Join us for a delicious afternoon arranging a charcuterie board that is both tasty and beautiful. Learn make a kiwi flower, salami roses, prosciutto ribbons, and more! Participants will be able to take home their delectable creations, as well as learn skills that will impress future guests at any gathering.
Space is limited so please register here!
Presented in partnership with Curated Creations, Inc.
Do you need your paperwork notarized? Our Notary Public is available to notarize your documents free of charge. A Notary Public is a public servant appointed by state government to witness the signing of important documents and administer oaths. Please schedule an appointment for a notarization.
To register for the 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. session, click here.
To register for the 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. session, click here.
Required Paperwork
If you need something notarized, please bring two forms of ID containing your signature, one of which must have a photo.
Examples of Acceptable IDs
• Valid Driver’s License
• Passport
• Credit Card with Signature
Unacceptable IDs
• Social Security Card
• Birth Certificate
Before You Arrive
Be sure the documents are complete and ready for signature. Please don’t sign the document(s) until you appear before the Notary Public.
If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney. The Notary Public is prohibited from helping you to prepare, complete, or understand legal documents.
Do you need your paperwork notarized? Our Notary Public is available to notarize your documents free of charge. A Notary Public is a public servant appointed by state government to witness the signing of important documents and administer oaths. Please schedule an appointment for a notarization.
To register for the 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. session, click here.
To register for the 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. session, click here.
Required Paperwork
If you need something notarized, please bring two forms of ID containing your signature, one of which must have a photo.
Examples of Acceptable IDs
• Valid Driver’s License
• Passport
• Credit Card with Signature
Unacceptable IDs
• Social Security Card
• Birth Certificate
Before You Arrive
Be sure the documents are complete and ready for signature. Please don’t sign the document(s) until you appear before the Notary Public.
If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney. The Notary Public is prohibited from helping you to prepare, complete, or understand legal documents.
Rowayton Library will be closed on Wednesday, January 1, 2025 for New Year’s Day.
Join the Rowayton Library in celebrating the 14th anniversary of this day on Saturday, February 1st, 2025! This year, we are thrilled to welcome back local author Valerie Bolling for a very special Storytime at 12:00 p.m. featuring two of her books! Stop by the Rowayton Library and Rowayton Community Center with your child or children to enjoy fun activities, featured book displays, snacks, and lots more library fun!
Take Your Child to the Library Day (TYCLD) is an international initiative that encourages families everywhere to take their children to their local library. Launched in 2011 in Connecticut by librarians Nadine Lipman (Waterford Public Library, retired) and Caitlin Augusta (Stratford Library) with artist Nancy Elizabeth Wallace, TYCLD raises community awareness about the importance of the library in the life of a child, and promotes library services and programs for children and families.
No registration required!
Did you know that snowy owls can stay comfy and cozy in the Arctic even when the temperature is well below zero? That’s because they have so many thick feathers to keep them warm! Children ages 2 to 6 and their caregivers are invited to join us as we make our own snowy owls by sponge painting on construction paper. Glue and paint will be used so dress for mess!
Register here!
Intermittent Wednesdays from January 15th to April 30th
Great Decisions is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs and created by the Foreign Policy Association. This program provides background information and policy options for the eight most critical issues facing America each year.
Rowayton resident Jim Frayer will facilitate discussions. Register here and pick up your briefing book at the library!
The weekly topics and corresponding discussion meeting dates are:
A video showing of the topic up for discussion will be shown at 6:30 p.m. every week. Actual discussion of the topic will begin at 7:00 p.m. Participants are invited to tune in to both!
New Photo Release Policy effective February 1, 2019. See here for details.
Online programs hosted by the library will be provided via Zoom. Visit their website here to find the appropriate download instructions and download link for your device. Registration for all programs is required. Participants who register for any program will receive an email with the link to join.
Rowayton Library will be closed on Monday, January 20, 2025 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
January 9th to February 27th
Maybe you already have a subscription but only consistently glance at the cartoons? Or perhaps you yearn for in-depth reporting, written well without the prefab soundbites of TV news? Or you might just like to meet up with interesting individuals to talk about current events, the latest big hit on Broadway, upcoming museum exhibits worth a look all while enjoying a sip of wine and savory bites on a chilly winter evening.
The magazine issue is on us.
Register here!
View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.
Children in grade K through 5 are invited to join us as we welcome back Animal Embassy to take us on a journey around the globe with incredible live Animal Ambassadors. We’ll meet Animal Ambassadors representing diverse habitats! Animals prepare for winter in a variety of ways. Some animals migrate, some get new fur coats, some hibernate and some store food to last through the winter. We will explore the ways in which different animals prepare for the challenges of the winter season while meeting Animal Ambassadors such as a Rabbit, a Ferret, an African Bullfrog, and an Axolotl. Animal Embassy enables children of all ages to connect with the natural world with this unforgettable, interactive live animal presentation!
As this program is brought to us by an outside organization, we cannot exceed a specific maximum headcount capacity. As such, we ask that every child who wishes to attend be registered individually so that we may ensure that we do not exceed capacity.
Register here!
Meeting monthly starting Wednesday, January 8, 2025
After you put a good science fiction or fantasy book down, it’s hard not to just gush about it. The Rowayton Library Sci/Fi and Fantasy Book Club is here to provide an outlet to do just that! Every month, we read a selected longtime classic or overlooked gem, and then meet up in person at the library to discuss it.
To start things off we’re going to be reading Terry Pratchett’s fantasy novel Going Postal. As hard as it is to choose a favorite entry out of the Discworld shared universe, this book stands out as a great introduction to the world! Set in Pratchett’s wonderfully crazed city of Ankh-Morpork, the book follows Moist Von Lipwig. A con artist who has been given the choice to either save the city’s failing postal service or hang for his crimes. Smartly written, packed with dry humor, and rife with commentary about the corruption of technology and what the public sector must do in order to survive.
Copies of Going Postal are available now at the library if you need one.
Register here! Refreshments will be provided.
Join us for a special documentary screening of Suburban Safari: A Backyard Wildlife Adventure with filmmaker and Rowayton resident James Porter. Suburban Safari is a 1-hour and 34-minute documentary exploring the vibrant wildlife sustained in a small patch of woods in a suburban neighborhood. Over a ten-year period, the documentary follows the lives of recurring visitors to the filmmaker’s own backyard in Rowayton, including a 75-year-old box turtle that appears annually for over a decade. Could this be the last box turtle in Rowayton? Come to the film screening and find out!
A Q&A session with James Porter will follow the film. Refreshments will be provided. Register here.
Have an issue with one of your devices? Technology proving to be more of a challenge than you thought? We can help! Register for a 30-minute help session just for you.
To register for the 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. session, click here.
To register for the 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. session, click here.
View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.
Have an issue with one of your devices? Technology proving to be more of a challenge than you thought? We can help! Register for a 30-minute help session just for you.
To register for the 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. session, click here.
To register for the 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. session, click here.
To register for the 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. session, click here.
View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.
Kids ages 2 to 6 and their caregivers are invited to join us as we make and decorate our own cozy winter hat and mittens using paper, markers, glitter, and cotton balls! Paint and glue will be used so dress for mess!
Register here!
View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.
Families with kids of all ages are invited to come to the library and color some festive bookmarks, listen to holiday music, and sip on some hot cocoa while we wait for Santa! He will arrive at approximately 1:30 p.m.
The library will be closing early at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31 for New Year’s Eve.
The library will be closed on Wednesday, December 25 for Christmas Day.
The library will be closed on Tuesday, December 24 for Christmas Eve.
Young ones ages 4 and under are invited along with their caregivers to listen to stories, participate in rhymes and sing songs. Just drop in!
View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.
Young ones ages 4 and under are invited along with their caregivers to listen to stories, participate in rhymes and sing songs. Just drop in!
View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.
You have been summoned to join The Gathering! Interested in traversing different planes of existence? Or battling your friends with powerful creatures and spectacular spells? Then this group is for you! Players in grades 5 and up are invited to join us for commander games of Magic: The Gathering. Compete with friends, meet new opponents, or learn how to play! We will provide playing cards and dice but you’re welcome to bring your own, too!
Register here!
New Photo Release Policy effective February 1, 2019. See here for details.
Join us for a captivating conversation with #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me, Laura Dave, as she chats with us online about her newest book The Night We Lost Him.
The Night We Lost Him focuses on estranged siblings who discover their father has been keeping a secret for over fifty years, one that may have been fatal…
Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar – notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death.
The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora and her estranged brother Sam have other ideas. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father’s past—and uncover a family secret that changes everything.
With Laura Dave’s trademark combination of soulful suspense and evocative family drama, The Night We Lost Him is a riveting page-turner. Register now to learn about this book and so much more!
About the Author: Laura Dave is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including The Last Thing He Told Me and Eight Hundred Grapes. Her novels have been translated into thirty-eight languages, and six of them, including The Night We Lost Him, have been optioned for film and television. She resides in Santa Monica, California.
Join us for an absolutely dazzling presentation with the emeritus curator of the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection, Dr. Jeffrey E. Post as he talks about The Smithsonian National Gem Collection Unearthed: Surprising Stories Behind the Jewels.
The Smithsonian’s Unearthed explores the scandals, mysteries, and human stories behind the world’s greatest gems. In this original book, the surprising stories behind this world-renowned gem collection are brought to life by Dr. Jeffrey E. Post, curator of the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection for over 30 years. In this webinar, fact is separated from fiction and Dr. Post will reveal fresh information and regale the viewers with anecdotes and tales of some of the world’s greatest and most famous gemstones. Inside the illustrious pages of Unearthed, Dr. Post tells the stories of the Smithsonian’s most famous gems, including the Hope Diamond, Star of Asia Sapphire, Carmen Lucia Ruby, Hooker Emerald, and Blue Heart Diamond and presents the tales, details, and fascinating facts surrounding rarely displayed gems from the Smithsonian vault and recent additions made to the collection.
Shine bright with us this holiday season and register here!
About the Author and Presenter:
Dr. Jeffrey Edward Post, a native of Wisconsin, received Bachelor of Science degrees in geology and chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville, and his Ph.D. in chemistry, with a specialty in geochemistry, from Arizona State University. Prior to joining the Department of Mineral Sciences at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History in 1984, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for three years in the Department of Geological Sciences at Harvard University. He was Chairman of the Department of Mineral Sciences 1989-1994 and 2014-2019, and from 1991 to 2023 served as Curator-in-Charge of the U.S. National Gem and Mineral Collection. Dr. Post was the lead Curator for the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals that opened in 1997. In May 2023 he was appointed research curator, emeritus.
His areas of research interest include mineralogy, gemology, and geochemistry. He has published more than 150 scientific articles in these fields. He is the author of The National Gem Collection, and the recently published: The Smithsonian National Gem Collection—Unearthed: Surprising Stories Behind the Jewels.
Please refrain from bringing snacks and drinks-the instruments get too sticky!
Children ages 5 and under are invited to come sing, play musical instruments and dance to the beat! Be ready to participate in this highly interactive program. Just drop in!
View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.
Using many different styles of music, Claudia’s motivating, high energy dance class includes a classic dance movement warm-up using a chair, light weight strengthening exercises, and a full body stretch, using the mind-body connection to make this class both inspirational and fun.
Sing a little, dance a lot, move to your fullest potential, while getting a light aerobic workout, as well as gaining strength, flexibility, and energy. Posture awareness is the focus of this combination of standing, dance and chair stretch. Work out at your own pace while gaining benefits of the group energy.
Join us for this 45 minute workout that is guaranteed to make you feel great!
Register for each individual December session below:
View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.
Using many different styles of music, Claudia’s motivating, high energy dance class includes a classic dance movement warm-up using a chair, light weight strengthening exercises, and a full body stretch, using the mind-body connection to make this class both inspirational and fun.
Sing a little, dance a lot, move to your fullest potential, while getting a light aerobic workout, as well as gaining strength, flexibility, and energy. Posture awareness is the focus of this combination of standing, dance and chair stretch. Work out at your own pace while gaining benefits of the group energy.
Join us for this 45 minute workout that is guaranteed to make you feel great!
Register for each individual December session below:
View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.
Kids in grades 2 and up are invited to visit the library to try out new mods and engage in some serious Minecraft.
Space is limited so please register here.
As this program is in in high demand and fills up very quickly every month, Rowayton Library would like to share the opportunity to join our sessions from home! Hop on to our Minecraft Java Server at 192.99.35.12:2059. This will save your activity in the game with us and our participants, whether we’re in a session at the library or not, and save you the hassle of having to make a server yourself!
View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.
Enjoy trying out new dishes?
Interested in sharing tips on how to tweak a recipe?
Want to swap cooking or baking suggestions over a delicious meal?
…
then this Book Club is for you!
Come join us for a potluck celebration of comfort food, conversation, and cocktails. Each season, we will hold a session where participants select recipes from a few chosen cookbooks in the library’s collection.
Then, make the dishes to bring to the library for a potluck dinner full of wonderful culinary delights, both savory and sweet.
This session, Ruth Freeman and Kerry McFarlin welcome all participants to join us in having some fun at this potluck dinner, full of wonderful culinary delights, both savory and sweet, and maybe learn a trick or two in the kitchen! As the weather gets cold and the winter season begins, we’re drawn to cozy, comforting dishes to bring warmth and cheer to our seasonal feast.
The cookbooks selected for this session include:
What you need to do:
We will supply liquid refreshments and paper supplies.
Questions? Contact the library at library@rowayton.org.
New Photo Release Policy effective February 1, 2019. See here for details.
You have been summoned to join The Gathering! Interested in traversing different planes of existence? Or battling your friends with powerful creatures and spectacular spells? Then this group is for you! Players in grades 5 and up are invited to join us for commander games of Magic: The Gathering. Compete with friends, meet new opponents, or learn how to play! We will provide playing cards and dice but you’re welcome to bring your own, too!
Register here!
New Photo Release Policy effective February 1, 2019. See here for details.
Please refrain from bringing snacks and drinks-the instruments get too sticky!
Children ages 5 and under are invited to come sing, play musical instruments and dance to the beat! Be ready to participate in this highly interactive program. Just drop in!
View our Photo Release Policy, effective since February 1, 2019, here.
You’re invited to join us as Mona Susan Power chats about her newest novel A Council of Dolls. This conversation highlights how her work explores Native Rights and Native American culture, in particular using an important symbol that anchors comfort and companionship in Native life: dolls.
From the mid-century metropolis of Chicago to the windswept ancestral lands of the Dakota people, to the bleak and brutal Indian boarding schools, A Council of Dolls is the story of three women, told in part through the stories of the dolls they carried….
Sissy, born 1961: Sissy’s relationship with her beautiful and volatile mother is difficult, even dangerous, but her life is also filled with beautiful things, including a new Christmas present, a doll called Ethel. Ethel whispers advice and kindness in Sissy’s ear, and in one especially terrifying moment, maybe even saves Sissy’s life.
Lillian, born 1925: Born in her ancestral lands in a time of terrible change, Lillian clings to her sister, Blanche, and her doll, Mae. When the sisters are forced to attend an “Indian school” far from their home, Blanche refuses to be cowed by the school’s abusive nuns. But when tragedy strikes the sisters, the doll Mae finds her way to defend the girls.
Cora, born 1888: Though she was born into the brutal legacy of the “Indian Wars,” Cora isn’t afraid of the white men who remove her to a school across the country to be “civilized.” When teachers burn her beloved buckskin and beaded doll Winona, Cora discovers that the spirit of Winona may not be entirely lost…
A modern masterpiece, A Council of Dolls is gorgeous, quietly devastating, and ultimately hopeful, shining a light on the echoing damage wrought by Indian boarding schools, and the historical massacres of Indigenous people. Mona Susan Power weaves a spell of love and healing that comes alive on the page. Register here to join the conversation!
Aren’t able to attend? Visit us here to view recordings of past events and the list others that are coming up!
About the Author: Mona Susan Power is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Her novel, A Council of Dolls, was longlisted for the National Book Award and the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. She is the author of three previously published works of fiction, The Grass Dancer, which won the Pen/Hemingway Prize, Sacred Wilderness, and Roofwalker. Her short stories have been published by The Atlantic Monthly, The Paris Review, The Best American Short Stories, and more. Mona is a graduate of Harvard and the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Brought to you in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium.
Tune in for a special conversation with New York Times bestselling author Javier Zamora as he chats with us about his riveting tale of survival and perseverance as told in his award-winning memoir Solito.
Zamora’s adventure is a three-thousand-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border. He will leave behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety, Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks.
At nine years old, all Javier can imagine is rushing into his parents’ arms, snuggling in bed between them, and living under the same roof again. He cannot foresee the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns, arrests and deceptions that await him; nor can he know that those two weeks will expand into two life-altering months alongside fellow migrants who will come to encircle him like an unexpected family.
Solito provides an immediate and intimate account not only of a treacherous and near-impossible journey, but also of the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most unexpected moments. Solito is Javier Zamora’s story, but it’s also the story of millions of others who had no choice but to leave home. Register today to learn more about this gripping and moving story!
Register here! Aren’t able to attend? Visit us here to view recordings of past events and the list others that are coming up!
About the Author: Javier Zamora was born in El Salvador in 1990. His father fled the country when he was one, and his mother when he was about to turn five. Both parents’ migrations were caused by the U.S.-funded Salvadoran Civil War. When he was nine Javier migrated through Guatemala, Mexico, and the Sonoran Desert. His debut poetry collection, Unaccompanied, explores the impact of the war and immigration on his family. Zamora has been a Stegner Fellow at Stanford and a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard and holds fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.
The library will be closed on Thursday, November 28 for Thanksgiving Day.
The library will be closing early at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 27, Thanksgiving Eve.
A program for high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors & their parents/caregivers
Ron Feuchs and Jackie Tepper, partners at Stand Out For College, LLC are offering this Zoom presentation to help families of juniors, sophomores and freshmen understand the college admissions process and how to successfully navigate the recent changes. This program is recommended for parents and their high school teens and is a detailed and strategic overview of what students should focus on for a successful college admissions process.
Ron and Jackie will discuss current college admissions trends, admissions strategies, the changing test-optional environment, the importance of researching and visiting colleges to find schools that can be a good fit for your child, a timeline and other action steps that can be taken to make this fall productive and help reduce the stress around the college admissions process.
They will examine the holistic admissions review process, what admissions officers consider important when they review applicants, and how students can position themselves to develop a compelling narrative to increase their chances for admission.
They will also discuss the importance of community service, how it can provide an opportunity for personal growth and a way to showcase a student’s character. Admissions officers place great emphasis on a student’s character and how the student has been able to give back and help others.
Register here!
Presentation will be conducted via Zoom. Visit their website here to find the appropriate download instructions and download link for your device.
When it comes to the financial and real estate markets, people aren’t always as rational as you would think. Behavioral finance experts have been studying the not-so-smart decisions people make. We will reveal the fears, misperceptions and emotional needs people have that sabotage their investment and home sale returns.
Join us for this monthly roundtable for women on money led by financial professionals Julia Strayer and Liz Maccarone. This series’ discussion will focus on how to make sense of today’s financial markets, is open to women with any level of financial knowledge, and is an ongoing informational gathering to learn and share.
We’ll show you how to avoid the mistakes and make decisions like the pros. We’ll cover the latest market news and how that might affect your decision making. We’ll also give you background and context for understanding why market movement occurs and we’ll share strategies for keeping ahead of what might come. Register here!
Our Roundtable Leaders:
Julia Strayer, CPWA®, CIMA®, CRPC®
Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor
Prior to joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2000, Julia was a vice president and private banker for BankBoston’s Private Bank for 7 years, responsible for asset management and trust services. Previously, Julia worked in marketing for 9 years with Merrill. Julia has a BA from Ohio State University and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Julia has appeared on the CNBC show “Power Lunch,” CBS “This Morning,” WGCH’s “Women in Business,” in addition to featured articles in USA Today.
Liz Maccarone, CRPC®
Senior Financial Advisor
Liz joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2012. Liz works closely with high-net-worth individuals and their families to create personalized and comprehensive strategies that support their goals, including investment management, retirement planning, liability management, and multigenerational planning. Liz values the importance of establishing and cultivating relationships with families including the next generation. Liz graduated from Fairfield University with a dual bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing. She began her career working at a boutique investment firm as a Business Development Associate, specializing in commodities and futures trading.
The roundtable meetings will be conducted via Zoom. Visit their website here to find the appropriate download instructions and download link for your device.
This session of the series is hosted by Darien Library.