Library preparing for Friends of Library book sale

Fourteen people gathered at the Charlotte Library on Saturday, May 31, to explore the art of indigo dyeing. Toby Goldsmith, a weaver and natural dye artisan, shared her expertise and then led the group through the process, which starts with creating the pattern and ends with soaking in the natural indigo blue dye. Along the way, the group learned about the history of this product, the use across the globe, and the techniques traditional and modern, used to create clothing and other goods.

The Charlotte Library will be closed on Tuesday, June 24, for an in-service day, but the following activities will still take place:

• Preschool Story Time, 10 a.m.
• Book Sale drop-off, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Rainbow stamp collage
Our rainy spring inspired our all-hands rainbow collage project. Help create this colorful collage with old postage stamps in recognition of Pride Month.

Juneteenth postcard craft
Juneteenth is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. Stop in during the month to enjoy our Juneteenth-related book display and make a Juneteenth postcard to share.

Friends of the Library book sale
Sunday, July 13: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Friends of the Library book sale is July 13. In the meantime, the library is collecting books for the sale. Please only bring gently used, recent or classic books and deliver them to the backdoor of the library adjacent to the program room at the specified times.

The library doesn’t accept mass-market paperback books (the small ones), textbooks, reference books, older cookbooks or older travel books, but current cookbooks and travel books are accepted along with complete jigsaw puzzles.

Donations are limited to two boxes or bags per person.

Mark your calendar for the drop-off dates:

• Monday, June 23, 4-7 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 24, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Wednesday, June 25, 4-7 p.m.
• Saturday, June 28, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 8, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 9, 4-7 p.m.

If you have questions, email Marie Norwood.

Programs for kids

Story time with Scott Wilson
Tuesday, June 17, 10 a.m.
Scott Wilson is a Vermont-based children’s book author and illustrator living in Charlotte. He enjoys placing unexpected characters in humorous situations while bringing to life his unconventional artistry. Find out more. All ages welcome to this event.

Music on the Porch
Friday, June 20, 10 a.m.
Toe-tapping music on the library porch with Chris Gribnau and Lisa Henry. All ages encouraged to attend.

Vermont Institute of Natural Science
Wednesday, June 25, 1 p.m.
Discover a world where owls turn pink, and tree trunks can blink in “Color Our World!” In partnership with the Vermont Summer Reading Program, meet three of our animal ambassadors, and learn how nature’s palette can startle, impress and even fool the eye. Witness the rainbow of techniques our wildlife uses to hunt, hide, and survive in this program geared towards families and children of all ages. Who knows whoooo we’ll encounter? No registration.

Find all the kids’ summer programs on the Color Our World Summer Schedule.

Weekly summer programs

Preschool story time
Tuesdays, 10 a.m.
Come to the Charlotte Library for preschool stories, crafts and activities. No registration required. Age 2 and over.

Preschool free play
Wednesdays, 10 a.m.
Play in the preschool years enables children to explore and make sense of the world around them, as well as to use and develop their imagination. Explore the sensory table, sorting, playing with blocks, playdoh — these are a few of the open-ended projects planned for Wednesday morning play-based learning.

Baby Time
Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.
An unstructured hour for parents, caregivers and babies to play, explore books and chat in the young children’s area. Ages birth to 18 months.

Let’s Lego
Saturdays, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Drop-in for Lego free play. We’ll have loads of Lego bricks out, along with some books and prompts for inspiration. For all ages. Please note: Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

Programs for adults

Garden Circle
Mondays, 8:30-10 a.m., & Wednesdays, 4:30-6 p.m.
Garden stewards Karen Tuininga and Linda Hamilton invite past and interested new members of the library’s Garden Circle to join in tending the library gardens. These include the Rain Garden along the east side of the building, the Welcome Garden that wraps around the south end and the raised bed Food and Herb Gardens behind the Quinlan Schoolhouse. Come regularly or as you can. All help welcome. Questions? Email.

Stillwater meditation
Saturdays, 9 a.m. (no meeting April 26)
Poetry and meditation are offered freely and in person to the Charlotte community. Come for quiet reflection, contemplation and gentle meditation instruction. Respect for all beings and faiths is a foundational quality of our time together. Beginning and experienced meditators are welcome.

Kokedama workshop
Saturday, June 14, 10-11 a.m.
Try your hand at the Japanese art of growing plants in a moss-covered ball of soil. Make your own to take home. Limited space. Registration required.

Mystery book group
Monday, June 16, 10 a.m.
In the “The Alchemist’s Daughter” it’s 1543 during King Henry VIII’s turbulent reign. The daughter of a notorious alchemist finds herself suspected of cold-blooded murder. Join us for coffee and discussion of this medieval mystery. Copies available at the circulation desk and as e-book on Hoopla.

Short story selections
Wednesday, June 18, 1 p.m.
Join library director Margaret Woodruff to share and discuss short stories old and new. The group meets the third Wednesday of each month. Selections are sent out the Friday before each discussion. Join.

Better Together Book Club
Wednesday, June 18, 7 p.m.
The Vignes twin sisters in “The Vanishing Half” will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern Black community and running away at age 16, it’s not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults; it’s everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters’ storylines intersect? Copies available at the circulation desk.

Men’s book group
Wednesday, June 18, 7:30 p.m.
Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” is considered one of the finest books about the Vietnam War. Far from a combat story of pride and glory, it is a compassionate tale of the American soldier, brimming with raw honesty and thoughtful reflection. The book’s narrator follows a platoon of infantrymen through the jungles of Vietnam. We see them trudge through the muck of a constant downpour, get hit by sniper fire, pull body parts out of a tree, laugh while they tell their stories to each other and fall silent when faced with making sense of it all — both in the moment and 20 years later. Join in person or on Zoom. Copies available at the circulation desk.

Thursday book group
Thursday, June 17, 7:30 p.m.
“The Dictionary of Lost Words” tells the story of how, in 1901, the word ‘bondmaid’ was discovered missing from the Oxford English Dictionary. This is the story of the girl who stole it. Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Over time, Esme realizes that some words are considered more important than others, and that words and meanings relating to women’s experiences often go unrecorded. Copies available at the circulation desk.

Recurring programs

Book chat
Wednesdays, 3 p.m.
Meet each week to discuss new books, old books and books we might have missed. Each week, library director Margaret Woodruff selects a theme and highlights related titles from the library collection. No registration necessary.

Crochet & knit night
Wednesdays, 5-6:30 p.m.
Join in a casual weekly session of crocheting and chatting, knitting and catching up. Bring your project or start a new one with yarn and needles available at the library, along with plenty of books to instruct and inspire. For teens and adults.

Library contact information:
Margaret Woodruff, director
Cheryl Sloan, youth services librarian
Susanna Kahn, tech librarian
Phone: 802-425-3864
Email

For the latest information about programs, books and activity kits, sign up for the newsletter.

The Charlotte Library Board of Trustees meets the first Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. except the month of August unless otherwise rescheduled following the Opening Meeting Law. The next scheduled board meeting is Thursday, July 17, at 6 p.m. Contact the library or visit the library website for more information.