March 29, 2024  |  By Judi Byron

This post was updated on April 2 with the May 2&9 Supremely Strong program note.

The Waterbury Public Library hosts a variety of regular and special programs and events each month. Here are some highlights for April programs and a note on a May program taking registrations in advance.

Be sure to check the complete listings for adults and children at WaterburyPublicLibrary.com.

April 2: Reject that inner critic

Join Lou Bevacqui – resilience coach, speaker, author, and founder of START Right – for a free workshop to develop your inner coach. We all have an inner critic that typically talks incessantly and gets in the way of one’s inner truth and purpose. Learn how to develop that voice to feel more centered, confident and capable. The workshop is Tuesday, April 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. Bevacqui will share practical strategies that can be implemented immediately and used successfully every day.

An acupuncturist and emotional resilience coach for over 20 years, Bevacqui has helped many folks reach their potential. “Falling down is hard but you don’t have to stay there. Setbacks happen but they shouldn’t keep you from reaching your goals,” he said. He works with both individuals and groups and is associated with Norwich University, the Mad River Valley Health Alliance, Harwood Unified Union School District, and Longwood University.

April 11: New digital offerings

The library will introduce two new digital services with Technology Librarian Kyle Creason, on Thursday, April 11, from 3 to 4 p.m. both in person at the library and online via Zoom. (The Zoom link will be posted on the library website one week prior.) The class will provide an overview of the library’s two new digital services apps: Udemy and Peterson’s Test and Career Prep.

Udemy overs on-demand video courses in business, tech, design, and more. Peterson’s Test and Career Prep is replacing Learning Express Library which expires on May 31. Peterson’s has many comparable resources to Learning Express, including expanded Commercial Driver’s License training options. The recently redesigned appearance of Peterson’s improves access and navigation to the many career, higher education, and high school-oriented resources for patrons.

Kyle will also be able to answer questions regarding any of the library’s other digital services apps.

April 15: Vermont Reads book discussion with Outright Vermont

Outright Vermont, Waterbury Public Library, Mad River Valley libraries and the Harwood Union High School library collaborate for a special multigenerational discussion of the Vermont Reads 2023-24 book selection “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” by Malinda Lo.

This event will take place at the Harwood Union High School Library starting at 5:30 p.m. on April 15.

The discussion will be facilitated by Outright Vermont, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth in Vermont. This program will be geared toward teens and adults, particularly LGBTQ+ youth, their allies, and their adult supporters.

The book is a coming-of-age novel suggested for readers ages 14 and up. It tells the story of teenager Lily Hu growing up in San Francisco’s Chinatown, home to Chinese immigrant families like hers. Set in the 1950s, Lily’s passion for rockets and space exploration is matched by her curiosity about the Telegraph Club, located in a neighboring part of the city her parents have asked her to avoid. Lily and her friend Kathleen begin to sneak out at night to the club, which hosts performances by Tommy Andrews, a woman who dresses and performs in a traditionally masculine style. Kath and Lily’s interest in each other continues to grow despite the very real danger faced by two girls falling in love in 1954.

The discussion at Harwood will explore themes centering on the lives of LGBTQ+ youth, finding community, and how lessons from a story set in the 1950s are relevant today. Copies are available to check out from all of the libraries involved in this program.

If possible, register here to attend. Walk-ins are also welcome.

April 16: Poetry with Erika Nichols-Frazer

Celebrate National Poetry Month with an evening of poetry from Waitsfield author and poet Erika Nichols-Frazer on Tuesday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m. Nichols-Frazer penned the poetry collection “Staring Too Closely” (Main Street Rag, 2023) which explores themes of healing from trauma, both personal and collective, and tries to make sense of a maddening world. The collection invites its readers to look more closely at themselves and the world around them.

Erika will read from her collection, answer questions, and discuss poetry from the perspective of both poet and editor.

Nichols-Frazer is the author of the memoir Feed Me: A Story of Food, Love and Mental Illness (Casper Press, 2022), a story about a young woman’s journey to save herself; a story about sustenance and the ways in which we feed ourselves and each other. She is also the editor of the Poetry Society of Vermont's literary magazine, “The Mountain Troubadour.” More than 30 of her poems, essays, and short stories have appeared in publications such as HuffPost, River Teeth's Beautiful Things, Emerge Literary Journal, and elsewhere. She works as Writing and Humanities Coordinator at Vermont State University Johnson and is on the board of the Green Mountain Book Festival.

April 27: Backyard composting with John Malter

*John Malter, administrator of the Mad River Resource Management Alliance, will host a composting workshop at the Waterbury Public Library on April 27. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti*

Each spring, John Malter presents his popular Backyard Composting workshop at the library. The Mad River Resource Management Alliance’s administrator, Malter loves all things compost. He covers a bit of science as well as the fun of composting. He’ll explain space requirements, use of compost, what goes in, what stays out, and more. Composting reduces waste and turns food scraps and garden waste into nutrient-rich soil which improves soil health by rebuilding soil structure. Compost promotes plant growth, reduces greenhouse emissions particularly methane, and it can save money, too. Attendees can purchase a Soil Saver Compost Bin for a discounted rate of $45. Learn about the benefits of composting on Saturday, April 27 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Register with John at malterport@aol.com by April 25.

April 29: Friends tea with Charlie Nardozzi

Nationally recognized Vermont gardener, writer, speaker and television personality, Charlie Nardozzi is the featured speaker for the Friends of the Waterbury Public Library Annual Tea on Monday evening, April 29.

The Friends was established in 1966 by a small group of dedicated volunteers motivated by a desire to make a difference in their library. Over the years, the Friends of the Waterbury Public Library have supported improved library facilities and services for the Waterbury community, as well as additional programming.

This year, the Friends of the Library moved their tea from a Sunday afternoon to a Monday evening to be able to have Charlie speak on ecological gardening and companion planting. Ecological gardening makes use of native species to attract pollinators, birds and other native wildlife. There's a special emphasis on soil building and caring for the creatures in the ground. Companion planting is a mutually beneficial system where both vegetables and flowers planted together support each other, save space, protect from insects, enrich the soil, and so much more. The event takes place April 29 at 6 p.m. in the Waterbury Municipality’s Community Steele Room. Stay after the talk for tea and baked goods.

Looking ahead … May 2 & 9: Supremely Strong

Inspired by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s workout, Becky Widschwenter of Mindful Movement with Becky is offering up a Supremely Strong workout at library on two consecutive Thursdays, May 2 and 9 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Movement, bands and weights make for a full complement of range of motion and strength. No prior strength training experience is necessary. Class is limited to 16. Register with Becky by sending her an email at mindfulmovementwithbecky.com.

Bring a mat, resistance band, and two nonperishable food items (soup cans, peanut butter etc.) to use as dumbbells — and to be donated to Waterbury Common Market (formerly the food shelf).

Judi Byron is the Waterbury Public Library’s Adult Program Coordinator. Reach her at 802-244-7036 or judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com.

April programs popping up at Waterbury Public Library