Speaking Volumes

It's mid-July, school's been out  a few weeks, and the kids are already bored to distraction, Saxton B. can help. In addition to our  dropin story times, Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 10:30AM, summer reading program, First Friday Film Flicks (August 6th, The Water Horse, rated PG at 10:00AM, doors open at 9:45AM,) and Megan's cool events, including a teen movie on July 30th at 6PM, here's a few ideas of things to do.

Start by visiting our webpage located at www.columbiactlibrary.org. The menu on the left will guide you to a full listing of our events, our library materials, and a list of our discounted passes. One extremely popular pass is The Connecticut State Parks and Forests Day Pass which will get you a free day of fun in the sun at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, and Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme. Phone us at 228-0350 to reserve any pass. 

How about a picnic? Besides locales close to home including the public beach, Szegda Farm or Recreation Park, take a look in this great book: 

Cruising Connecticut with a picnic basket by Jan Mann. 9780977717415
42 unique spots are featured including some places you may never have thought to visit. 

We've got several books featuring Connecticut's best. Most are located around 917.46 on our shelves. Here's just a sampling of what you'll find: 

Off the beaten path Connecticut : a guide to unique places / Joan and Tom Bross. 

Best hikes with children in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island / by Cynthia C. Lewis and Thomas J. Lewis. 0898865433 

Fun with the family, Connecticut : hundreds of ideas for day trips with the kids / Doe Boyle.  or Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. 

Connecticut walk book East the guide to the Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails of Eastern Connecticut, including the Metacomet and Mattabesett Trails. edited by Ann T. Colson, Cindi D. Pietrzyk.

Gone fishin'-- with kids : (how to take your kid fishing and still be friends) / by Joe Perrone, Jr. and Manny Luftglass. 0965026140 

Connecticut Magazine, Yankee Magazine, The Hartford Courant and the Willimantic Chronicle will keep you up to date on what's happening in the area. 

Learn a new craft - 746...
go birdwatching - 598....
identify wildflowers - 582...
cook or barbecue - 641...
look at the stars - 520...

 Borrow one of our over 1,000 movies on a rainy day. 

Save this date, August 6th (rain date, August 9th), when we invite the whole town to join us for D.E.E.R. Day, Drop Everything, Everybody Read. Bring a lunch, 12-1PM, and then we'll read on our front lawn from 1-3PM. Yeah, we librarians will finally get to read on the job! 

And if you need a break from family fun, consider traveling The CAT Trail (Connecticut Author Trail). You'll find details on our event calendar or http://sites.google.com/site/ctauthortrail2010/HOME.

Saxton B. will proudly host four great Connecticut authors this summer. 

Chris Knopf - Tuesday, July 27th at 6:45PM
Christine Whitehead, Tuesday - August 17th - 6:45 PM
Glenn Maynard - Tuesday, August 24th – 6:45PM
M. William Phelps, Wednesday, September 8th – 7:00PM

Look around, possibilities abound! Oh, and of course READ!