Support the Stratford Library

The Mayor's proposed budget for the Stratford Library will be discussed at several public meetings next week. If the proposed cuts are not altered by the Town Council, the reduced library budget will result in cuts to library hours, cancellation of programs for all ages, reduction of staff, and fewer new materials to borrow.

Library supporters will have an opportunity to show their enthusiasm for the services, programs and materials the library has always provided, free of charge, to all residents, at three public meetings. The times and locations are shown below.

Even if you do not wish to speak, simply attending a meeting and wearing a red shirt or jacket helps support the library. Wear red to show = I am a library supporter.

Opportunities to address Town Council

• Monday, April 11, 6 pm at Town Hall
• Wednesday, April 13, 6:30 pm at Bunnell High School
• Thursday, April. 14, 6:30 pm at Stratford High School

Poem of the Day: Ogden Nash

April is Poetry Month! And our "Poem a day" display is up and running. To fit in with today's April Fool's theme, we feature three poems by Ogden Nash.

The Duck

Behold the duck.
It does not cluck.
A cluck it lacks.
It quacks.
It is specially fond
Of a puddle or pond.
When it dines or sups,
It bottoms ups.

The Ostrich

The ostrich roams the great Sahara
Its mouth is wide, its neck is narra.
It has such long and lofty legs
I’m glad it sits to lay its eggs.

The Fly

God in his wisdom made the fly
And then forgot to tell us why.

Poem in Your Pocket Day
Thursday, April 14, 2011

Take a day for poetry this April, and join the Academy of American Poets in celebrating the third national “Poem in Your Pocket Day”, Thursday, April 14.

The idea is simple: select a poem, pocket it, carry it, and share it with family friends, and coworkers throughout the day. For more information or ideas on pocket poems, visit poets.org/pocket. Here are some easy ways to celebrate:

• Keep a favorite poem in your pocket to read during the day at a local park.
• Organize a lunch-time event at your workplace and invite your colleagues to share a meal and a poem.
• Selecte a special poem from Poets.org and email it to a friend.
• Put a poem in a loved one's lunchbox, backpack or briefcase.

For more ideas and free downloadable pocket poems, visit poets.org/pocket or, of course, visit us at the Stratford Library to enjoy the many books of poetry, classic and brand-new, that we have to lend you.

The library helps your personal bottom line

Times are tough all over, and it's a good time for you to know all the different free services that are available at the public library. Here are some of our ideas for saving your pennies and getting the most out of Stratford's biggest bargain: your public library.

Budget buster: Pay Netflix $9.99 a month for their best deal on DVDs. Budget smart: Borrow as many movies as you want from the library for free -- on DVD or download from home. Savings: $9.99 a month.

Budget buster: Buy ten songs a week from iTunes. Budget smart: Borrow as many CDs as you want from the newest hits to old school -- or download songs from our library website. Savings: $9.99 per CD

Budget buster: Sign up for Internet access along with your phone so all your services are conveniently together - and your monthly bill is large, too. Budget smart: Use the library’s PCs with free Internet. Have a laptop? Our wifi is free too. Savings: $30 per month.

Budget buster: Spend $50 on a romantic dinner out in a restaurant for your sweetie. Budget smart: Use the library’s cookbooks to plan a meal, then shop for ingredients ($15.00) and make a romantic dinner at home. Savings: $35 on dinner for two.

Budget buster: Pick up Cosmo or Sports Illustrated when you see them at the grocery store. Budget smart: Read the latest magazines at the library for free. Savings: $5.00 per magazine.

Budget buster: You found a great airfare to Puerto Rico for spring break, so you buy a Spanish language CD at the airport bookstore to brush up on your Espanol on the plane. Budget smart: Borrow your travel guides and language CDs at the library for free. We have downloadable language tutorials too. Savings: $9.95 - $29.95 for travel guides and language CDs.

Budget buster: You always like to have the newest cell phone, the coolest car, and the biggest TV as soon as they come out. Budget smart: See what Consumer Reports has to say about the best cell phone plans, flat screen TVs, and credit cards before spending your hard-earned cash. The Library's subscription to Consumer Reports is available from home online as well as in the familiar magazine at the library. Savings: Tens or hundreds of dollars by choosing the best products for you and your budget.

If you'd like to learn about these or any other services offered by the Stratford Library, come pay us a visit, or call us at 203-385-4164. We'd love to tell you about Stratford's biggest bargain: your public library.

More help for job-seekers at the Stratford Library

You heard it here first! The library has scheduled three free workshops for job-seekers in March 2011: Resume Basics, Interview Skills, and Who's in Your Network?

All three workshops will be on a Mondays from 10AM to noon in the library's Lovell Room. The workshops will be led by the Bridgeport Department of Labor jobs counselors. Participants may attend any one or all workshops. No sign-up is necessary. All are welcome to attend.

March 7: Resume Basics - Learn the do's and don'ts for creating an eye-catching resume. The workshop will be led by a DOL nationally certifed resume writer. Examples will be discussed and there will be plenty of time for questions! For individual one-on-one help, participants will be encouraged to follow-up by scheduling a consultation with a certified resume writer at the Bridgeport DOL office.

March 14: Interview Skills - The best resume in the world won't land that job unless you can ace the interview! Assess your ability to ask and answer common interview questions and improve interview techniques.

March 28: Who's in Your Network? - Experts agree that networking is critical to a successful job search. Discuss the importance of networking as well as its challenges. Learn how-to develop a list of contacts who can lead to your next job interview.

Visit the Download Dock

Do you have an e-reader? If so, you should check out the eBooks available free through Stratford Library’s website. Visit the Download Dock to get started.

Ebooks, audiobooks and movies are available through the library’s subscription to Overdrive. Overdrive emphasizes popular fiction and nonfiction in downloadable audio and e-Books, which can be transferred to personal devices. Overdrive does not work with Kindles. However, it does work with the Nook (Barnes and Noble), several Sony MP3 players and readers, iPods, iPhones, and iPads. The complete list of compatible devices can be found at the Overdrive site.

It takes a few steps to get everything set up. You need a valid Stratford Library card, a compatible device, and a computer. Additional software must be downloaded to the computer and an account set up. All the instructions are on the Download Dock page.

Give it a try- we are getting new titles all the time. If you have questions, call us at 203-385-4164.

Snow closing

Stratford Library will be closed Wednesday, January 12th due to the snow storm. The library will reopen on Thursday, January 13th at 10am. Any items due on 1/12 will now be due on 1/13, so don't worry about late fees. If you are looking for something to read or listen to while you are stuck at home, be sure to check our "Download Dock" for ebooks, audiobooks and more.