance notice if you require special accommodations for an event.