Essex Library

New York Times and Emmy Award-winning author Chris Whipple will be at Essex Library to discuss his book, “Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History.” In “Uncharted,” Whipple draws on his exclusive access to sources on both sides of the aisle and takes readers behind the scenes of headline-making news to reveal insights on Joe Biden’s presidential debate performance as well as the campaigns of both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. This program is FREE and open to ALL at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT 06426. Registration is required. Register by calling the library at 860-767-1560. ABOUT CHRIS WHIPPLE Chris Whipple is a New York Times bestselling author and widely acclaimed documentary filmmaker, speaker, and a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning journalist. He appears throughout the media and contributes to the New York Times and Washington Post, and has written for Vanity Fair, Politico, and the Daily Beast, among others. He lives in New York City with his wife Cary. ABOUT “UNCHARTED” A disastrous debate, a would-be assassin’s bullet, an electrifying eleventh hour candidate swap, dramatic and surprising VP selections, betrayals behind closed doors, charges of a stolen election, game-changing blunders—the history-making 2024 presidential election is a political saga of […]

Program for kids ages 2-5. All aboard for a fun-filled train-themed story time, where kids can enjoy exciting train tales, sing railroad songs, and go on a pretend journey full of adventure! 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.

Learn tips and tricks to take great pictures with your iPhone! In this first session, photographer Fred Verillo will focus on the creative aspects of photography such as composition, lighting, perspective, color versus black and white – the overall basics of taking a good picture. The second session will be held on May 10 and will cover photo editing apps. This program is FREE and open to ALL at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Register by calling the library at 860-767-1560. About Fred Verillo Fred Verillo is a self-taught photographer. He was born and raised in New Britain, CT, moved to NYC in 1974, and has lived in Old Lyme since 2017. He finds great inspiration in the sights, sounds, and colors of NYC, and began to photograph upon moving there. Fred’s artistic focus is with light and shadows, patterns, and reflections in glass, metal and water. He strives to present familiar subjects in a way not usually seen by the viewer.

When you picture art, do you ever wonder about the math that builds the patterns or the innovation behind art’s mediums? Have you ever truly seen the science behind the art? Join us in this month's Science in the News talk where three Yale scientists will discuss what we know about the hidden beauty (and potential consequences) of science and its contributions to the world of art and music. You’ll learn about the golden ratio, the sorcery of the theremin, and the new age of AI art. This program is FREE and open to ALL at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Registration is required. Register by calling the library at 860-767-1560.

Let’s face it: Everyone has anxiety. Furthermore, our incessant quest to rid ourselves of this ubiquitous human emotion worsens it. What if, instead of fighting our anxiety, we could turn it into a strength? Register HERE. In this enlightening online webinar, you will learn how to use anxiety to become more self-accepting, connected to others, and resilient. Author of Thriving with Anxiety, Dr. Rosmarin’s constructive, compassionate, and evidence-based approach will not make you less anxious. Instead, it will empower you to use anxiety to thrive. You will learn: To rethink anxiety from being a “disease” to being a normal human emotion; How to use anxiety to increase our self-compassion; How to harness the power of anxiety to enhance emotional intimacy; and How can anxiety help us accomplish what we truly want in life? About the Author: David H. Rosmarin, PhD, is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, a program director at McLean Hospital, and Founder of Center for Anxiety. Through his work as a clinical psychologist, scientist, educator, author, and keynote speaker, David has helped thousands of individuals and organizations to thrive by embracing the emotion of anxiety. His clinical work and research have been featured in Good Morning America, the […]

Dwight Fowler will be at Essex Library to offer an “Introduction to Family Research and Genealogy” class for beginners. Dwight will cover best practices for the overall research process including planning and logging as well as free online tools, primary sources and lesser known sources. This program is FREE and open to ALL at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Registration is required. Register by calling the library at 860-767-1560. About Dwight Fowler Dwight has worked on genealogy and family history since 1982 when he discovered the handwritten notes of his father who logged all of the Fowlers in CT by walking the cemeteries. His area of focus is New England history and is a direct descendant of a Puritan, Philip Fowler, who arrived in Ipswich, MA in 1634. He is the vice president of the Vermont Genealogy Library, having lived in Vermont for 10 years. He is a longtime resident of Connecticut.

Program for kids and teens ages 10 and up! Are you interested in robotics? Join the VRHS Robotics Team “Human Error” to get up close and personal with some cool robots! Meet Noj, Human Error’s newest robot that just competed in the 2025 First Robotics Competition and have a chance to interact with some LEGO Robotics from First Lego League. No prior robotics experience is necessary. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register!

In this second session, photographer Fred Verillo will focus on the use of editing apps that are available to enhance and crop images. This session will include a hands-on portion where participants will choose an image and work with the apps. This program is FREE and open to ALL at Essex Library, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Register online or by calling the Library at 860-767-1560. About Fred Verillo:  Fred Verillo is a self-taught photographer. He was born and raised in New Britain, CT, moved to NYC in 1974, and has lived in Old Lyme since 2017. He finds great inspiration in the sights, sounds, and colors of NYC, and began to photograph upon moving there. Fred’s artistic focus is with light and shadows, patterns, and reflections in glass, metal and water. He strives to present familiar subjects in a way not usually seen by the viewer.

Enjoy a movie on the big screen in the Buel Room of Essex Library! No registration necessary, drop in! For the movie title, call the library at 860-767-1560 or check the library's events calendar at www.youressexlibrary.org

Grab your popcorn, grab your friend, and join us for an propulsive online conversation with author Liann Zhang as she chats with us about her debut thriller Julie Chan is Dead. Register HERE. Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse. Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied. Haunted by Chloe’s untimely death and struggling to fit into the privileged influencer circle, Julie faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with Chloe’s exclusive group of influencer friends. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister’s demise and realizes she might be the next target. Julie Chan is Dead is the brilliant, dark, and diabolical debut thriller we’ve all been waiting for. Register now for a […]

Essex Library will host Louie Listens; an opportunity for kids & teens to read with a local, licensed therapy dog! Reading to a therapy dog has been proven to improve reading skills, self-esteem, and confidence in public speaking sessions. Sign up to spend time with and read to Louie the Labrador, a local, licensed therapy dog and his handler, Rebecca Russell. Time slots will be a private 15 minutes to read to and interact with Louie. This free event is open to all kids & teens who wish to practice reading, or spend time, with a therapy dog. Click here to register for the 5:00 session. Click here to register for the 5:15 session. Click here to register for the 5:30 session. Click here to register for the 5:45 session.

Spend an hour with a teen buddy! Build social skills, fluency, and confidence with a teen buddy here at the Essex Library. Each teen volunteer (ages 13-18) is paired with a younger reader (ages 4-8) for a relaxed hour of literacy fun. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required to ensure that each reader is matched with a mentor. Parents are asked to remain in the building for the duration of the program. Register a younger reader! Register a Teen Mentor!

You’re invited to an online intimate conversation with bestselling author Rachelle Bergstein as she chats about her newest book The Genius of Judy. This book takes an expansive look at Judy Blume’s life, work, and cultural impact, focusing on her most iconic—and controversial—young adult novels, from Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret to Blubber. Register HERE. Everyone knows Judy Blume. Her books have garnered her fans of all ages for decades and sold tens of millions of copies. But why were people so drawn to them? And why are we still talking about them now in the 21st century? In The Genius of Judy, her remarkable story is revealed as never before, beginning with her as a mother of two searching for purpose outside of her home in 1960s suburban New Jersey. The books she wrote starred regular children with genuine thoughts and problems. But behind those deceptively simple tales, Blume explored the pillars of the growing women’s rights movement, in which girls and women were entitled to careers, bodily autonomy, fulfilling relationships, and even sexual pleasure. Blume wasn’t trying to be a revolutionary—she just wanted to tell honest stories—but in doing so, she created a cohesive, culture-altering vision of modern adolescence. Blume’s bravery provoked backlash, […]

Register for this virtual program HERE. Nancy Beck will present a talk on “The Art of Gaman,” during which she will present objects and arts and crafts made by Japanese Americans in U.S. internment camps during World War II. She will also show footage from the 2011 documentary, Art of Gaman, in which Delphine Hirasuna, author of the book “Art of Gaman” discusses the Japanese internment camps and gaman. Beck will show many of the objects made from scraps and found materials in the camps that internees created to help beautify their surroundings. The objects are the manifestation of what many describe as the art of gaman, a Japanese word that means to bear the seemingly unbearable with dignity and patience. This program is FREE and open to ALL. Registration is required for this virtual program. About Nancy Beck  Nancy Beck is Secretary and Treasurer of the Japan Society of Fairfield County (JSFC).  She is a third-generation Japanese American (sansei).  Her mother and many other relatives were incarcerated during World War II because of their Japanese ethnicity.  Ms. Beck is a graduate of the University of Chicago.

Program for kids ages 2-5. Creep, crawl, and flutter into adventure with our bug-themed story time, where tiny critters lead to big fun! 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!

Former CNN Moscow Bureau Chief, Jill Dougherty, will be at Essex Library to discuss her recently released book, My Russia. My Russia reveals Dougherty’s transformative journey from a Cold War–era obsession with Russia to witnessing firsthand the rise of Vladimir Putin and the unraveling of a nation she grew to love. My Russia charts Russia’s evolution through the eyes of an American with rare insight into Russia, its people, and its leaders. Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing at the event. Light refreshments will be provided. This program is FREE and open to ALL at 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Registration is required. About Jill Dougherty Jill Dougherty was a CNN correspondent for over thirty years. She is now a CNN on-air contributor, reporting and analyzing events in Russia and the region. She was CNN’s Moscow bureau chief for almost a decade and served as CNN’s White House correspondent, US affairs editor, managing editor for the Asia/Pacific region, and foreign affairs correspondent covering the US State Department. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. She teaches at Georgetown University’s Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East […]

Felicia Millet, a plant diagnostician with the Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, will be onsite at Essex Library to present “Growing Mountain Laurels in Connecticut.” Mountain Laurel was named the state flower of Connecticut in 1907 and has continued to captivate residents ever since. This presentation will include a discussion of the history of these native plants, cultivar descriptions, tips on planting, as well as which pests and diseases to look out for. This program is made possible through a collaboration of Essex Library and the Essex Land Trust. This program is FREE and open to ALL at 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Registration is required. Register online at www.youressexlibrary.org or by calling the library at 860-767-1560.

Enjoy a movie on the big screen in the Buel Room of Essex Library! No registration necessary, drop in! For the movie title, call the library at 860-767-1560 or check the library's events calendar at www.youressexlibrary.org

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. www.youressexlibrary.org