February at the Library
Events and activities for all ages
Library News
Call for Artists: Collaborative Art Project – Who We Are
If you are a local artist, please consider applying to lead this collaborative project in the spring (or pass this info along to an artist you know).
Deadline to apply: March 2.
Who We Are will be structured as a series of workshops during which the artist will work with participants to create one final collaborative art piece. Each participant will have the opportunity to contribute to the art, using methods the artist facilitates.
You will find detailed information on the project and instructions for how to apply at our website.
This project is one of many cultural activities taking place in Vermont to commemorate our nation’s 250th Anniversary.
Vermont Reads Programming
Stop by the library to get your free copy of The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton, this year’s Vermont Reads selection. Our Vermont Reads programming continues in February with a facilitated book discussion and a climate change talk with UVM professor Amy Seidl.
Elia the Therapy Dog – Saturday, Feb. 21, 2-3 p.m.
Elia, a trained therapy dog, will be joining us once a month to meet with patrons of all ages. Engaging with a therapy dog has been shown to have many physical and emotional benefits. Stop by to visit with Elia and bring some calm and relaxation to your day – she’d love to meet you. No registration required, but email Alex with questions.
New Books This Month
Here is a selection of titles we expect to arrive at the library in February. Please click on the titles to place a hold.
Kin by Tayari Jones
This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman
The Crossroads by C. J. Box
Jigsaw: an Alex Delaware novel by Jonathan Kellerman
A Book of Loves by Cynthia Rylant
Vortex of the Chaos Dragon by Tracey West
Programs for Youth
Find the most up-to-date information about these programs on our website.
Weekly Storytime
Join the fun and learning on Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. for picture books, songs, movement, and rhymes that are designed to promote early language, fine motor, and pre-literacy skills in a friendly environment. Each week we will finish up Storytime with snacks, coffee for the adults, a simple craft or sensory activity, and book browsing. Storytime is designed for babies, toddlers, and preschool/kindergarten aged children and their caregivers, and no registration is required.
Music and Movement Storytime – Fridays at 9:30 a.m.
Carpenter-Carse is offering an interactive early childhood program featuring instrument exploration, songs, fingerplays, dance and movement, and stories. Babies, toddlers, preschoolers and their caregivers can join us every Friday morning for moving, grooving, and fun. Like all library programs, this program is free and open to everyone. No registration required.
Saturday Family Playtime – Saturdays, 10-11 a.m.
Young children and their caregivers are invited to join us in the library community room every Saturday morning for play time, pop-up stories, and socializing. Coffee and tea will be provided for adults, and families can browse for books afterwards. Library staff will provide a rotating selection of activities and play themes. No session on Feb. 14.
D&D Club – Thursdays, 3-4:30 p.m.
Each week library volunteers work with students in grades 4-8 in learning the basics of Dungeons and Dragons, including character creation, understanding game mechanics, and how to work together to create and play in their own campaigns. A new session of D&D began on Jan. 8. If your child is interested in participating in our Winter session of D&D, parents can email Jen to reserve a spot. This club does not meet during school break.
Pokémon© Club – Wednesdays, through Feb. 18, 2-3:15 p.m.
Students in grades K-4 can join us for this after school club where they will participate in hands-on activities like Pokémon© arts and craft challenges, group guessing and memory games, making Pokémon©-themed crafts, and trading cards. Students do not have to own Pokémon© cards to participate in this club. Registration is required, so contact Jen and join us for Pokémon© fun and friends this winter.
Read To a Dog – Tuesday, Feb. 17, 3-4 p.m.
If you’d like to practice your reading skills, drop in at the library every other Tuesday after school to read to Ivy the Basset Hound, a certified therapy dog. There’s no need to sign up, just head to the children’s library and pick out a favorite book to share with Ivy.
STEM Stories and Crafts – Friday, Feb. 6, 3-4:15 p.m.
In this fun and interactive program, we will use STEM-themed picture books to engage and inspire participants in grades 2-5 on a STEM topic, then lead the group in hands-on craft activities to explore a STEM challenge. Students will be asked to work together in pairs or small groups and then share their observations. To reserve a spot for your child in this program, email Jen at jen@carpentercarse.org or visit the circulation desk.
Valentine’s Day Teddy Bear Tea Party – Saturday, Feb. 14, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Don your best party wear, bring your favorite stuffy, and join us for a tea party filled with themed treats, stories, and crafts. Our tea parties are designed for kids ages 2-6 and their caregivers. Since this event will be held inside, space is limited and registration is required. Please email Jen, or visit the circulation desk to reserve a spot.
Middle School Book Club – Thursday, Feb. 19, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Middle school students who are interested in reading and discussing all kinds of books that are generally geared toward students in grades 6-8 are invited to join this club. Students will receive each month’s book from the library then meet on the third Thursday of the month to engage in a fun discussion, eat snacks, hang out with friends, and decide what to read next. Email Jen at jen@carpentercarse.org to reserve your spot.
Vermont’s Siber Sled Dogs – Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2-3 p.m.
This February break, join Milagro Amaya Turner and her Siber sled dogs for an educational and interactive experience, where you can learn about their dog sledding, training, and care. Families will also have the opportunity to ask questions and meet Milagro’s friendly huskies. This is an outdoor event, so please dress for the weather. No registration required, but email Jen at jen@carpentercarse.org with any questions.
Adult Programs
Find the most up-to-date information about these programs on our website. Email alex@carpentercarse.org with questions.
Hands and Needles – Mondays, 10 a.m.-noon.
Bring whatever project you’re working on (quilting, knitting, embroidery, etc.) to this weekly adult program for a morning of creativity and conversation.
Senior Meet-Up – Mondays, 1-2:30 p.m.
Do you remember rotary phones? Bike riding without helmets? Then this meet-up is for you. Come gather and talk, schmooze and kvetch, share and laugh with other seniors. Coffee and tea will be provided. No registration required.
America’s 250th Zoom Presentation – Equal: The Surprising History of An American Founding Concept; Wednesday, Feb. 4, 7-8 p.m.
Professor Masur’s talk will focus on the Reconstruction Era, when Americans for the first time tried to create a nation that lived up to the July 4, 1776, declaration that “all men are created equal.” The constitutional changes of the Reconstruction era shape many aspects of our lives today. Yet the period is often ignored or misrepresented. Masur will discuss how and why historians’ perspectives on the period have changed over time and why this process of “revisionism” is essential to historians’ work. Presented by Vermont Humanities. Watch at home with this Zoom link.
Folk Jam – Thursday, Feb. 5, 6-8 p.m.
Do you play an acoustic instrument or just love to sing along to old time, blues, country, and folk music? Come join the SongFarmers during their monthly gathering and participate in this wonderful live music offering. Listeners are also welcome. Free and open to the public in the library’s community room, or outdoors as weather allows.
Mystery Book Group – Wednesday, Feb. 11, 12:30-1:30pm
Meet with other readers at the library to discuss a mystery book – ranging from cozy to gritty. Please email Alex at alex@carpentercarse.org to receive a copy of the book and to let us know you will attend.
America’s 250th Zoom Presentation – American Niceness: From Plymouth Rock to Standing Rock; Wednesday, Feb. 11, 7-8 p.m.
Despite Fanny Trollope’s dismissal of Americans as tobacco-chewing, patriotic boors, travelers have a long history of commenting on American friendliness. But how and when did Americans become associated with being nice? Carrie Tirado Bramen explores how niceness became an indispensable part of a democratic personality that was friendly and accessible. Beginning with Samoset greeting the Pilgrims in 1621 by saying “Welcome, Englishman” and concluding with the Forgiveness Ceremony at Standing Rock in 2016, this talk will explore the many roles niceness has played in the social and political landscape of the United States. Watch at home with this Zoom link.
The Light Pirate Book Discussion – Tuesday, Feb. 17, 6-7 p.m.
Join us for a facilitated discussion of this year’s Vermont Reads selection, The Light Pirate by Vermont author Lily Brooks-Dalton. Named after a catastrophic storm, Wanda is born into a world that’s rapidly changing. Rising sea levels and devastating weather patterns transform her coastal Florida town. As she moves from childhood to adulthood, Wanda adapts to this remade landscape, finding adventure, love, and purpose in a place largely abandoned by civilization. Told in four parts – power, water, light, and time – The Light Pirate is a meditation on the beauty and violence of an untamable wilderness. It considers the dissolution of the human-made world, and helps us see how human connection, adaptability, and a little bit of magic might guide us to a new future. No registration required but email Alex at alex@carpentercarse.org with questions.
Disaster and Resilience in the Vermont Landscape – Thursday, Feb. 26, 6-7 p.m.
Our Vermont Reads The Light Pirate programming continues with UVM professor Amy Seidl, a Senior Lecturer in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. Amy is the author of Early Spring: An Ecologist and Her Children Wake to a Warming World, and Finding Higher Ground: Adaptation in the Age of Warming. She will discuss how themes in The Light Pirate, of disaster and resilience, are ones we can explore in the Vermont landscape. In particular, Amy will ask: what opportunities for transition – cultural and ecological – exist after extreme events. No registration required but email Alex at alex@carpentercarse.org with questions.