October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and we have a special event on Cyber Safety planned. The first week of October is Banned Books Week. We invite you to browse the display of banned and challenged titles. You can also watch the video of the "Reading Banned Books" event we hosted recently. This is followed by Fire Safety Week, a fine time to remember to thank the individuals who train to help when needed. National Chess Day is mid-month, so perhaps it's a good time to visit the library one of these Tuesday evenings for a match? All in all, another busy month at Norman Williams Public Library!

The Yankee Bookshop and NWPL are partnering to host several upcoming events. We are looking forward to welcoming former Vermont Governor Madeline May Kunin on October 3. She will share reflections on her eighty-nine years of life and read poems from her new collection, Walk With Me.

The collaboration between the Thompson Senior Center, the Ottauquechee Health Foundation, and NWPL concludes with a virtual session at the Thompson on "Your Options, Your Autonomy: End-of-Life Options including Medical Aid in Dying under Vermont’s Act 39." This has been an enlightening series, some of which was filmed and can be viewed on the "past events page" of our website.

Just before the height of online holiday purchasing - and potential cybercrime - Police Chief Joe Swanson will present a Cyber Safety program designed with Susie Stultz on protecting yourself as you browse the web. 

And for something completely different, writer Alex Wolff will talk with Lindsay Krasnoff about her new book, Basketball Empire: France and the Making of a Global NBA and WNBA. They will explore how and why France has become one of the leading pipelines of top basketball talent to America. 

As we move toward inside activities, we are on the lookout for cuttings and potted plants to green up the library, especially the Children's Room. If you have an overabundance of houseplants, we are happy to give them a new home overlooking the Side Garden.

Along the same lines, do you need to make room on your bookshelves for your winter reading pile? Or is it time to downsize your book collection? Just inside the library, the book sale in the Foyer has been busy this leaf-peeping season and we welcome your book donations to keep it stocked. Proceeds support programming costs, new books for the collection, and upkeep of our historic building.

Enjoy this season of brisk weather and crisp apples!

From silly to serious, quiet to rambunctious, we host events and programs for everyone -- kids, tweens, young adults, and grown-ups!

All are free and open to the public, and at the library unless otherwise noted. You do not need to have a library card to participate.

We have begun requesting RSVPs for author events and some programs. This is not required but gives us a sense of how many chairs are needed. The sign-up forms will be at the bottom of an event's webpage if we are asking for an RSVP.

Find details by clicking on the image or the title of the event.

Madeleine May Kunin - Walk With Me / Poetry Reading & Conversation

Tues, Oct 3, 6 pm

Former Governor of Vermont shares poems that explore what it means to be an elder, a feminist, a politician, a mother, a lover, and a companion in an ever-turbulent world.

Your Options, Your Autonomy: End-of-Life Options Including Medical Aid in Dying

Fri, Oct 6, 10:30 am

Thompson Senior Center

Audrey Winograd, a medical social worker, will lead an open discussion about end-of-life decision-making including Vermont’s Act 39.

Cyber Safety: Risks & Resources with Chief Swanson

Wed, Oct 11, 1 pm

Police Chief Joe Swanson will draw on the local expertise of Susie Stulz to share best practices to avoid internet scams and traps just in time for the holiday shopping season. 

Lindsay Sarah Kranoff Basketball Empire: France and the Making of a Global NBA and WNBA

Fri, Oct 13, 4:00 pm

Writer Alexander Wolff discusses the behind-the-scenes history of the game with the author of this exploration of France's role in the sport.

Northern Ireland Book Discussion of Things in Jars with Jess Kidd

Tue, Oct 17, 2:00 pm

The Woodstock Library in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has invited Woodstock libraries to a transatlantic book discussion (obviously via Zoom) during NI Book Week.

Jen Ellis - Bernie's Mitten Maker: The Story Behind Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' Infamous Inaugural Mittens

Tue, Oct 17, 6:00 pm

Vermont teacher, mother, and crafter, Jen Ellis shares an honest account of the joy and stress of sudden internet fame.

Family Pumpkin Carving

Sat, Oct 21, 10:30 am - noon

NWPL Side Garden

Scary faces, goofy faces, you can even carve a scene if you prefer. You bring a pumpkin; we’ll provide the tables and the tools – and some yummy treats. (Inside if it rains.)

Ann Aikens - A Young Woman's Guide to Life: A Cautionary Tale

Thur, Oct 26, 4 pm

Local columnist Ann Aikens has collected her best, uplifting advice to help young people avoid her mistakes—or at least make more interesting ones. 

SBOOKY Library:

"Para-Norman" Fun!

Sun, Oct 29, 3:00-4:30 pm

Navigate through cobwebs and creepy noises through the Spooky Stacks. Go down, down... to the Halloween Party! Not-too-scary tricks, treats, and fun for the 9 yo and younger set.

Discover reading possibilities and chat about the books you are enjoying with the What's on Your Nightstand group. The next meeting is Tuesday, October 10 at 10:30 am.

Read Between the Lines will discuss The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer on Tuesday, October 24 at 6 pm.

The Green Books Discussion Group has selected Changing Landscapes: Exploring the Growth of Ethical, Compassionate, and Environmentally Sustainable Green Funeral Practices compiled and edited by Lee Webster for the next meeting, Thursday, October 19, 3:30 pm.

We are pleased to offer programs in the library, online, and in a hybrid format: in person and via zoom. Please check each program for details.

Email programs@normanwilliams.org for information and link to join.

Poetry Group

Twice monthly on the 1st & 3rd Mondays

4:00 PM - in person

Are you looking for feedback on your poems? You are invited to join the Poetry Group at NWPL for study and critique. (MORE INFO)

Italian Film Series

Monthly on the 3rd Tuesday; Next meeting October 17

4:00 pm

Local language instructor Veronica DeLay is screening a series of Italian films for her students at NWPL and invites everyone to join! (MORE INFO)

Recite! Open-mic Poetry

Monthly on the 2nd Tuesday; Next meeting October 10

5:30 PM - in person & via zoom



Poetry lovers: bring a poem of your own or one from a favorite poet to read and share. Or simply join and listen. (MORE INFO)

Zentangle Workshops

Monthly on Wednesdays - dates on website; Next meeting October 18

4:00 PM - in person



Drawing Zentangles is easy to learn and relaxing. Led by Jenny Dembinski, these workshops are for beginners and experienced "tanglers." (MORE INFO)

Qigong

Weekly on Fridays

8:30 AM - online via Zoom

Gerry Sandweiss shares her knowledge of Qigong–the art of conscious movement–offering a pathway to enhance your quality of life. (MORE INFO)

“Pasture & Shore

The Calm Side of the Wild West of Ireland”

An exhibition of paintings by Gaal Shepherd

September 1 - October 30

Gaal Shepherd has lived and worked in Vermont for 30 years. She has taken part in more than 100 shows, primarily in New England. Although best known for her pastel landscapes, she has worked in many other media. In addition, she has been a graphic designer, an art director for an award-winning magazine, an art gallery proprietor, and an actor. (MORE INFO)