Essex Library

Are you enrolled in Medicare and looking to reduce your premium and other expenses? Join us for an informative session where you can discover financial savings programs that you may qualify for, based on your income such as Medicare Savings Programs or Extra Help with Prescriptions programs. This program is presented by Laura Crews, director of benefits access, of the Senior Resources Agency of Aging. This program is free and open to the public at 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT26. To register, visit www.youressexlibrary.org or call the Library at 860-767-1560

Program open to families with children ages 5+. Did you know there’s games you can play outdoors? Join Essex Library, Ivoryton Library, and Essex Land Trust to explore some fun family games to LEVEL UP your trailblazing! As we explore some beautiful ELT properties, we’ll introduce exciting outdoor games that turn every walk into a discovery! Whether you're new to hiking or a seasoned trail walker, this program will inspire fresh ways to enjoy nature together. In this session, families will participate in a nature-themed scavenger hunt created by the Essex Land Trust! This program will be held at Pond Meadow Preserve, Park Road, Ivoryton. In the event of rain, this program will not be held. This program is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register.

Program for kids and teens ages 10-18. Essex Library Association and Essex Historical Society invite children and young adults, with their parents, to join the team from Digging for Good in Haddam, CT to ‘dig’ on Hills Academy's grounds, using metal detectors to find buried objects. Digging for Good will provide metal detecting tools to find objects embedded in front lawn of 1832 Hill's Academy: a school that operated for at least 80 years. Anything found will be donated to Essex Historical Society, and may later be placed on exhibit. Digging for Good members will record a video, as well as take photos of the interesting finds. Please dress for the outdoors and wear sturdy shoes and sunscreen, as needed. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register. Questions? Contact Outreach Coordinator, Kate Savage

Program for children and teens ages 5+. Join A Place Called Hope for this amazing program, featuring live falcons and a hands-on activity! Learn about the adaptations of the falcon species, to help identify their unique body and feather styles designed for flight and speed. Each falcon has a different hunting technique that helps to explain the individual body and feather patterns per species. Participants will learn the many facts of falcons with two different falcon species as examples and then create their own paper airplane as a hands-on project to help explain flight and speed according to design. This program will be held at Grove Street Park, 16 Grove St, Essex, CT. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register. In the event of rain or extreme heat, the program will be held in the Essex Town Hall Auditorium, 29 West Ave, Essex.

Program open to families with children ages 5+. Did you know there’s games you can play outdoors? Join Essex Library, Ivoryton Library, and Essex Land Trust to explore some fun family games to LEVEL UP your trailblazing! As we explore some beautiful ELT properties, we’ll introduce exciting outdoor games that turn every walk into a discovery! Whether you're new to hiking or a seasoned trail walker, this program will inspire fresh ways to enjoy nature together. In this session, families will learn how to use the free Seek app to turn hikes into a nature scavenger hunt! Point your phone’s camera at plants, insects, and more to instantly identify what you see and learn fun facts along the way! This program will be held at Cross Lots, 40 West Ave, Essex. In the event of rain, this program will not be held. This program is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register.

1776 and Hamilton: two American musicals telling the story of the founding of our nation. This lecture looks at these revolutionary musicals and their contrasting visions of an American society at a crossroads. Note: this lecture features video clips from the two musicals. This program is FREE and and open to the public at 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Register HERE  or by calling the Library at 860-767-1560.

Program for kids ages 5-12. Level up & play LIFE-SIZE, REAL-LIFE versions of some AWESOME board and video games! This session we will be playing life-size Hungry Hungry Hippos! Get ready to chomp, scoot, and laugh in this giant, action-packed version of the classic game! Kids will team up in groups to become “hippos," using scooters and baskets to gobble up as many colorful balls as they can from the center of the room. It’s fast, silly, and tons of fun! Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register.

Lighthouses and Lifesaving Services: A fun and lighthearted presentation; beginning with the first lighthouse in Alexandria, Egypt then fast forwarding to the current lighthouses on the eastern coast of the United States. The program highlights lifesaving stations and their crews, lightships, and the men and women who served as keepers of the light. Enjoy a haunting conclusion as we shed light on the paranormal activities surrounding some lighthouses. This program is FREE and open to the public at 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT Space is limited, so registration is suggested. Register online HERE or call the Library at 860-767-1560.

Master Wildlife Conservationist Paul Colburn will present a talk focused on the history of coyotes in Connecticut, which includes an overview of coyote habitat, diet, behavior, and reproduction. Colburn will also offer practical recommendations for optimum coexistence with our coyote population. Coyote artifacts will be shared with attendees. This program is FREE and open to the public at 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT 06426. Register online HERE or by calling the Library at 860-767-1560.

Program open to families with children ages 5+. Did you know there’s games you can play outdoors? Join Essex Library, Ivoryton Library, and Essex Land Trust to explore some fun family games to LEVEL UP your trailblazing! As we explore some beautiful ELT properties, we’ll introduce exciting outdoor games that turn every walk into a discovery! Whether you're new to hiking or a seasoned trail walker, this program will inspire fresh ways to enjoy nature together. In this session, families will learn how to use the free Geocache app to join the world’s largest treasure hunt by using a GPS-enabled device or smartphone to search for hidden geocaches! This program will be held at The Millrace, Ivory St, Ivoryton. In the event of rain, this program will not be held. This program is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register.

Did you know that the Smithsonian has a living botanical collection? Hear all about it from Smithsonian Horticulturist, Carl Johnson, on July 29 at 12:00 pm, on Zoom. Johnson will discuss the diversity of plants in the collection as well as how the collection supports the work of scientists doing work on plant genetics, evolutionary biology and species conservation, among other areas. Register HERE. This virtual program is FREE and open to the public. Registration is required for this virtual program.

You’re invited to a fascinating conversation with neurologist and author Pria Anand to chat about her new book The Mind Electric: A Neurologist on the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains (forthcoming June 10, 2025). Register HERE. The Mind Electric speaks to the stories we tell ourselves about our brains, and the stories that our brains tell to us. This program is FREE and open to the public.

Dive into the world of sharks with Essex Library as we host Kristen Smith of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) center. Register HERE for this virtual program. This virtual program provides adult audiences with an understanding of the ongoing white shark research projects being conducted and funded by the AWSC, how that research is impacting conservation and public safety efforts, and up-to-date information on what that research has taught us. Audience members will also have an opportunity to view videos and photographs taken during the research season and to develop their knowledge of what a shark is and what is required to conduct white shark research. There will be a short Q&A period after the presentation. This program is FREE and available to the public. Registration is required for this virtual program.

Delve into the fascinating world of birds through astonishing photography and clear explanations in this absorbing global guide, "The Bird Book: The Stories, Science, and History of Birds." Register for this virtual author talk with Smithsonian Biologist Jay Falk HERE.  This program is FREE and open to the public.

Stay cool this summer in the Buel Room of Essex Library with a "Book-to-Screen" movie matinee! For more information, including the movie title, call the Library at 860-767-1560 or visit the events calendar section of the Library’s website, www.youressexlibrary.org.

Stay cool this summer in the Buel Room of Essex Library with a "Book-to-Screen" movie matinee! For more information, including the movie title, call the Library at 860-767-1560 or visit the events calendar section of the Library’s website, www.youressexlibrary.org.

Bring an appetite for sizzling drama as we discuss New York Times bestselling author Casey McQuiston's latest romantic comedy, The Pairing. Register HERE. This program is FREE and open to the public. When two bisexual exes accidentally book the same European food and wine tour, they challenge each other to a hookup competition to prove they're over each other—except they're definitely not. Theo and Kit have been a lot of things: childhood best friends, crushes, in love, and now estranged exes. After a brutal breakup on the transatlantic flight to their dream European food and wine tour, they exited each other's lives once and for all. Time apart has done them good. Theo has found confidence as a hustling bartender by night and aspiring sommelier by day, with a long roster of casual lovers. Kit, who never returned to America, graduated as the reigning sex god of his pastry school class and now bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. Sure, nothing really compares to what they had, and life stretches out long and lonely ahead of them, but—yeah. It's in the past. All that remains is the unused voucher for the European tour that never happened, good […]

Program for families with kids of all ages. Join Miss Nicole from Essex Library and Miss Elizabeth from Ivoryton Library for a Field Day at Main Street Park to end the summer! Celebrate all the awesome reading you did this summer with a fun afternoon full of games, face painting, book prizes, and more! This program will be held at Main Street Park, 12 Main Street, Essex, CT. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged but not required. Click here to register.

Stay cool this summer in the Buel Room of Essex Library with a "Book-to-Screen" movie matinee! For more information, including the movie title, call the Library at 860-767-1560 or visit the events calendar section of the Library’s website, www.youressexlibrary.org.

Program for families, kids, and teens. Come celebrate Back to School at the Essex Library! Bingo for books is fun for everyone! Bring your family and friends, play BINGO and earn books as your prize. Winners will be able to select a book from a selection of children and teen titles. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. No registration required, drop in!

Program for kids and teens ages 8-18. Essex Library Association and Essex Historical Society invite children and young adults, with their parents, to join the team from Digging for Good in Haddam, CT to ‘dig’ on Pratt House’s grounds, using metal detectors to find buried objects. Digging for Good will provide metal detecting tools to find objects embedded in Pratt’s two-acre field, which was once part of a farm dating from 1701. Anything found will be donated to Essex Historical Society, and may later be placed on exhibit. Digging for Good members will record a video, as well as take photos of the interesting finds. Please dress for the outdoors and wear sturdy shoes and sunscreen, as needed. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register.  

Stay cool this summer in the Buel Room of Essex Library with a "Book-to-Screen" movie matinee! For more information, including the movie title, call the Library at 860-767-1560 or visit the events calendar section of the Library’s website, www.youressexlibrary.org.

Program for kids birth – age 5. 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.

Embrace your dark side (and your best evil laugh) and join us in conversation with Hannah Nicole Maehrer, creator of the New York Times bestselling Assistant to the Villain series. REGISTER and submit questions for the author! This program is FREE and open to the public, regardless of residency. Registration is required for all virtual author talks.

Dr. Olena Lennon returns to Essex Library to discuss how Russia’s War on Ukraine continues to pose a threat to global security, along with the implications of Donald Trump’s presidency and Israel-Iran relations. Dr. Lennon will provide a 45-minute lecture on the topic followed by a 15-minute Q&A. This program is FREE and open to the public regardless of residency. Due to limited space, registration is required. Register HERE. About Dr. Olena Lennon Olena Lennon, Ph.D. is an Adjunct Professor of National Security at the University of New Haven, where she teaches such courses as the U.S. Foreign & Defense Policy and International Relations. Formerly a Fulbright scholar from Ukraine, and most recently a scholar at Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., she has dedicated her research to the study of conflict management and identity politics in eastern Europe, focused on domestic and foreign policy of Ukraine. An eastern Ukraine native, Dr. Lennon has been a regular participant in scholarly and media forums related to issues in Ukraine, facilitating a more informed and objective analysis of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. She also serves as an election observer with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and has completed several […]

Program for kids ages 2-5. Get ready for the new school year with stories, songs, and fun activities all about classrooms, backpacks, and first-day jitters at this Back to School-themed story time! 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.

Program for kids ages 0-3 and their caregivers, siblings welcome! Wiggle Worms is a play-based music and movement story time for children and their caregivers! Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. No registration required.

Program for grandparents and their grandchildren, ages 3 and up. For Grandparents Day, come celebrate at the Essex Library! Kids and their grandparents are invited to enjoy tea and snacks together and create a Grandparents Day craft. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Please register each attendee (grandparents and kids) separately. Click here to register.

Register HERE. In 1951, with the publication of God and Man at Yale, a scathing attack on his alma mater, twenty-five-year-old William F. Buckley, Jr., seized the public stage—and commanded it for the next half century as he led a new generation of conservative activists and ideologues to the peak of political power and cultural influence. Ten years before his death in 2008, Buckley chose prize-winning biographer Sam Tanenhaus to tell the full, uncensored story of his life and times, granting him extensive interviews and exclusive access to his most private papers. Thus began a deep investigation into the vast and often hidden universe of Bill Buckley and the modern conservative revolution. Buckley vividly captures its subject in all his facets and phases: founding editor of National Review, the twentieth century’s most influential political journal; syndicated columnist, Emmy-winning TV debater, and bestselling spy novelist; ally of Joseph McCarthy and Barry Goldwater; mentor to Ronald Reagan; game-changing candidate for mayor of New York. Tanenhaus also has uncovered the darker trail of Bill Buckley’s secret exploits, including CIA missions in Latin America, dark collusions with Watergate felon Howard Hunt, and Buckley’s struggle in his last years to hold together a movement coming apart over the AIDS epidemic, […]

Program for kids birth – age 5. 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.

Join us (and be ready to take notes) for an afternoon virtual conversation with communication expert Jefferson Fisher, as we chat about his book, The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More. REGISTER and submit questions for the author! This program is free and open to all regardless of residency. Registration is required for all virtual talks.

Program for kids ages 5-10. Join educators from Steward Outdoor Day School to explore the world of dragonflies! Together, we will investigate their habitat, behavior, and life cycle in this hands-on STEAM experience that blends science, nature, and art! Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register!

Hear from Nicholas Bellantoni, Emeritus Connecticut State Archaeologist, as he discusses his experiences in 2009 as one of the lead researchers on a team investigating the death of Adolph Hitler for the History Channel. After traveling to Germany and Russia to examine and gather evidence, Bellantoni worked with Dr. Linda Strausbaugh and her team from the University of Connecticut’s Center for Applied Genetics and Technology to analyze biological samples for DNA evidence. Hear what they discovered about Hitler’s final moments. This program is FREE and open to the public at 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Space is limited, so registration is required. Register HERE. About Nick Bellantoni: Nick Bellantoni serves as Connecticut State Archaeologist Emeritus at the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and is an Associate Research Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Connecticut. He received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Connecticut in 1987 and was shortly thereafter appointed the second Connecticut State Archaeologist. He is a former president of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut and the National Association of State Archaeologists.

In this evolving yoga series, yogis will learn valuable breathing and movement sequences that will connect their mind and body.  Each class will include breathing and meditation to prepare the mind as well as deep stretching appropriate for all levels and just a hint of strength work to help keep bodies healthy and agile. Modifications will be provided for anyone that needs them. The library has a limited supply of yoga mats; we suggest bringing your own. This program is FREE and open to ALL at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. No registration necessary, drop in!

Join us at Essex Library on Tuesday, September 16 at 6 p.m. for a talk with legendary NFL sports anchor, reporter and producer Suzy Kolber. Kolber will share highlights of her journey from the peewee football field in Philadelphia to becoming a prominent sports anchor with ESPN, delving into her love of the sport as well as the challenges and experiences of her career and personal life. Refreshments provided. This program is free and open to the public at 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Registration is required. Register HERE or call the Library at 860-767-1560. About Suzy Kolber Suzy Kolber enjoyed an extensive 27-year career at ESPN.  As one of the original anchors for the launch of ESPN2 and the XGames, she most recently hosted the pregame and halftime shows for Monday Night Football.  Kolber spent more than a decade on the field, where she was widely praised for elevating the NFL sideline role. Considered a trailblazer for her versatility and longevity in sports broadcasting, she was the first female recipient of the Maxwell Football Club’s Sports Broadcaster of the Year Award in 2006. Kolber’s 39 years of experience began as a sports producer at WTVJ- Miami.  Along the way she helped launch Dallas […]

Program for kids birth – age 5. 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.

Have you ever wondered why the English spelling of words is sometimes… well… just weird? Come on a surprisingly hilarious journey with us and author Gabe Henry through the history of the English language, while we discuss troublemakers like Mark Twain who broke all the rules. REGISTER and submit questions for the author! This program is free and open to all regardless of residency. Registration is required for all virtual author talks.

Hear from Essex’s top law enforcement officers on how to help prevent crimes, as well as how to avoid them, in this talk offered by Essex Library on Thursday, September 18 at 6 PM. Essex Resident State Trooper First Class Mark Roberts and Essex Police Officer Todd Belcourt will discuss the most common crimes and scams that are specific to this area, as well as what steps to take to reduce the chances of being a victim of a crime. This program is FREE and open to the public regardless of residency at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Registration is required. Register HERE or call the library at 860-767-1560.