Annual Meeting with Guest Speaker Akhil Reed Amar

Pequot Library is excited to host Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, as the guest speaker for the 2025 Annual Meeting in partnership with the Yale Alumni Association of Fairfield County. Professor Amar’s presentation wil......More

Pequot Library is excited to host Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, as the guest speaker for the 2025 Annual Meeting in partnership with the Yale Alumni Association of Fairfield County. Professor Amar’s presentation will include a Q & A. Books will be available for purchase and signing thanks to Barrett Bookstore. Scroll down to read more about the lecture. The business portion of Pequot Library’s Annual Meeting will follow. All are welcome to attend the 136th Annual Meeting to celebrate the progress and accomplishments the library has seen in the last year. Friends of Pequot Library can vote on the slate of officers and board members for the coming year. Akhil Reed Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Politics at Yale Law School and a world-renowned expert on the history of the Constitution. He has been cited in over fifty cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, and regularly testifies before Congress on Constitutional questions. But most of all, Prof. Amar is a gifted teacher with a passion for the Constitution and the often messy struggle to create a “more perfect union” through its words. His first book in the trilogy, The Words that Made Us (2021), explores the eight decades from 1760-1840 as the concept of an independent country germinated and came to fruition through the words of the Founding Fathers. The third part of the trilogy, still a work in progress, will take us from 1920 to today. Prof. Amar’s essay What Birthright Citizenship Gave to Me was recently published in The Wall Street Journal. Lecture: 2:00 p.m.Business Meeting: 4:40 p.m.   Saving the Republic, Then and Now – Lessons from the Era of Abraham Lincoln These five simple words in the Declaration of Independence have riveted the attention of the world to the experiment that is the United States. More importantly, they are the foundation for who Americans are as a people. The fundamental concept of birth equality, so simply expressed, continues to shape and reshape the United States Constitution, our laws and society today. In the recently released second book of his trilogy on the history of the Constitution, Born Equal: Remaking America’s Constitution, 1840-1920, Amar explores how those five words shaped changes to our Constitution and the nation across eighty years and a brutal Civil War, enshrining in the Constitution “four glorious amendments that abolished slavery, secured Black and female citizenship, and extended suffrage regardless of race or gender” (2025 Hachette Books). Please join us as we explore with Prof. Amar the evolution of these five deceivingly simple words from the Declaration and how they served, and continue to serve, as the radical lodestar for our concept of Country.   Click the QR codes below to pre-order two of Prof. Amar’s books, Born Equal (top) and The Words that Made Us (below). You can pick your order up at the Annual Meeting. Many thanks to Barrett Bookstore for facilitating.

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 writer. That’s it. No reading. No critiquing. Simply do whatever it takes to move your writ......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 writer. 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 Coatsworth: Gabi Coatsworth is an award-winning writer who loves to support her fellow writers and storytellers. Her work has been published in an anthology, Imaging Monsters, and When to Now: A Time Travel Anthology. It has also appeared in Tangerine Tango: Women Writers Share Slices of Life. She has also published a novel, Love’s Journey Home, and a novel, A Beginner’s Guide to Starting Over. 

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 0-5Registration required.

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 0-5Registration required.

Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity with Award-Winning Journalist Joseph Lee | An Online Talk

You’re invited to learn from journalist and author Joseph Lee as he chats online with us about his stirring memoir, Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity. In it, he explores Indigenous identity in proximity to land that serv......More

You’re invited to learn from journalist and author Joseph Lee as he chats online with us about his stirring memoir, Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity. In it, he explores Indigenous identity in proximity to land that serves as an iconic vacationing spot for the wealthy–the “island paradise” Martha’s Vineyard. Growing up Aquinnah Wampanoag, Joseph Lee grappled with what it means to be an Indigenous person in the world today, especially as tribal land, culture, and community face new threats. Starting with the story of his own tribe, which is from the iconic Martha’s Vineyard, Lee tackles key questions around Indigenous identity and the stubborn legacy of colonialism. Lee weaves his own story—and that of his family—with conversations with Indigenous leaders, artists, and scholars from around the world about everything from culture and language to climate change and the politics of belonging. As he unpacks the meaning of Indigenous identity, Lee grants us a new understanding of our nation and what a better community might look like. Register now to join the author online as he delves into the true and vulnerable story, Nothing More of This Land. About the Author: Joseph Lee is an Aquinnah Wampanoag writer based in New York City. He has an MFA from Columbia University and teaches creative writing at Mercy University. His writing has been published in The Guardian, BuzzFeed, Vox, High Country News, and more. He was a Margins Fellow at the Asian American Writers Workshop and a Senior Indigenous Affairs Fellow at Grist. This talk is produced in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium. Click here to register.

Teen Advisory Board

Teen Advisory Board is a group for teens in grades 6-12 who are interested in volunteering and taking an active role in teen services and programs at Pequot Library. TAB will meet monthly to help plan programs, give input on the Young Adult collection, and otherwise inf......More

Teen Advisory Board is a group for teens in grades 6-12 who are interested in volunteering and taking an active role in teen services and programs at Pequot Library. TAB will meet monthly to help plan programs, give input on the Young Adult collection, and otherwise influence how the library serves teens. We will 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 grades 6-12.

Babes on a Blanket

Infants and their caregivers are welcome to come and play. Engage your little one with 20 minutes of stories, rhymes, and songs and 25 minutes of free play and socializing. For ages 0-12 months  

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.

David Naumec | “Battlefields of the Pequot War”

Join us for a special lecture with historian and archaeologist David Naumec as he shares insights from “Battlefields of the Pequot War,” a project supported by the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program. Naumec will discuss how the project ident......More

Join us for a special lecture with historian and archaeologist David Naumec as he shares insights from “Battlefields of the Pequot War,” a project supported by the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program. Naumec will discuss how the project identified, preserved, and interpreted key Pequot War battle sites—and how new technologies are reshaping our understanding of this pivotal 17th-century conflict. Presented in conjunction with Beyond the Battlefield: The Pequot War in Public Memory, this program invites audiences to explore the intersections of landscape, lived history, and evolving scholarship.

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.

Pilates at Pequot Library

Join Jean Kaul, Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT) and Balanced Body Comprehensive Instructor, for a traditional Pilates Mat Class with a contemporary approach. Expect uplifting energy in a low-impact fitness session focused on building core strength, improving......More

Join Jean Kaul, Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT) and Balanced Body Comprehensive Instructor, for a traditional Pilates Mat Class with a contemporary approach. Expect uplifting energy in a low-impact fitness session focused on building core strength, improving posture, enhancing flexibility, and promoting body-awareness. Sign up separately for each class (Nov. 8 and 15). All levels are welcome.  Price: $20 per class Class length: 50 minutes Equipment needed: Mat

Horizons with Sasco Dead

Join us for an afternoon of music from Sasco Dead in support of Horizons GFA, an education non-profit that serves Bridgeport students throughout their entire academic careers. Horizons GFA supports over 400 students from PreK through post-college careers to foster lasti......More

Join us for an afternoon of music from Sasco Dead in support of Horizons GFA, an education non-profit that serves Bridgeport students throughout their entire academic careers. Horizons GFA supports over 400 students from PreK through post-college careers to foster lasting success and incredible outcomes. Individual Ticket: $15Two Tickets: $25Family Tickets: $30 Ticket price includes Sasco Dead concert and pizza. Purchase tickets for local favorite band Sasco Dead here  and enjoy the concert, Colony Pizza Truck, and supporting Horizons GFA!

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 writer. That’s it. No reading. No critiquing. Simply do whatever it takes to move your writ......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 writer. 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 Coatsworth: Gabi Coatsworth is an award-winning writer who loves to support her fellow writers and storytellers. Her work has been published in an anthology, Imaging Monsters, and When to Now: A Time Travel Anthology. It has also appeared in Tangerine Tango: Women Writers Share Slices of Life. She has also published a novel, Love’s Journey Home, and a novel, A Beginner’s Guide to Starting Over. 

Mandarin Storytime

Join us for a fun and engaging Mandarin Chinese Storytime! Listen to 1-2 picture books read in Mandarin and learn simple words and phrases. Explore Chinese culture. Practice tracing easy Chinese characters. No prior Mandarin experience required.