Genealogy I Tuesday, March 10th from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Carol Ansel, Director at the Godfrey Memorial Library in Middletown, will present the ABC’s of beginning genealogy, with an emphasis on the 8 (or so) basic types of genealogical records—where you can find them and how best to use them. She will include plenty of personal anecdotes to help you learn from both her mistakes and her successes. If you don’t know about the Godfrey Library, you will by the end of the presentation. Who knew we had such an amazing genealogical resource right here in Middletown, CT? Register here.
Philadelphia Mansions of the Gilded Age Tuesday, March 10th from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. New York, Newport, and Bar Harbor are not the only places where Gilded Age mansions were built. The mansions built by Philadelphia’s elite families were some of the most palatial in the United States. The Stotesburys and Wideners built on a grand scale and lived interesting lives touched by scandal and tragic loss with the sinking of the Titanic. Join the Bow Tie Historian, Dr. Jason Scappaticci, for a talk about these Gilded Age mansions. Register here.
Oscar Talk with Film Critic Joe Meyers Tuesday, March 10th from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Joe Meyers returns for his annual Oscar talk & discussion. Meyers will discuss the history of the Academy Awards and this year’s slate of nominees, as well as who he thinks might win at the 97th Academy Awards ceremony next Sunday. Meyers will also moderate a discussion with the participants on what they think of this year’s batch of movies and those that received nominations. Register here.
Adult Fiction Book Club Thursday, March 12th from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Join us as we read and discuss James by Percival Everett in person at the Trumbull Library. We meet every second Thursday of the month in the Kiwanis conference room. We have a limited number of copies of this month's book available for check out at the main branch circulation desk. Hope to see you there!
Introduction to Journaling Saturday, March 14th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Have you had trouble sticking with a journaling routine? Join Kayla Del Biondo to learn how to make journaling a daily practice, where you’ll incorporate affirmations, micro-gratitude, illustrations, and more. Bullet journals will be provided and participants will leave with greater clarity around what’s most important to them. Attendees are encouraged to read The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary by Catherine Gray in advance of this workshop, though it is not required. Register here.
Genealogy II Tuesday, March 24th from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Just starting out in genealogy? The first two programs most people start with are Ancestry (the library edition is available for free at most public libraries) and FamilySearch.org (provided for free by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). Join Carol Ansel, director of the Godfrey Memorial Library, as she demonstrates the basics of searching these two databases. She’ll teach you how to begin searching and warn you about possible pitfalls so you can develop good research techniques right from the get-go. Register here.