Category Archives: Uncategorized

Help Us Be the Best Library for YOU!

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The Durham Public Library is developing a new strategic plan to guide us over the next three to five years. Whether you are an avid library user or haven’t visited in a while, you can help by telling us what you think about library services and community needs.

Please take a few minutes to fill out this brief, 10-15 minute survey. Your answers will be completely anonymous. 

Click Here to Take the Survey

Want to help even more? Encourage your friends and family to take the survey too!

Support for the strategic planning process is provided to the Durham Public Library from CT Humanities (CTH), through the Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act.

Check out our new Little Free Kindness Library!

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Introducing…The Little Free Kindness Library! Full of books for all ages to take and keep and scratch-off cards with little acts of kindness on them, the Little Free Kindness Library will pop up around town all summer long! Each week, look for the Little Free Kindness Library in a new spot.

Made possible through the generosity of the Peach Pit Foundation and the Community Foundation of Middlesex County.

Help us spread some kindness this summer!

Where do you think the Little Free Kindness Library will pop up next??

Summer Reading Logs for Adults, Kids, & Teens.

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Click any link below to print a Summer Reading Log from home or stop by the library to pick one up in person.

Preschool Summer Reading Board Game for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Summer Reading Log for kids entering grades K through 5 in the Fall of 2022

( Print 2 pages per sheet, double-sided)

Teen BINGO Card for Teens entering grades 6-12 in the Fall of 2022

Adult BINGO Card for everyone else!

To Return, Pick an Option Below;

  • Return it in person at the library
  • Email a scanned copy or photo to: aklaus@durhamlibrary.org
  • Mail a completed log to:

Youth Services Department

Durham Public Library

7 Maple Ave. Durham, CT 06422

All logs must be returned by August 31st.

Library Renewal 2021

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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.

Your Pilgrim Roots

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Thursday, November 18 at 6 PM, via Zoom.

Does Thanksgiving have you wondering about the family tale  that you’re descended from a Pilgrim? Join us to learn how to document your family stories about Mayflower ancestry. This presentation will introduce the migration routes out of Plymouth colony, so that you can determine which of your family lines is most likely to have Mayflower roots; identify the sources most used to document Mayflower families; and cover the basics of an application to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. 

Registration required. Click HERE to register.

Free Live Tutoring and Homework Help

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Get one-on-one online homework help with certified tutors for grades K- college, covering a wide range of topics. Live tutoring is available 2pm-11pm daily and a 24/7 writing lab, lesson library, language lab, collaboration tools and more are available 24/7.

In addition, it provides study tools such as a Test Center to help with standardized tests (SAT, ACT, GED and more) and practice subject specific tests, like math and science, as well as 24/7 access to an extensive library of online flashcard sets in hundreds of subjects.

Available from home with a Durham Public Library card or to all patrons in-person at the Durham Public Library.

CLICK HERE FOR HelpNow Homework Help and Tutoring

Brainfuse HelpNow User Guide – LibrariesDownload

Video Introduction to HelpNow

Please Welcome Alex Klaus

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Our new Head of Youth Services will be a familiar face: Alex Klaus, Head of Youth Services at the Durham Public Library from 2016-2019 is rejoining our staff. Most recently, Alex was Head of Youth Services at the Plainville Public Library.

Alex will be primarily responsible for collection development, programming, and outreach for children and families.

Please join us in welcoming Alex to her new role!

Thursday July 29 at 7 PM

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Do you want to understand and take action on the social, economic and political issues we face today? If so, please join the Durham Public Library and the Middlefield-Durham Racial Justice Team for a film discussion facilitated by the Middlefield-Durham Racial Justice Team.

On July 29, Join us to watch and discuss “A Conversation with the Police,” episode 9 of Emmanel Acho’s web series “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.” Emmanuel sits down with police officers from the Petaluma Police Department in Petaluma, CA. They discuss polarizing topics like defunding the police, Black Lives Matter, and accountability in the police force surrounding the tragic deaths of black civilians.

Emmnual Acho is a retired NFL player and current television sports analyst who created the “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man” web series to answer challenging questions about race that white people are afraid to ask.

Discussion will take place via Zoom. This program is open to all and registration is required. A link to the Zoom meeting will be sent to registered participants no later than 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Click here to register.