Free SAT Preparation Workshop Offered at the Library on October 18

Do the smart thing! Take advantage of the library's free SAT prep program on October 18.

What's the smartest way to prepare for the SAT? How can you maximize your chance of success? What makes the difference between an average performance and one that's outstanding?

The Stratford Library Teen Services Department will host a special program to help students with upcoming Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SATs) on Tuesday, October 18 from 6-8 pm. The seminar, which is free and open to the public, will be conducted by New Haven-based tutor Ellis Ratner.

Ratner will cover effective time management and optimum approaches to the Critical Reading, Sentence Improvement and Sentence Error Identification Sections. He will focus especially on effective and rapid vocabulary development and how to best address the Essay Writing Section. Ratner is a Cum Laude graduate of Trinity College, a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the co–author of several published books. For the past several years he has tutored privately and specializes in SAT preparation.

The “Teen Tuesday” seminar is scheduled from 6-8 pm in the Lovell Room of the Stratford Library on October 18. For further information contact the Stratford Library Teen Services Department at 203.385.4167 or check out “TeenZone” on the library website at: www.stratfordlibrary.org.

Library ebooks are now available for the Amazon Kindle

Kindle ebooks are here! We're so excited about a long awaited addition to our ebook collection; ebooks are now available for Kindle users. You can borrow ebooks from the Library to read on any generation Kindle device, free Kindle app, or in your browser with Kindle Cloud Reader.

Kindle owners can finally join the owners of the Nook, the Sony Reader, the Kobo, the iPad and the iPhone (and many other devices) who have been happily borrowing ebooks from the Stratford Library for the past year. Our ebook service, called Overdrive, is the fastest growing part of our collection.

You'll need your Stratford Library card to check out ebooks. Find out more and check out ebooks here.

If you live in Stratford and you don't have a library card yet, you don't know what you've been missing! Pay us a visit today with your ID that shows that you live in Stratford and we'll sign you up. It's free, and it just takes five minutes. Your library card is a key that opens up the whole world of ideas to you.

Knitting Program to Benefit Local Children Starts Sept. 21

Knitting for Kids at the Stratford Library will meet for a six-week session on Wednesdays at 3:45 p.m. beginning Sept. 21. Boys and girls age 7 and up are welcome to attend. The classes are for new knitters or those wishing to refresh their skills. The fall project will be knitting scarves and hats for local children.

Knitters are asked to bring their own needles (US sizes 8-11 recommended). Class will be held in the Children’s Department’s Book Nook. Miss Tess and Miss Caitlin lead the group with the friendly assistance of volunteers Miss Martha and Miss Cynthia.

To register or for further information, call the Children’s Department at 203.385.4165 or visit: www.stratfordlibrary.org.

Library offers AARP Driver Safety Program

The Stratford Library, in conjunction with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), will offer another session of the “AARP Driver Safety Program”, a classroom driver retraining program designed to help older persons improve their driving skills on Tuesday, September 6 from 1-5 pm. The new one-day class program will be held in the Library’s Lovell Room. Developed by the AARP, the program is the first comprehensive driver retraining course geared to the specific needs of older motorists.

Persons 50 years of age or older are eligible to participate in the library program and will receive a certificate of completion at the end of instruction. The course is limited to 24 participates only and there is a nominal fee of $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members charged by the AARP. Reservations are required and can be made by calling AARP Representative Michael Klein at 203.929.4851.

As of Friday afternoon, Mr. Klein noted that he still had about a dozen spaces available in the class. He explained that because his telephone service was only just restored after last week's storm, people who were unable to reach him earlier to make a reservation should now be able to get through.

The Library is located at 2203 Main St., Stratford.

Extra vacation, extra library programs for kids

The Stratford Library's Children's Department will offer two extra programs this week to keep kids busy during their extra week of summer vacation. Programs are free. Please register at the Children’s Desk, or call 203.385.4165.

Here are the new events just added to the library's schedule:

Book Cover Craft : Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 2:30 p.m.

Children ages 5 to 12 are invited to make book covers for their first day of school, which was pushed back to Sept. 6 yesterday. Bring your creativity, supplies provided.

School's Out Spelling Bee : Thursday, Sept. 1 at 2:30 p.m.

Kids are encouraged to practice their school skills with this lively, silly spelling bee for children ages 6 to 12. Words for all levels of spellers provided.

The Stratford Library has power, programs and plenty of items for kids and adults. Come in and charge your phone, pick up an audiobook to listen to as the sun goes down, check your email and visit with your neighbors.

Teen relationships on Teen Tuesday

This week our Teen Tuesday program deals with teen dating violence & healthy relationships. MYOthello will present a 3 act performance from "Othello" that will explore themes relating to teen dating violence. A discussion will follow the performance. Tuesday, August 2nd, 6:30 pm in the Lovell Room.

The day you were born: commemorated!

Not too long ago, the New York Times published a book that reproduces the front page of the newspaper for important events in history, like Monday, July 21, 1969 ("MEN WALK ON MOON") or Tuesday, December 8, 1941 ("U.S. DECLARES WAR, PACIFIC BATTLE WIDENS").

That's interesting enough, but that's not all... It also contained CD-ROMs with every single Times front page ever published up to 2008 -- over 50,000 front pages.

That means it's fairly easy to print out a reproduction of the front page of the newspaper for the day you were born -- a great prop for a birthday or anniversary parties.

Come by the library and ask a librarian to help you print out your special day from our copy of this fascinating volume.