Transitioning Your College Grad into the Workforce

Tuesday, December 1st
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Library Program Room

  Susan Carlow and Steve Harvey of JobTutors will give you a framework for what you and your child will be facing as they  transition into the workforce. The program will cover important statistics, fears and frustrations, tips on helping your child and understanding the proper way to conduct a job search in this market. The program is geared to parents of college seniors or recent college graduates. The program is free of charge and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Reserve your seat now! 

Stop Seat of Your Pants Mangement

Wednesday, December 2
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Library Program Room

 It’s time to stop running your business by the seat of your pants; especially in this economy. Annabel Pedemonti of Accounting Software Systems and Alan Nathan, CPA of  Nathan Accounting Group will discuss how to get timely and accurate information from one’s bookkeeping systems, so that you can make informed business decisions.
They will cover how to set up and use Quickbooks help you achieve these goals with much emphasis on controlling cash flow. The program is free of charge and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Reserve your seat now! 

Aging with Emotional Intelligence

Tuesday, December 8, 2009
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Program Room

Aging presents lots of difficult decisions along with challenging interactions with family, medical providers and caregivers. Join Kathleen Lucas and Chuck Wolfe of Aging Advice, for an interactive and insightful workshop that looks at the aging process and how to better address its challenges. You'll learn how emotional insight can help you to handle the necessary conversations with parents and siblings and how emotion management can help in considering and selecting appropriate living arrangements. This program is co-sponsored by the Simsbury Senior Center. The program is free of charge, open to the public, but space is limited. Reserve a Seat!

Finding Calm in the Chaos

Wednesday, December 9
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Library Program Room

 Overwhelmed by the season? Overwhelmed by the economy? Just feeling OVERWHELMED?  Alicia Davis of GuruGrams will teach you how to remain calm, centered and focused in the midst of fast-paced, multi-tasking busyness…anywhere, anytime.  Take a couple of hours for this workshop.  You owe it to yourself, your co-workers and your family and friends. The program is free of charge and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Reserve your seat now! 

Windows 7 - Look Before You Leap

Wednesday, December 16
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Library Program Room

Joe O'Donnell of PCSWAT will discuss the pros/cons of Windows' new operating system- Windows 7. He'll cover issues like:
Is Windows XP still good enough for you?
What happens if I wait to buy?
What won't work with Windows 7?
Who's safe using Windows 7?
How long will XP be supported?
Which of the 6 versions of Windows 7 should I purchase?
and more.....
Note: this will not be a hands-on training on Windows 7, but an overview of the software. The program is free of charge and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Reserve your seat now! 

Consumer Reports new at the library

The Simsbury Library is pleased to announce that patrons now have free access to the on-line version of Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports.org is the largest paid subscription-based website in the world with 3.3 million paying subscribers and is one of the most trusted resources for information and advice on consumer products.

Consumers Union (CU), the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, and ConsumerReports.org, was founded in 1936 and is recognized as one of the most important consumer organizations in the world. It has the world’s largest nonprofit educational and consumer product testing facility. Since Consumers Union accepts no free product samples, every product tested is bought on the open market, and its family of publications provides unbiased product reviews. No CU publication accepts outside advertising.

ConsumerReports.org provides ratings and reviews, recommendations, and buying advice across several franchises. Each product includes an overview, a ratings report card and reviews and recommendations. Additional information includes brand reliability and user reviews plus news, blogs, forums and video content.

Click here to access Consumer Reports. If you are outside the library, you will be asked to enter your library card number.

Gift Presented to Library

A $25,000 check in memory of Ruth C. Bolz was presented to the Friends of the Simsbury Public Library on September 25, 2009. This generous gift was given by Ruth’s daughter, Marge Taylor, to Friends of the Simsbury Public Library’s President, Monica Starrett, at a small ceremony in the library.

Ruth was an active woman who travelled the world with her husband. Here in Simsbury, she was a regular volunteer in the Library’s Homebound Program, and spent many summers sorting books for the Annual Book Sale.

“I watched my mother read all her life – in later years, she read three or four books a week,” says Marge Taylor. “Eventually, her eyes failed her, and that is why she asked that her gift be used for helping library patrons with reduced eyesight.” The donation will be used to expand the library’s collection of large print books, as well as the purchase of other materials to assist the visually impaired.

“This gift is a sizable amount for the Friends of the Simsbury Public Library and for our community; we will honor Ruth’ Bolz’s wishes in dispersing the funds,” notes Starrett. She encourages other Simsbury residents to consider memorial bequests to the Friends for specific purposes as Ruth did, or for general use.

Picture caption: Marge Taylor, daughter of the late Ruth C. Bolz, presents a $25,000 check to Monica Starrett, president of the Friends of the Simsbury Public Library. Looking on are Julie MacKay President-Elect of the Friends of the Simsbury Library, and Sue Bullock, Library Director.

FSPL Music Series

Noah Baerman - Piano and Bass Covering the Scope of Jazz History
Friday, May 7
8:00 p.m., Program Room


Jazz pianist, composer, educator and author Noah Baerman, studied jazz at New Haven's Educational Center for the Arts and at Jackie McLean's Artists' Collective in Hartford. He has earned B.M. and M.M. degrees in Jazz Studies from Rutgers University, while performing extensively in and around New York. From 1994-1999, he co-led the quartet Positive Rhythmic Force, performing throughout the east coast and recording two CDs. Since then he's participated in numerous recordings as a sideman and under his own name. Noah has been nationally recognized in such publications as JazzTimes, Jazziz, Jazz Critics (Japan) and All About Jazz - New York. In 2008 he released the trio album Bliss and was awarded a "New Works" grant from Chamber Music America/Doris Duke Foundation. Noah, also a member of the collective quintet Playdate, will release its eponymous first album in 2009. He teaches privately and at several institutions including Wesleyan University, CCSU and Charter Oak State College. His teaching style has been codified through a series of well-regarded instructional books published by the Alfred Publishing Company. Noah received First Prize (jazz category) in the Billboard Song Contest and in the Unisong Contest, as well as "ASCAPlus Awards" from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers every year since 2004.

This program has been made possible through the generous support of the FRIENDS OF THE SIMSBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY

FSPL Music Series

The Keith and Mazer Trio - An Eclectic Mix of Blues,
Jazz, Swing & Pop
Friday, April 16
8:00 p.m., Program Room

This talented acoustic trio is instrumentally comprised of two guitars and djembe, combined with finely crafted vocal leads and tasty harmonies. The band is made up of two siblings Megan Keith, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, and David Keith, percussionist and vocalist. The third member is Susan Mazer, lead guitarist and vocalist. Megan Keith's voice is a professionally honed instrument, spanning a wide range of styles and timbres. David's intricate and versatile djembe playing, has established him as one of the most innovative hand percussion players around. Mazer's guitar handwork is deft and reliable, and features intricate fingerstyle and dobro technique. In addition to their performing expertise, they are all individually credited as composers and educators in their field. The Keith and Mazer songbook is loaded with some of the most diverse and interesting tunes - all spice and no filler!

This program has been made possible through the generous support of the FRIENDS OF THE SIMSBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY

FSPL Music Series

Little Windows - Traditional Irish and Appalachian Songs and Tunes
Friday, March 19
8:00 p.m., Program Room

Little Windows creates a mix of Appalachian and Irish music, and traditionally-based originals, with a special focus placed on unaccompanied ballads. They also explore the spiritual nature of song and harmonic sound. Mark Weems and Julee Glaub tour together nationally and abroad with a focus on the art of the pure voice with tight harmonies in traditional songs.Instrumentation includes guitar, fiddle, banjo, flute, piano and bodhran. In addition to performing concerts, they also teach workshops and music camps around the country and have developed their own traditional singing camp called Camp Little Windows. Together they bring a beautiful blend of both traditions with a unique harmonic sound that is rare and often beckons response from audience members. Though they have both made several recordings with other bands as well as solo projects, Julee and Mark's first recording together, Just Beyond Me, was submitted for a Grammy and has been highlighted on NPR's radio program The Thistle and Shamrock. Mark and Julee have created a unique musical presentation.

This program has been made possible through the generous support of the FRIENDS OF THE SIMSBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY

FSPL Music Series

Barbara Rosene - 1920's - 30's Traditional Jazz - Tin Pan Alley Composers
Friday, February 19
2:00 p.m., Program Room

Barbara Rosene is a passionate vocalist whose interpretations uncover the richness of jazz classics through the subtle, skilled delivery of one truly in love with the genre she sings. Vibrantly at home in a style reflective of 1920s and 1930s jazz artists, Rosene gives voice to songs in ways that are both gracefully provocative and warmly welcoming. In her established career she has shared stages with jazz icons, performing internationally with The Harry James Orchestra, sitting in with Les Paul at New York's Iridium Jazz Club, with the Woody Allen Band, at The Carlisle Hotel, as well as directing her own New Yorkers, and guest performing with orchestras and in festivals across the world. Influenced by the Tin Pan Alley composers and singers such as Mildred Bailey and Ella Fitzgerald, she has been recognized by NPR, The New School, Backstage Magazine (Bistro Award, 2006), and is featured in Scott Yanow's "Great Jazz Singers." Rosene is personally committed to the significance of jazz music in American Popular Song and in America's roots and spirit. Her next album will be released in the fall of 2009.This program has been made possible through the generous support of the FRIENDS OF THE SIMSBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY

FSPL Music Series

Goza Latin Band - A Cross Section of Traditional
& Modern Latin Music
Friday, January 22
8:00 p.m., Program Room


GOZA, Spanish for "Joy", creates a tightly woven blend of song & dance rhythms from the Americas, Puerto Rico and Spain. Dave Giardina received his B.A. from St. Anselm College, and also studied at Longy School of Music. He has been teaching for many years on the faculties of Trinity, St. Joseph and Manchester Community Colleges, as well as privately. Dave is an award recipient member of the CT Commission on Culture and Tourism, performing extensively throughout the Northeast at schools, bandshells, major festivals, First Nights, clubs and both Connecticut casinos as a soloist and with ensembles he has formed such as Fiesta del Norte, Bamboleo, Goza, and the Typsy Gypsys. His compositions are featured on two releases by the CT Classical Guitar Society of which he is a founding, professional member. His latest release, Fiesta Grande, features music of Mexico. Each performance brings an extensive repertoire in different traditions; the clarity and precision of classical technique, the explosive and exotic sound of flamenco, the smoothly shifting harmonies of jazz, the exuberant energy of traditional Latin music and the classic power chords and riffs of rock n roll.

This program has been made possible through the generous support of the FRIENDS OF THE SIMSBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY

Adult Writers Group

Carol Healy, moderator of the Simsbury Writer’s Group has announced new meeting dates: They are:


Tuesday 12/1 6:00-8:00p.m.
Tuesday 12/15 6:00-8:00 p.m.

All meetings are scheduled in the Barnes Conference Room. The writers Group welcomes all published and aspiring writers. If interested, please contact Carol Healy at carolhealy@comcast.net. The group is limited to ten writers.

Simsbury Scrabblers

Join us weekly on Thursday nights 6-8 in the Friends Café area of the Library. Novice to expert. All are welcome! Playing boards and scrabble dictionaries are supplied. Drop-ins are welcome but we prefer if you sign up here or email lraskauskas@sbcglobal.net so we know how many boards are needed.

Conversational French Group

Are you interested in refreshing your knowledge of the French language? Or perhaps learning enough to just get by on a visit to the country? The has a French conversation group under the leadership of Yvonne Foley, French Professor Emerita, Manchester Community College and a 35 year veteran of teaching the language. Classes meet Tuesday evenings 6:30-7:30 in the Friends Café area of the library. Classes will continue as long as there is interest. The classes are free but space is limited. Please contact Susan Bullock to sign up or if you have any questions. 658-7663 x. 2103. You can also sign up on-line by going to the library website www.simsburylibrary.info and clicking on Calendar.