As we welcome the change in season from the heat of the summer to the cooler breeze and vivid sunsets of fall, we wanted to let you know of several updates here at the Waterford Public Library. September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, and we encourage you to stop by the library and discover everything the library has to offer.

Waterford residents of all ages, including newborns, are eligible for their own library card! Starting this school year, Waterford educators are also welcome to obtain a teacher card, which gives educators the ability to check out items in our collection and access our digital resources like BookFlix and Tumblebooks for classroom use.

Whether you are seeking books, access to information, the use of technology, or free at home streaming, your librarians can help with this and so much more. Libraries transform lives and strengthen communities so don’t miss your chance to sign up for a library card!

Our engaging programming continues, always with safety in mind, and we have many offerings for the fall season. Several children’s events will be held outside in-person and we will continue with our popular grab and go crafts / kits paired with instructional video tutorials.

Weekly storytimes for toddlers and preschoolers will start up in September including a special Bilingual Storytime on Saturday, Sept. 18.

“STEAM Ahead” will return and highlight International Coastal Clean Up Day. We are grateful to the Waterford Rotary for their continued support in funding a few of our Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math programs again this year.

A new and exciting bi-weekly hands on art workshop for 7- to 12-year- olds called “Canvas Kids” also begins with focus around a certain type of art and artist.

Teens should keep an eye out for “Mindful Super Slime Lab” on Wednesday, Sept. 29, where they can use mindfulness as a tool to investigate the science of chemistry while creating three different kinds of slime!

For adults, the weekly “Monday Night Movies” will return in our lower level meeting room. In partnership with Liberty Bank the library is offering a shred-it day in September for easy disposal of your documents with secure shredding services by Infoshred. Reservations are not required and there is no charge, however there is a three box limit. Adults and teens interested in history should note our timely “Constitution Day Lecture and Discussion” scheduled in person the evening of Sept. 16. We welcome Daniel Mueller, Ph.D., lecturer in the Department of Humanities from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, as he provides us with a historical overview of the Constitution and its ongoing importance to life in the United States.

Please be aware that in-person programs may move online to Zoom or be canceled due to COVID-19. We encourage you to visit our website or contact the library for the latest information.

A new Playaway Launchpad collection is now available in the Children’s Department! These pre-loaded learning tablets are a great introduction to language development, problem solving, critical thinking, STEAM activities, reading skills and so much more. With various topics for ages 3- to 10-year-olds, there is something for everyone. We encourage you to stop in and check them out!

Don’t forget that there are Playaway Launchpads for Teens and Adults in our collection too.

You can follow the Library on Instagram @waterfordlibraryct or Facebook @waterfordpubliclibrary for programming reminders and so much more. Or sign up for our monthly e-newsletter to get a sneak preview of upcoming events, library resources, staff recommendations and other important updates.

Head to our website www.waterfordpubliclibrary.org to sign up for our e-newsletter and please be sure to visit our online Calendar of Events to register and view all of our upcoming programs. We look forward to seeing you at the library soon.

Jennifer Smith is Head of Youth Services at the Waterford Public Library.