Essex Library

Program for kids ages 2-5. Join us for a tooth-rific story time celebrating National Family Dental Health Day with fun stories, songs, smiles, special guest readers from Essex Dentist, and goodies to take home! Join us for themed stories, songs, rhymes, and crafts! We’ll learn early literacy concepts like colors, shapes, opposites, the ABCs and much more, to prepare our pre-school age children for kindergarten. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged to ensure enough crafts are prepared. Click here to register.

Have we had enough snow this winter? Let’s make some of our own! Kids are invited to bring the magic indoors by conducting an experiment to make your very own fake snow that even feels cold! Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register.

Join award-winning novelist Catherine Con Morse for a creative writing workshop followed by a Q&A and book-signing! In this class, you'll learn how to write compelling characters and fresh descriptions through a variety of fun writing exercises. Catherine is the author of The Notes and The Summer I Remembered Everything (shortlisted for All CT Reads 2026.) Ages 12 - 18, Grades 6+. Registration is required. https://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=1314&EventID=578767&PK=

From Cosmos to Compost: Our Place in the Universe explores how science connects the vast history of the universe to the everyday processes that sustain life on Earth. Bringing together astronomy and biology, the talk traces the story from stars and galaxies to the biological processes that recycle matter through ecosystems. Together, the talks show how fundamental scientific processes link the cosmos, life, and our daily actions. Speakers: Shashank Dattathri, PhD student, Department of Astronomy & Kriza Sy, MD-PhD student working in Cell Biology Yale Science in the News is a student-driven initiative where Yale graduate students and postdoctoral researchers present complex and exciting science topics to the general public. The talk is coordinated by Tos Chan, a PhD student in Computational Biology. This program is FREE and open to the public at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT.

Enjoy a movie on the big screen in the Buel Room of Essex Library! For the movie title, call the library at 860-767-1560 or visit the Events Calendar at youressexlibrary.org.

A trained Naturalist and President of the Connecticut Horticultural Society, Jim Sirch will be at Essex Library to provide a lecture on how to create a healthy eco-system in the landscape that functions well for people and wildlife. Sirch will discuss how species interact in the landscape as well as offer tips related to which plantings help create synergy. This program is free and open to the public at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Register online HERE or by calling the library at 860-767-1560.

Join Essex Land Trust, Essex Library, and Ivoryton Library for some St. Patty’s Day fun with a self-guided family hike where you’ll follow the Leprechaun Trail to find the Pot of Gold. Families may arrive any time between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM and follow the trail at their own pace.  Information and directions will be provided at Check In.  There’ll be rainbow stickers and shapes to find as you complete the hunt.  Of course, treats and beverages will be available when you reach the “Pot of Gold.” The event is weather dependent.  Please check Essex Library, Ivoryton Library, and Essex Land Trust Facebook page for updates.  Dogs are not permitted at this event. This program is free and open to the public. Registration is requested. Click here to register.

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, the Essex Library will welcome former Connecticut State Troubadour Pierce Campbell and Banjoist Paul Neri for an unforgettable and lively performance filled with Irish and Celtic folk music. The repertoire is sure to get feet tapping and hands clapping, creating a spirited and energetic atmosphere. This program is free and open to the public at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue, Essex, Ct. Space is limited. Registration is required. Register HERE or call the library at 860-767-1560.

Are you looking for a casual way to meet new people and socialize in a fun way? Visit the Essex Library this month to play a low-stress, engaging adult board game! Participants can choose from a variety of games including Parcheesi, Scrabble or Checkers, among other options. This program is FREE and open to the public at 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. No registration is necessary, drop-in!

Learn how to harness your dreams to improve your sleep and health with dream engineer Dr. Michelle Carr in this virtual author talk presented by Essex Library. In Nightmare Obscura, Dr. Carr unlocks the science behind the sleeping body. Drawing on her expertise in nightmares, lucid dreaming, and the cutting-edge field of dream engineering, she reveals how we can revolutionize our sleeping—and waking—health. REGISTER HERE.

In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Lyman Allyn Curator Tanya Pohrt will present an illustrated lecture at Essex Library focusing on America’s 250, with dynamic stories and highlights from the Lyman Allyn’s collection. This lecture will preview a special installation opening in late April 2026 in the American Perspectives gallery showcasing recent acquisitions, seldom-seen objects from storage, and new research undertaken with Connecticut College students. This talk reflects on regional history, identity, and the complex shaping of American ideals in the Revolutionary era and beyond. This program is free and open to the public at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Register by calling the library at 860-767-1560 or visiting the Events Calendar of youressexlibrary.org. About Tanya Pohrt: Tanya Pohrt has curated numerous exhibitions at the Lyman Allyn, including China from China: Porcelain and Stories of Early American Trade (2025), Beatrice Cuming: Connecticut Precisionist (2024), Barkley L. Hendricks in New London (2023), and The Way Sisters: Miniaturists of the Early Republic (2021- ’22), among other exhibitions, including the Museum’s long-term exhibition gallery Louis Comfort Tiffany in New London. Holding a Ph.D. in American Art History from the University of Delaware (received 2013), she was previously a Marcia Brady Tucker Fellow in American Paintings and Sculpture at the […]

You’re invited to join us for a virtual conversation with acclaimed author Kate Quinn about her latest fantastical work, The Astral Library, which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures. REGISTER HERE. or call the library at 860-767-1560.

Join us for a special conversation between award-winning journalist Shoshana Walter and bestselling and award-winning author Barbara Kingsolver as they chat about Walter’s book Rehab: An American Scandal, presented by Essex Library Association. In this work, Walter, a Pulitzer finalist, exposes the country’s failed response to the opioid crisis, and the malfeasance, corruption, and snake oil which blight the drug rehabilitation industry. For more information, call the Essex Library at 860-767-1560. Register HERE. 

In this 30-minute illustrated talk, Essex Library’s March Artist of the Month, Theresa Marchant-Shapiro, will delve into her artistic process as a collage quilter and highlight notable artists that used similar forms of art for political expression. Marchant-Shapiro’s creative use of textiles takes quilting to a new level from practical craft to stunning visual works. This program is free and open to the public at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Register HERE or by calling the library at 860-767-1560. ABOUT THERESA MARCHANT-SHAPIRO Theresa Marchant—Shapiro is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Southern Connecticut State University. She teaches courses in leadership and mass political behavior. ARTISTS’ STATEMENT As an educator, knowledge is central to my identity and my interaction with the world. When I teach, I feel like I create a tapestry using the threads of my students' lives to color my planned design. My hope is that the knowledge I share allows my students to surmount the mountains that can form barriers, but can also unveil beautiful vistas.