• Sensory Playtime (Ages Birth-5)

    Recurring
    Essex Library 33 West Ave, Essex, CT, United States

    Join us for a hands-on, child-led play session designed to engage the senses! Sensory Playtime encourages exploration, creativity, and early learning through touch, sound, and movement. Kids are invited to move from station to station, at their own pace, to scoop, squish, pour, and play with a variety of textures and materials in a safe, supportive space alongside their caregivers. This program supports sensory development, fine motor skills, and social interaction—come play, learn, and make a (little) mess with us! Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Program funded in part by the Community Foundation of Middlesex County, and made possible by the GSB Grant Making Fund, and the Whelen Family Fund. Registration is required for each individual session. Click here to register.

    Free
  • Book Talk with Author James R. Benn and Audiobook Narrator Peter Berkrot (Virtual)

    Online

    Don’t miss Award-winning Author James R. Benn as he discusses the latest installment in his Billy Boyle Mystery series, A Bitter Wind, in conversation with Audiobook Narrator Peter Berkrot, a 2018 winner of the Voice Arts Awards for Best Voice. A Bitter Wind (2025) is a suspenseful foray into the cutthroat world of espionage during WWII. This program is FREE and open to the public. This is a virtual program. REGISTER HERE for the Zoom link or call the library to register at 860-767-1560. About James R. Benn: James R. Benn is the author of the Billy Boyle World War II mysteries. The debut, Billy Boyle, was selected as a Top Five book of the year by Book Sense and was a Dilys Award nominee, A Blind Goddess was longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, The Rest Is Silence was a Barry Award nominee, and The Devouring was a Macavity Award nominee. Benn, a former librarian, lives on the Gulf Coast of Florida with his wife, Deborah Mandel. About Peter Berkrot: A veteran of stage and screen, Peter Berkrot's career spans four decades. Highlights include feature roles in Caddyshack and Show-time's Brotherhood, and appearances on “America's Most Wanted” and “Unsolved Mysteries.” His voice can be heard on television, radio, video games, documentaries and industrials. A Bitter Wind: Christmas Day 1944: After […]

    Free
  • Volunteer Expo 2026

    Essex Library 33 West Ave, Essex, CT, United States

    Are you looking for volunteer opportunities in the community? Join us at Essex Library from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for our second annual Non-Profit Volunteer Expo to meet and connect with representatives from local non-profits. Discover what local organizations are doing for the community and learn how you might join them, including: Connecticut River Museum Essex Art Association Essex Board of Trade Essex Fire Department Essex Garden Club Essex Historical Society Essex Library Essex Veterans Memorial Hall Ivoryton Library Sister Cities Essex Haiti Tri-Town Youth Services The 2026 Essex Library Non-Profit Volunteer Expo is FREE and open to the public at 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. No registration necessary, drop-in!

    Free
  • 5-Week Beginner Italian Class for Adults

    Recurring
    Essex Library 33 West Ave, Essex, CT, United States

    Have you ever wanted to learn Italian? Essex Library presents a 5-week Italian language class for adult beginners that will be led by Middletown Adult Education Instructor Mary Saraceno. Saraceno lived and studied in Sicily for 12 years and has taught Italian since 1994. Participants are encouraged to sign up for all five sessions (March 16, 23, 30 & April 6, 13 at 10:30 AM) where they will learn practical vocabulary and expressions to understand real travel situations and cultural differences. 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.

    Free
  • Wiggle Worms Story Time (Ages Birth-3)

    Recurring
    Essex Library 33 West Ave, Essex, CT, United States

    A play-based music and movement story time for children and their caregivers! (Ages Birth-3) This story time will take place every Tuesday morning. Join us! No registration required. Due to space, Please choose 1 session per day to attend.

    Free
  • Virtual Author Talk: America’s Failed Response to the Opioid Crisis with Shoshana Walter

    Essex Library 33 West Ave, Essex, CT, United States

    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. 

    Free
  • Sensory Playtime (Ages Birth-5)

    Recurring
    Essex Library 33 West Ave, Essex, CT, United States

    Join us for a hands-on, child-led play session designed to engage the senses! Sensory Playtime encourages exploration, creativity, and early learning through touch, sound, and movement. Kids are invited to move from station to station, at their own pace, to scoop, squish, pour, and play with a variety of textures and materials in a safe, supportive space alongside their caregivers. This program supports sensory development, fine motor skills, and social interaction—come play, learn, and make a (little) mess with us! Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Program funded in part by the Community Foundation of Middlesex County, and made possible by the GSB Grant Making Fund, and the Whelen Family Fund. Registration is required for each individual session. Click here to register.

    Free
  • Quilting as Art: An Illustrated Talk with Artist Theresa Marchant-Shapiro

    Essex Library 33 West Ave, Essex, CT, United States

    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.

    Free
  • 5-Week Beginner Italian Class for Adults

    Recurring
    Essex Library 33 West Ave, Essex, CT, United States

    Have you ever wanted to learn Italian? Essex Library presents a 5-week Italian language class for adult beginners that will be led by Middletown Adult Education Instructor Mary Saraceno. Saraceno lived and studied in Sicily for 12 years and has taught Italian since 1994. Participants are encouraged to sign up for all five sessions (March 16, 23, 30 & April 6, 13 at 10:30 AM) where they will learn practical vocabulary and expressions to understand real travel situations and cultural differences. 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.

    Free
  • 5-Week Beginner Italian Class for Adults

    Recurring
    Essex Library 33 West Ave, Essex, CT, United States

    Have you ever wanted to learn Italian? Essex Library presents a 5-week Italian language class for adult beginners that will be led by Middletown Adult Education Instructor Mary Saraceno. Saraceno lived and studied in Sicily for 12 years and has taught Italian since 1994. Participants are encouraged to sign up for all five sessions (March 16, 23, 30 & April 6, 13 at 10:30 AM) where they will learn practical vocabulary and expressions to understand real travel situations and cultural differences. 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.

    Free
  • 5-Week Beginner Italian Class for Adults

    Recurring
    Essex Library 33 West Ave, Essex, CT, United States

    Have you ever wanted to learn Italian? Essex Library presents a 5-week Italian language class for adult beginners that will be led by Middletown Adult Education Instructor Mary Saraceno. Saraceno lived and studied in Sicily for 12 years and has taught Italian since 1994. Participants are encouraged to sign up for all five sessions (March 16, 23, 30 & April 6, 13 at 10:30 AM) where they will learn practical vocabulary and expressions to understand real travel situations and cultural differences. 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.

    Free