Introducing Letters Are Characters

This program and coinciding text is an innovative play-based program designed to get every type of learner ready to read, all while having fun!

We will have a group kick-off Thursday June 20th with the creator, Dr Caroline Ugurlu at 6 pm.

Join us for a fun event and to collect your free kit.

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, two-thirds of fourth graders are not meeting fluency benchmarks. However, engaged parents and caregivers can be the game-changers. Engage with your child by using Letters Are Characters.

This captivating book brings the alphabet to life, tailored for both parents and children. By transforming letters into characters, young learners engage in what comes most naturally—playing, laughing, and exploring the characters and their stories. Simultaneously, they unravel the phonemic code—the crucial first step towards reading.

Too frequently, bright and capable children experience a dip in self-esteem and enthusiasm for learning because they lag in acquiring early reading skills.

In “Letters Are Characters,” Dr. Wilcox Ugurlu combines her unique perspective as a scientist, educator, and parent to fashion a playful, compassionate, and well-informed program. It equips parents to assist their children in developing critical reading readiness skills. —Paul B. Yellin, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, Director, The Yellin Center for Mind, Brain, and Education.

Participants will receive a comprehensive “Letters Are Characters” kit, including:

• A fresh set of scented crayons and a “Letters are Colors” coloring book
• The “Letters are Characters” Book (to be returned to Durham Public Library upon completion)
• Letter Dough Powder with a storage bag for the created dough

Additionally, every parent will receive a weekly instructional letter and video, alongside unparalleled access to the creator of “Letters Are Characters,” Dr. Caroline Ugurlu, available via email or phone. Amazing, right?

If you’re unable to enroll in the live class , you can explore segments of this course through the “Letters Are Characters” textbook, accessible at the library.

Why the Emphasis on Literacy Acquisition?

By the age of six, a child’s familiarity with letter sounds stands as the most critical predictor of future reading ability. “Letters are Characters” primes kids for reading dynamically and enjoyably, ensuring they embark on the right path. Moreover, it empowers parents through awareness and understanding of the science of reading and the brain.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that over two-thirds of American children lack proficiency in reading by the fourth grade. Together, we can alter this course.

Reading to our children yields manifold benefits:

• Enhanced performance in school
• Heightened empathy
• Increased happiness
• Strengthened bonds with caregivers
• Enhanced imagination, creativity, and language skills
• Improved cognitive abilities, critical thinking, and problem-solving
• A framework to discuss challenging topics
• A greater likelihood of reading for pleasure

You are your child’s foremost and most influential educator. Ensuring children read well, frequently, and profoundly stands as one of the finest gifts you can bestow upon them. If a child encounters difficulties in learning to read, do not delay intervention. The most valuable gifts you can offer children are time and attention.

Funded by a generous donation from Jayne Bentzen.

The Palace app lets you find e-books and audiobooks from the digital collections of Durham Public Library and other digital libraries. 

Download the Palace app and look for Durham Public Library. You will need to type in your library card number to log in and download books. 

Android

iOS

Getting Started Guide

Did you know that Durham has an electric car charging station? The charging station is located in the rear of the parking lot at the Durham Public Library at 7 Maple Avenue and can accommodate two cars at a time

Electric vehicle owners can activate the charger by tapping their “ChargePoint” card on the charger’s screen. Once activated, the driver plugs in and can recharge their car’s battery while they use the library, walk to the Post Office, or stroll Main Street. If the car’s battery is quite full, “topping up” the charge may take just minutes. A full charge for low battery can take a few hours. To finish the transaction, the driver taps their card on the charger again, and will be charged for electricity used.

The charger is administered by the ChargePoint company. Chargepoint has supplied a phone number on the charger in case of questions or issues with the charger. If a driver does not have a ChargePoint card, they can call the phone number and ChargePoint will then remotely activate the charger and will send the driver a card for future use. Visit www.chargepoint.com for more info.

The ChargePoint website has a charging station locator map to help drivers find car chargers locally and across the country. If anyone has questions about the car charger, please contact ChargePoint at the number listed on the charging station.

The charging station is an initiative of Sustainable Durham and installation was funded by a State of Connecticut Bright Ideas Grant. Durham is proud to join surrounding towns in making this clean energy technology available to CT drivers!

Looking for something fun to do in your own backyard this summer? Check out our new lawn games! We have eight new games that you can take home for a week to play in your backyard, in a park, or wherever the fun may take you!

The Lawn Games collection consists of:

• Bocce
• Cornhole
• Croquet
• Giant Jenga
• Ladder Golf
• Lawn Bowling
• Ring Toss
• Wooden Dice

To put a hold on one of the games, go to our catalog and search the name of the game you are looking for and “lawn games Durham”, or call or stop by the library!

The lawn games are made possible through the generosity of the Peach Pit Foundation and the Community Foundation of Middlesex County.

Thanks to our amazing and generous community, we have achieved our $100,000 fundraising goal for the Library Renewal Project!  

Heartfelt thanks go out to the PeachPit Foundation, to the Cumello, Eames, Howe, and Mueller families, and to our incredible community of businesses and individuals who stepped up to support this project. We could not have done this without each and every one of you. 

With the matching funds in place, the Connecticut State Bond Commission gave final approval this week to a $147,000 grant to complete this project. We would like to thank Laura Francis and all of the town and state officials who worked with us to make this happen.

Need some quiet time? Want to get some work done? Our building may be closed, but the wifi in our parking lot is always open. No need to get out of the car and no password necessary.

The Durham Public Library is pleased to announce that they have received a generous donation which has been used for the purchase new furniture, shelving, and preschool playthings in the Children’s Department.

Charles Cumello of Durham, who is President and CEO of Essex Financial, has been a longtime supporter of library programming for children and teens and this recent donation has allowed the Library to improve the function and appearance of the Children’s Room. Display shelving has been added to the ends of shelves to increase the space to display books, and the learning table in the toddler area has been replaced by a child-sized table and chairs. Lastly, the Library was able to purchase educational toys for the toddler play area. Library Director Christine Michaud states, “This donation has allowed us to make updates to the Children’s Department that will engage readers and encourage active learning.”

“The library appreciates the generosity of this gift and recognizes the impact it will have over the long term,” Michaud stated. “We want the Children’s Room to be a cheerful, interactive space for kids to explore and discover new ideas and stories. Gifts like this one are enormously helpful as we work to promote literacy and literature and strengthen our community.”

Summer reading is in full swing! A current schedule of programs at the Durham Public Library can be found on the Library website: http://207.210.128.11:8118/.

Do you have boxes of old photographs lying around? Have you ever wanted to preserve them for the future or share them online? The library can help. We have a Canoscan 9000F Marc II flatbed scanner available for public use. The following materials can be scanned and converted to .jpg images.

• Photo prints (including Polaroids)
• 35mm and 110 photo negatives
• 35mm, 110, 126 and 127 slides

The scanner is available by appointment only. There is no fee to use the equipment, but you must bring a USB flash drive (thumb drive) to save your photos to. If you do not have a thumb drive you may purchase one at the library. We estimate that between 100 and 200 images can be scanned in a one hour appointment, so bring your best shots.

For additional information or to schedule an appointment, call Christine at 860-349-9544 ext. 4.

We can help!

Click on one of the links below and tell us a little bit about what you like (and hate!) to read. We’ll email you a list of five books chosen just for you.

Children (Grades 1-6): http://goo.gl/forms/In9QHjzBoJ

Teens (Grades 7-12): http://goo.gl/forms/fM7yGG2TJu

Adults: http://goo.gl/forms/n68mgiJ48f