We missed seeing you all in January and hope everyone is doing well! Unfortunately, due to COVID, many of our January events were rescheduled. We are planning a full February calendar for you:

Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m., we welcome back Ken Elkins, virtually, of Bend of the River Audubon Center who will discuss Snow Birds.

Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m., genetic counselor and podcaster of "DNA Today" Kira Dineen will be sharing virtually her expertise about the power and reach of podcasting and offering tips on how to host/guest on podcast episodes.

Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m., taste and learn virtually four new, seasonal beers with Outer Light Brewing Company's Tom Drejer and Mariah Billian in the comfort of your own home. Tasting kits can be purchased for $15 from the brewery in Groton, but are not required to participate. Attendees must be 21 or older.

Also on Feb. 10, at 7 p.m., in person, Lonnie Braxton II and Tom Schuch, two of the researchers for the Black Heritage Trail in New London, will share with you the story of how the trail was developed. We are pleased to co-sponsor this event with the American Association of University Women.

Feb. 17 at 6 p.m., we learn virtually when & why to perform specific auto maintenance tasks, including changing oil and filters, tire pressure, coolant, and more. Our speaker is Chaya Milchtein, an automotive educator, writer, and founder of Mechanic Shop Femme. This program is a collaboration with the Mystic & Noank, Groton Public, Otis, and Ledyard Public Libraries.

Saturday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m., in person, author Robert D'Agostino, presents The Forever Weight-Loss Plan and how it will help you lose excess weight permanently.

The next program, on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m., in person, "Brexit: All changed, and Changed Utterly: the Impact of Brexit on Ireland," will be presented by Paul Nugent, executive director of the Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council. The library is partnering with SECWAC for a weekly series of Great Decisions discussions and four lectures beginning in March.

Great Decisions, a program of the Foreign Policy Association (fpa.org), invites citizens to explore and discuss timely world affairs topics. This year's topics include Changing Demographics, Outer Space, and the Biden agenda.

Thanks to generous funding from CT Humanities, the library will be able to provide a supply of free briefing books and our SECWAC speakers. Watch our website for more details soon.

With support from a Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries grant, the library is launching Talk About Town: Waterford, a bi-monthly series of community conversations. Our first discussion is scheduled for Feb. 16, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. This will be an in-person panel discussion about Dominion Energy's Millstone nuclear power plant.

Planned panelists are Claude Flory, Director of Nuclear Education at Three Rivers Community College; Abby Piersall, Waterford's Director of Economic Development & Planning; Dean Rowe, Manager of Nuclear Emergency Preparedness, Dominion Energy; and Steve Sinagra, Waterford's Director of Emergency Management. Attend live or via Zoom.

The library is very pleased to offer the Welcoming Library in the Children's Department! It is a positive pop-up conversation on immigration and the acclaimed collection of picture books featuring New Arrival and New American families that reflect these themes. Readers and listeners of all ages will have the chance to "meet" these families on the page while exploring the commonalities shared by all cultures.

Further exploration is available using the I'm Your Neighbor discussion questions, which make this collection great for classroom use or reading one on one. These items are available to check out and will be showcased through mid-March.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, Feb. 5, for the 11th Annual Take Your Child to the Library Day, an international initiative that encourages families everywhere to take their children to their local library. Launched in 2011 in Connecticut by librarians Nadine Lipman (Waterford Public Library, retired) and Caitlin Augusta (Stratford Library) with artist Nancy Elizabeth Wallace, TYCLD raises community awareness about the importance of the library in the life of a child, and promotes library services and programs for children and families. Join the celebration!

This year, we welcome families to our library to enjoy an indoor story with a stroll which will allow for a safe, masked and socially distanced library visit for all ages. Make your way through our story with a stroll featuring "Thank You, Omu!" by Oge Mora, contribute to our "kindness soup" and take home a grab and go craft.

Later in the month, beginning Fe. 28, SIGNING Basics will be back to offer teens the opportunity to learn American Sign Language through a series of five engaging online sessions. Registration is required for those between the ages of 12 and 18 years old through our online calendar of events and space is limited.

Registrants are strongly encouraged to attend all five sessions — Feb. 28, March 7, March 14, March 21, March 28. This series is presented by an experienced ASL instructor from SIGNING Basics. Thank you to the CT Humanities for helping to fund this series.

Don't forget our Friday Film Matinees!

Visit the library website (waterfordpubliclibrary.org) to register or call us for assistance.

Jill Adams is Head of Adult Services at the Waterford Public Library.