Message from the CEO
As part of our work with the architecture firm, HMA2, and ThirdWay Brand Trainers to reimagine library facilities, Ferguson Library staff members have been on a listening tour. We want to learn how the library can better serve city agencies and nonprofits, and how our spaces can best meet community needs. It’s all part of a study of our buildings that will help us create a master plan for the next five to ten years.
So, what’s next? Be on the lookout for a survey that will solicit your input, as well as a chance to look at draft plans and provide your feedback at your local branch. We want to hear from you as we develop priorities for the future.
Alice Knapp, CEO
A Novel Affair Raises $230,000 for the Library
Thanks to everyone who helped make A Novel Affair 2023 a success! We raised $230,000 to support library services and collections, and we couldn’t have done it without all of you.
Thank you to our generous sponsors, ticket buyers, auction donors and everyone who came out to support the library.
Holiday Hours
All library facilities will be closed Monday, May 29 for Memorial Day. We honor those who gave their lives in service of our country.
CrimeCONN Returns May 6
Love a good mystery? Don’t miss CrimeCONN, Saturday, May 6 at the Main Library. Presented by the Friends of the Ferguson Library and the Mystery Writers of America/NY chapter, this popular day-long mystery lovers’ conference will focus on exploring the future of crime writing.
This year we welcome The New York Times bestselling international thriller writer Joseph Finder as keynote speaker. Panelists include talented contemporary mystery writers and experts in criminal investigation, forensic science and the literary market.
Tickets are $60 per person and $45 for Mystery Writers of America and Friends members, seniors and students. Livestream registration is $25 per person. Visit fergusonlibrary.org/events to register.
Joe R. Sexton Lecture May 11
Author and historian, James M. Scott, will present the Joe R. Sexton Lecture May 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Harry Bennett Branch to discuss his book, Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb. Guests are invited to a pre-event reception at 6 p.m.
Scott is also the author of Rampage, which was named one of the Best Books of 2018 by the editors at Amazon, Kirkus, and Military Times and was chosen as a finalist for the prestigious Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History by the New York Historical Society. His other works include Target Tokyo, a 2016 Pulitzer Prize finalist, The War Below, and The Attack on the Liberty. Registration required.
Ferguson Library Stands for the Right to Read
CEO Alice Knapp recently spoke with independent filmmaker Bob Greenberg to share how and why the Ferguson Library became a book sanctuary. As a book sanctuary, we are committed to collecting and protecting endangered books, making them accessible to the public, hosting book talks and conversations about diverse characters and stories, and educating others on the history of book banning and burning.
In this era of rising book challenges, this work to safeguard intellectual freedom is more important than ever. You can see Alice's interview on our You Tube channel.
Friends Author Series: Andrew McCarthy May 25
Actor and author Andrew McCarthy will visit the library May 25 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss his travel memoir, Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain. Here, he recounts the deep bonds he formed with his eldest son, who was about to leave the nest, while walking the 500-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain. Tickets are $15 for Friends members, $25 for others (includes a Friends membership). Registration required.
Borrow Museum and Park Passes at the Library
Did you know you can borrow passes for free or reduced admission to area museums, state parks and other attractions? Among the free passes we offer: the Danbury Railway Museum, the Beardsley Zoo and the Stamford Museum and Nature Center. You can also get free admission for two adults and four children to Dinosaur, Fort Trumbull, and Gillette Castle state parks. For more information about these and other museum passes, stop by the library or visit fergusonlibrary.org/services/museum-park-passes.
Ferguson Library’s Communication Department Wins Connecticut Press Club Award
Can we toot our own horn? Our Development & Communication Department won a first place Connecticut Press Club award for our 2021-2022 Annual Report. It now goes on to compete at the national level in the National Federation of Press Women contest. Read the report here.
Friends of the Ferguson Library
Book Shop News
Special Harry Bennett donation event: The Harry Bennett Branch Book Shop will accept donations Saturday May 6 from 12 to 3 p.m. Please bring your bag or box of gently used books to the auditorium.
Both shops are featuring books for spring. Come see what we have for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduation.
Staff Recommends:
Celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month
Somewhere Sisters: A Story of Adoption, Identity, and the Meaning of Family by Erika Hayasaki
Like Water: A Cultural History of Bruce Lee by Daryl J. Maeda
Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home by Eric Kim
The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life by Simran Jeet Singh
Inspired Ikebana: Modern Design Meets the Ancient Art of Japanese Flower Arrangement by Naoko Zaima
The Peking Express: The Bandits Who Stole a Train, Stunned the West, and Broke the Republic of China by James M. Zimmerman
Library Hours
Main Library
96 Broad Street
Monday – Thursday 10 to 8
Friday 10 to 6
Sat 10 to 5
Sunday 1 to 5
Harry Bennett Branch
115 Vine Road
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
10 to 6
Wednesday 10 to 7
Saturday 10 to 5
Weed Memorial & Hollander Branch
1143 Hope Street
Monday Wednesday & Thurs10 to 6
Tuesday 12 to 7
Saturday 10 to 5
South End Branch
34 Woodland Avenue
Monday – Thursday 10 to 5:30
Saturday 10 to 2
Passport Services
Appointments at the Main Library take precedence and are recommended. For more information or to make an appointment, visit our Passport page or call 203 351-8298.
Main Library Passport hours:
Monday – Thursday 10 to 7; Friday 10 to 5; Saturday 10 –to 4; Sunday 1 to 4
Harry Bennett Passport hours:
Monday 10 to 5
Wednesday 10 to 5
Saturday 10 to 4
(WALK-IN ONLY at Harry Bennett)
