Due to plumbing issue. We apologize for any inconvenience, please check back for updates.

Due to rapidly increasing monthly usage fees, the Durham Public Library has made some difficult decisions regarding the Hoopla service. Due to rapidly increasing monthly usage fees, the Durham Public Library has made some difficult decisions regarding our Hoopla account, resulting in service changes for Hoopla users. Starting May 1st, we are reducing the number of hoopla checkouts you can make each month from six to four and we are instituting a monthly budget cap.

We know that hoopla is a popular service with our patrons, who enjoy the ability to check out ebooks, eAudiobooks, eComics, videos and music albums from the service. We also love offering hoopla to patrons and will continue doing so. Unfortunately, the cost of hoopla and other digital materials continues to rise.

The Library pays for each item downloaded from hoopla, and increased popularity is rapidly driving up the cost. Hoopla costs have increased almost 70% over the last year. To make the service sustainable within the confines of the library’s budget, we’ve had to lower the maximum number of monthly borrows and cap our monthly costs.

We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause. Please note that there will be no changes to the Libby/Overdrive service, which also offers downloadable ebooks and eAudiobooks.

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

Thursday, March 28 at 6 PM

Join Dr. Jennifer Micacci, Audiologist and owner of Best Life Hearing Center, for a program about navigating hearing loss. Dr. Micacci will discuss when to get your hearing checked (signs of hearing loss), how to know if it’s just wax, and what to do if you are diagnosed with hearing loss (available treatments).

Perfect for those interested in their own possible hearing loss or hearing loss in loved ones.

Click here to register

Hailed as “joyous fun” and a “wonderful music experience”! Join us for a concert that features a mix of classic and contemporary Irish and international folk songs and ballads sung by guitarist Paul Pender and traditional Irish music played by Irish fiddler extraordinaire Deirdre McMorrow.

Click Here to Register

The Library will be closing at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 2 in order to set up for the minigolf fundraiser. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Championship Sponsor:

Eagle Sponsor:

Par Sponsors

Refreshment Sponsors

Interested in promoting your business at this event? Become a sponsor! Please click here or email cmichaud@durhamlibrary.org for more information.

Come explore our new spaces!

Library Open House Saturday August 26 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Welcome and remarks from Connecticut State Librarian Deborah Schander and Library Board Chair Robert Booz will open the event at 10 AM

Get a library card, check out our new study rooms, chat in our comfy seating areas, and learn more about the library’s programs and services.

Light refreshments, crafts, and scavenger hunt all day.

Sponsors

This library renewal project is made possible by grants and funding from the following sources:

• State of Connecticut State Library Construction Grant for $146,957
• Town of Durham
• The Peach Pit Foundation
• The Generous Donations of the Residents of Durham.

Friday, July 14th at 2pm

Whether they fascinate you or scare you, there is much to learn about snakes. The Roaring Brook Nature Center will visit the Library this Friday with live snakes. Families and children of all ages will learn about ecosystem adaptation, camouflage, hibernation, migration, extinction, interdependence, and food chains.

This presentation includes live snakes.

Registration is required.