The Tinderbox of the Civil War: 1830s Abolitionism in Connecticut

The 1830s witnessed the emergence of abolitionism: the interracial political and social movement that demanded an immediate end to slavery in the United States. Remarkably ahead of its time, the movement also sought legal rights and integration for free Blacks and the f......More

The 1830s witnessed the emergence of abolitionism: the interracial political and social movement that demanded an immediate end to slavery in the United States. Remarkably ahead of its time, the movement also sought legal rights and integration for free Blacks and the formerly enslaved, putting it at odds with many Americans and with the colonization movement, which sought the emigration of Blacks to Africa. Through anti-slavery societies, publications, lectures, and legal channels, abolitionists forced the controversial topics of slavery and integration into the open, provoking derision and mob violence, but also launching the movement that would ultimately lead to emancipation. Drawing from a robust anti-slavery collection in Pequot Library’s Special Collections, The Tinderbox of the Civil War features publications from Connecticut that illustrate both sides of the debate, including the Charter Oak anti-slavery newspaper Catherine Beecher’s letter to abolitionist Angelina Grimké and reports from the trials of educator Prudence Crandall and the Amistad captives. This exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the legacy of these brave men and women and to consider how their activism can continue to inspire. This exhibition will remain on view from January 25 to May 10, 2025. Please join us for the following companion programs: 1831 College: The Story of New Haven’s HBCU that Never Was  

Summer Book Sale T-shirt Design Contest

Help us design our 2025 Pequot Library Summer Book Sale T-Shirt! The contest begins on Tuesday, April 15, and all entries must be submitted by Thursday, May 15. Winning entry becomes the official Summer Book Sale T-Shirt for 2025. The winner will be announced on May 29.......More

Help us design our 2025 Pequot Library Summer Book Sale T-Shirt! The contest begins on Tuesday, April 15, and all entries must be submitted by Thursday, May 15. Winning entry becomes the official Summer Book Sale T-Shirt for 2025. The winner will be announced on May 29. You can draw anything you like, or it can be inspired by our summer theme, treasures and Special Collections. Entries can include words and must be limited to two colors total. Pictures should be submitted on 8.5” x 11” paper or digitally as a PDF. Digital entries can be emailed to [email protected].

How to Use Anxiety to Thrive with Dr. David H. Rosmarin | An Online Talk

Let’s face it: Everyone has anxiety. Furthermore, our incessant quest to rid ourselves of this ubiquitous human emotion worsens it. What if, instead of fighting our anxiety, we could turn it into a strength? In this enlightening online webinar, you will learn how to use......More

Let’s face it: Everyone has anxiety. Furthermore, our incessant quest to rid ourselves of this ubiquitous human emotion worsens it. What if, instead of fighting our anxiety, we could turn it into a strength? In this enlightening online webinar, you will learn how to use anxiety to become more self-accepting, connected to others, and resilient. Author of Thriving with Anxiety, Dr. Rosmarin’s constructive, compassionate, and evidence-based approach will not make you less anxious. Instead, it will empower you to use anxiety to thrive. You will learn: To rethink anxiety from being a “disease” to being a normal human emotion How to use anxiety to increase our self-compassion How to harness the power of anxiety to enhance emotional intimacy andHow can anxiety help us accomplish what we truly want in life?About the Author: David H. Rosmarin, PhD, is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, a program director at McLean Hospital, and Founder of Center for Anxiety. Through his work as a clinical psychologist, scientist, educator, author, and keynote speaker, he has helped thousands of individuals and organizations to thrive by embracing the emotion of anxiety. His clinical work and research have been featured in Good Morning America, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, and TED. David is available for organization speaking and consultation via his website www.dhrosmarin.com. This talk is produced in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium. Click here to register.

Teen Advisory Board

Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is a group for teens who are interested in volunteering and taking an active role in teen services and programs at Pequot Library. TAB meets monthly to help plan programs, give input on the Young Adult collection, and otherwise influence how th......More

Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is a group for teens who are interested in volunteering and taking an active role in teen services and programs at Pequot Library. TAB meets monthly to help plan programs, give input on the Young Adult collection, and otherwise influence how the library serves teens. We also call on TAB members to assist with Pequot Library events and help with other library tasks as needed. You can earn community service hours for attending meetings, staffing events, and helping out around the library. Snacks are included! For students in grades 6-12. Postponed to Wednesday, May 14th

Magic Tree House Book Club

Explore history and fantasy with Jack and Annie Smith as they travel back in time from their magical treehouse. For both homeschooled children and students in grades 1-3. Refreshments served. New members, register below.    May 7: Mummies in the Morning  

The Knitingales

This group of experienced knitters meets most Thurs. mornings between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Email Marjorie at [email protected] to be included, and she’ll communicate any changes to the schedule. Please note: this isn’t an instructional group. Experienced or in......More

This group of experienced knitters meets most Thurs. mornings between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Email Marjorie at [email protected] to be included, and she’ll communicate any changes to the schedule. Please note: this isn’t an instructional group. Experienced or intermediate knitters are welcome! The Knitingales was renamed from Pequot Purls in honor of late member Florence Blum, who passed away in April 2023.

Chess Club

A weekly meetup for kids who already know how to play chess and are looking for opponents. Players will compete for the top position on the club’s chess ladder—a leaderboard that will carry over from session to session. Come back every week, or whenever you can! For chi......More

A weekly meetup for kids who already know how to play chess and are looking for opponents. Players will compete for the top position on the club’s chess ladder—a leaderboard that will carry over from session to session. Come back every week, or whenever you can! For children in grades 2-6 Registration required.

Genealogy Roundtable

Tracking your family history? Whether you are a beginner or an advanced researcher, genealogists Bill Stansfield, Beth Northrop, and Bob Grilley can help point you in the right direction. As experienced genealogists, they can recommend books, websites, and new strategie......More

Tracking your family history? Whether you are a beginner or an advanced researcher, genealogists Bill Stansfield, Beth Northrop, and Bob Grilley can help point you in the right direction. As experienced genealogists, they can recommend books, websites, and new strategies to help you discover more about your ancestry. Explore Pequot Library’s genealogy collection, which includes family histories, military histories, and many other books that cannot be found online. Please note that registration is NOT required, and the location is the Rennell Room. Pequot Library programs are held in person unless otherwise noted.

Exhibition Closing Lecture and Reception: Owen and Elijah Lovejoy with Stephanie J. Coakley

Join the library’s Executive Director for a brief tour of The Tinderbox of the Civil War: 1830s Abolitionism in Connecticut exhibition, followed by a slide lecture and reception to honor the last day of the exhibition. A descendant of the Lovejoy brothers, Coakley will ......More

Join the library’s Executive Director for a brief tour of The Tinderbox of the Civil War: 1830s Abolitionism in Connecticut exhibition, followed by a slide lecture and reception to honor the last day of the exhibition. A descendant of the Lovejoy brothers, Coakley will provide an overview of their contributions to the abolitionist movement as highlighted in the exhibition and in Pequot Library’s Special Collections.                                                                                                                  Owen Lovejoy

Write-in with Gabi Coatsworth

Work on your current writing project in the virtual company of other writers! Join us on Monday mornings from 10:00–11:30 a.m. for a write–in led by Gabi Coatsworth. Check in and write. That’s it. No reading, no critiquing. Simply do whatever it takes to move your writi......More

Work on your current writing project in the virtual company of other writers! Join us on Monday mornings from 10:00–11:30 a.m. for a write–in led by Gabi Coatsworth. Check in and write. That’s it. No reading, no critiquing. Simply do whatever it takes to move your writing forward. Results guaranteed! Registration is required. You’ll receive an email on the day of the program with a Zoom link. Please email [email protected]. About Gabi CoatsworthGabi Coatsworth is an award-winning writer who loves to support her fellow writers and storytellers. Her work has been published in an anthology: Imagining Monsters, and When to Now, A Time Travel Anthology, also in Tangerine Tango: Women Writers Share Slices of Life and in many print and online journals. She published her memoir, Love’s Journey Home, and is writing a novel in the women’s fiction genre.

Mandarin Storytime

Join us and learn Mandarin through songs and stories. For children ages 3-5. Email [email protected] with questions or to join the waitlist.  Registration required.  Space limited. 

Lego Challenges

Join us for a series of fun LEGO challenges! Kids in this program will take on a different building task each session, ranging from towers to vehicles to animals. Each challenge is about having fun while using our imaginations to problem solve and think creatively.

Drop-In Storytime

Join us in the Children’s Library for a story or two, and then pick out books to take home. For ages 3+.  

Music and Movement for Wigglers

Can’t sit still? This is the program for you! Jump, hop, dance, and wiggle to the music. For ages 0-5

Meet the Author, Jr.: Andrew Ginsburg

Join us in the Children’s Library for a storytime with local author Andrew Ginsburg, who will read his debut picture book, Critter Caravan. For caregivers and their children ages 3+ No registration required.

Teen Advisory Board

Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is a group for teens who are interested in volunteering and taking an active role in teen services and programs at Pequot Library. TAB meets monthly to help plan programs, give input on the Young Adult collection, and otherwise influence how th......More

Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is a group for teens who are interested in volunteering and taking an active role in teen services and programs at Pequot Library. TAB meets monthly to help plan programs, give input on the Young Adult collection, and otherwise influence how the library serves teens. We also call on TAB members to assist with Pequot Library events and help with other library tasks as needed. You can earn community service hours for attending meetings, staffing events, and helping out around the library. Snacks are included! For students in grades 6-12.  

On Writing a Brilliant, Dark, and Diabolical Thriller with Author Liann Zhang | An Online Talk

Grab your popcorn, grab your friend, and join us for an propulsive online conversation with author Liann Zhang as she chats with us about her debut thriller Julie Chan is Dead. Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse. Julie Chan, a superma......More

Grab your popcorn, grab your friend, and join us for an propulsive online conversation with author Liann Zhang as she chats with us about her debut thriller Julie Chan is Dead. Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse. Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied. Transforming into Chloe is easier than expected. Julie effortlessly adopts Chloe’s luxurious influencer life, complete with designer clothes, a meticulous skincare routine, and millions of adoring followers. However, Julie soon realizes that Chloe’s seemingly picture-perfect life was anything but perfect. Haunted by Chloe’s untimely death and struggling to fit into the privileged influencer circle, Julie faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with Chloe’s exclusive group of influencer friends. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister’s demise and realizes she might be the next target. Julie Chan is Dead is the brilliant, dark, and diabolical debut thriller we’ve all been waiting for. Register now for a wildly fun conversation! About the Author: Liann Zhang is a second-generation Chinese Canadian who splits her time between Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario. After a short stint as a skincare content creator, she graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in psychology and criminology. Julie Chan Is Dead is her first novel. This talk is produced in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium. Click here to register.

Music and Movement for Wigglers

Can’t sit still? This is the program for you! Jump, hop, dance, and wiggle to the music. For ages 0-5

Babes on a Blanket

Engage your little one with 20 minutes of stories, rhymes, and songs and 25 minutes of free play and socializing. Infants and their caregivers are welcome. Free and open to the public. For ages 0-12 months. No Registration Required for Spring Session: March 27, April 3,......More

Engage your little one with 20 minutes of stories, rhymes, and songs and 25 minutes of free play and socializing. Infants and their caregivers are welcome. Free and open to the public. For ages 0-12 months. No Registration Required for Spring Session: March 27, April 3, 10, 17, 24, May 15, 22, 29  

The Knitingales

This group of experienced knitters meets most Thurs. mornings between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Email Marjorie at [email protected] to be included, and she’ll communicate any changes to the schedule. Please note: this isn’t an instructional group. Experienced or in......More

This group of experienced knitters meets most Thurs. mornings between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Email Marjorie at [email protected] to be included, and she’ll communicate any changes to the schedule. Please note: this isn’t an instructional group. Experienced or intermediate knitters are welcome! The Knitingales was renamed from Pequot Purls in honor of late member Florence Blum, who passed away in April 2023.

Crafty Kids

Enjoy theme-based stories with a related craft. For ages 3-5. Registration is required.