Blog Entries

The winner of this year's Teen Art Contest is Aarna Agrawal, who is in seventh grade at Dolan Middle School in Stamford. Her winning image will be the featured art used in all Teen Summer Learning program materials.

Congratulations Aarna!

The Ferguson Library's NoveList Plus database is an easy-to-use tool that provides fiction and nonfiction book reviews and reading suggestions for adults and teens. You can search by genre or theme, and find works with diverse characters, written by authors from many different cultures and backgrounds. Or keep up with the latest award winners, celebrity picks and best new audiobooks. A special section for book groups includes recommended titles and tips for energizing the discussion.

Starting Friday, May 26, the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut Inc. (CGC), an affiliate of the Community Health Center Inc. (CHCI), will host free weekly play groups from 9:30 to 11 a.m. for Ukrainian families with children younger than 5. These play groups offer families a chance to connect and learn about community resources while their children play together.

The Stamford Department of Health is currently providing free blood pressure checks at its clinic at 137 Henry Street Mondays and Thursdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No insurance is required. Call 203-977-5385 to make an appointment.

Synergy1Holdings, in collaboration with Alliance for Black Achievement and the City of Stamford, will present a free screening of the documentary The Right to Read: The Greatest Civil Right Issue of Our Time, at the Avon Theatre May 15 from 7 to 9 p.m. The film, from executive producer Levar Burton and director Jenny Mackenzie, sheds light on the current illiteracy crisis in America. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion. Tickets are available here.

Calling all kids and teens in grades pre-K to 8! Celebrate Children's Book Week with free books. Drop by any of our branches at these times and get two books for your home library, while supplies last.

The giveaway is presented in partnership with the City of Stamford, Reading is Fundamental, Stamford Public Education Foundation and Stamford Public Schools.

Tiny Art bags of supplies are still available at the Main Library for artists ages 6 and older who wish to create two 4x4-inch paintings for the Tiny Art Show. Artwork for the Main Library reception is now due May 5.

There are no more supply bags at the Harry Bennett Branch and the Weed Memorial-Hollader Branch. Their deadline remains April 29.

Ferguson Library CEO Alice Knapp spoke recently (see video here) with Bob Greenberg of The Brainwaves Video Anthology, a collection of more than 2,000 videos featuring some of the brightest minds in education, to share how the Ferguson Library became a book sanctuary, only the second library system in the country—the Chicago Public Library was the first—to take this important step in protecting challenged books and the freedom to read.

Artists ages 6 and older are invited to pick up a Tiny Art bag that contains everything you need to create two 4x4-inch paintings. Bags are available at all branches, while supplies last. Artwork is due April 29.

Calling all music lovers! The medici.tv online video collection contains an extensive selection of concerts and documentaries for fans of classical, opera, ballet and jazz. Featuring legendary historic performances and current live-streaming events, medici.tv highlights some of the world’s most acclaimed musicians, singers and conductors, all presented with high-quality sound. For those honing their skills, the collection also includes master classes taught by prominent music educators.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Southwest Connecticut, Laurel House and The HUB will host Resources to Help Guide You Back to School, Work, and Society, a panel discussion featuring experts from these agencies.The free discussion will be held at the Tully Health Center Thursday, April 13 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and is open to the public.

Starting May 6, the Ferguson Library, in partnership with Heart & Purpose Inc., will present the Youth Enrichment Program: Reaching Our Communities (R.O.C.), a free six-week series of workshops focusing on the arts, community building, life skills and mental health. This program, geared for teens 12 to 18, will help participants grow and learn in fun and meaningful ways.

The Stamford Youth Mental Health Alliance (YMHA) is offering three eight-hour Youth Mental Health First Aid training workshops designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course will introduce common mental health challenges youth face, review typical adolescent development and teach a five-step action plan for how to help young people in crisis and non-crisis situations.

Space is limited. Register by emailing youthmentalhealthct@gmail.com.

The Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) and Statewide Legal Services of CT are offering individuals free, 30-minute virtual consultations with a Connecticut attorney to obtain legal advice in a variety of legal areas, including bankruptcy, family law, fraudulent business or debt collection, immigration law, unemployment or employee rights, and more. The consultations will be held Tuesday, April 25, and Wednesday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.