The Library Board of Commissioners meets on the 3rd Thursday
of each month at 5:15 pm.
Click Here to read Agenda & Minutes.

ART EXHIBITS

No art exhibits scheduled for June.

PROGRAMS

MOVIE:  Shyamal Uncle Turns Out the Lights
Fletcher Room
Wednesday, June 5, noon-1 pm
Lunch and a movie--Light Refreshments provided--Movie is 60 minutes long
Synopsis: An 80-year-old Kolkata retiree is on a mission to get his neighborhood streetlights turned off after sunrise after he notices they stay on all day as well.  But finding someone to take him seriously proves a battle against an indifferent bureaucracy and a complacent status quo (and is just maybe a welcome distraction from his otherwise dull routine).  Suman Ghosh’s vérité-style film is alive with the sights, sounds and personalities of this old Kolkata neighborhood, providing a wry, revealing, highly original tour of modern India.

LECTURE: Amy Seidl
Fletcher Room
Wednesday, June 5, 7 pm
Hosted by the Friends of the Fletcher Free Library.

POETRY READING:
Four Way Stop by Sherry Olson
Community Room
Wednesday, June 5, 7 pm  POSTPONED-- STAY TUNED!
Sherry Olson reads from her new book of poetry published by Burlington's Fomite Press.  Olson was born in Fargo, North Dakota, and has lived in Vermont for many years.  She is a teacher and has taught at the elementary school level, at all levels of adult basic education, at a senior activity center and at a women’s correctional center.

LECTURE:
Mark Pendergrast: For God, Country & Coca-Cola
Fletcher Room
Wednesday, June 12, 7 pm
Author Mark Pendergarst discusses his newly revised book, For God, Country and Coca-Cola: The Definitive History of the Great American Soft Drink and the Company that Makes It.
From its invention as a cocaine-laced patent medicine in the Gilded Age to its globe-drenching ubiquity as the ultimate symbol of consumer capitalism in the twenty-first century, Coca-Cola’s dramatic history unfolds as the ultimate business saga.  Pendergrast looks at America’s cultural, social, and economic history through the bottom of a green glass Coke bottle.

FILM:
Global Lens 2013: Student
Fletcher Room
Wednesday, June 19, 7 pm
In partnership with the Vermont International Film, Burlington City Arts and the Vermont Council on World Affairs, the Fletcher Free Library presents Student, a film by Kazakh Director, Darezhan Omirbayev.
Synopsis: A solitary philosophy student steers his directionless life toward the commission of a violent crime, spurred on by postmodern musings and a post-Soviet order characterized by growing inequality, institutional corruption and a ruthless ethic of “eat or be eaten”.

ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES: Islam Q&A Sessions
Pickering Room
Second and fourth Saturdays at 2 pm, ONGOING
June 8 & 22
Please join members of the Islamic Society of Vermont for an informative series of question and answer sessions about all aspects of Islam.  The informal conversation groups will meet twice per month for friendly dialogue on a number of topics.  Through these discussions with fellow Vermonters journey toward a greater understanding of our world.

This program is held in conjunction with the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf, a project of the National Endowment for the Humanities Bridging Cultures initiative awarded to the Fletcher Free Library.  The Muslim Journeys Bookshelf is a collection of books and videos selected to help Americans become more familiar with the people, places, history, faith and cultures of Muslims around the world, including those within the U.S.  For more information, contact Barbara at 865.7211.

ESL  PROGRAMS

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSES
Pickering Room, 2nd Floor-- Beginner Level
Administrative Conference Room-- Intermediate/Advanced Level
Note change in locations!
Wednesdays, 7-9 pm
For more information, contact FFL Outreach Department, 865.7211.

ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP
Pickering Room
First and third Wednesday of each month, 6-7 pm
June 5 & 19
Do you want to improve your English conversation skills and meet new people?  Practice and improve your English conversation with other English learners and native speakers at the Library.
For more information, contact FFL Outreach Department, 865.7211.

CONVERSATION GROUPS

FRENCH-ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP - "Dimanches"
Panera Bread, Church Street (Summer location)
Sundays, 6:00 pm
Parlez-vous francais?  Meet others in the community who do too.  Join the group and practice foreign language conversation.  Fluency is not required (nor is attendance at every meeting). The group plays Petanque outside when weather permits (for details contact Steve Norman at stevenorman@fastmail.fm)
For more information, contact Barbara Shatara, FFL Outreach Department, 865.7211.

GERMAN-ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP
Local History Room
Meets the first and third Wednesday of each month, 7-9 pm
June 5 & 19
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?  Meet others in the community who do too.  Join the group and practice foreign language conversation.  Fluency not required (nor is attendance at every meeting).
For more information, contact Barbara Shatara, FFL Outreach Department, 865.7211.

SPANISH-ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP
(See Circulation Desk for location)
Wednesdays, June 12 & 19
6-6:45 pm
Habla espanol?  Meet others in the community who do too.  Join the group and practice foreign language conversation.  Fluency is not required (nor is attendance at every meeting).
For more information, contact Barbara Shatara, FFL Outreach Department, 865.7211.

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ART EXHIBITS

THE HOWARD CENTER ARTS COLLECTIVE
Fletcher Room
July 5 – July 31
Reception: July 10, 3-5 pm
The Howard Center MH/SA Art’s Collective is a client focused art collaboration encouraging the exploration of the performing and visual arts. By displaying client and employee art we hope to share with the local community the unique creativity that exists within the MH/SA Howard Center community.

We are an Arts Collective where individuals are free to engage in an inspired discovery into the self and are committed to a diverse range of human activities and the product of those activities.

PROGRAMS

LECTURE:
Chris Bohjalian and Stephen Kiernan
Main Reading Room
Monday, July 8, 7 pm
Phoenix Books and FFL welcome Chris Bohjalian and Stephen Kiernan, "The Light in the Ruins" Rock-and-Roll Book Tour and "The Curiosity".  Both authors will discuss and read from their new works and sign books in the Library’s Main Reading Room.

Chris Bohjalian is the critically acclaimed author of sixteen books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Sandcastle Girls, Skeletons at the Feast, The Double Bind, and Midwives. His novel Midwives was a number one New York Times bestseller and a selection of Oprah's Book Club. His work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages, and three of his novels have become movies (Secrets of Eden, Midwives, and Past the Bleachers).

Stephen Kiernan is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop fiction MFA program and holds an MA from Johns Hopkins University. In his twenty-five years as a journalist, he has won more than forty awards. He is a popular media commentator and the author of the non-fiction books Last Rights and Authentic Patriotism. 

POETRY READING:
Four Way Stop by Sherry Olson
Community Room
Wednesday, July 10, 7 pm
Sherry Olson reads from her new book of poetry published by Burlington's Fomite Press.  Olson was born in Fargo, North Dakota, and has lived in Vermont for many years.  She is a teacher and has taught at the elementary school level, at all levels of adult basic education, at a senior activity center and at a women’s correctional center.  She loves helping people find their own voices in poetry.

FILM:
Global Lens 2013 Film Screening: Cairo 678
Fletcher Room
Wednesday, July 17,  at 7 pm
In partnership with the Vermont International Film, Burlington City Arts and the Vermont Council on World Affairs, the Fletcher Free Library presents Global Film Initiative's Cairo 678, by director, Mohamed Diab.

Synopsis: Three Cairene women from different backgrounds join together in uneasy solidarity to combat the sexual harassment that has impacted each of their lives. We begin on an overcrowded bus line, dreaded by Fayza as a daily site of humiliation and anguish. Responding to a self-defense talk by Seba, whose own assault has driven her marriage apart, Fayza fights back—and soon has a police detective searching for her amid public panic. Meanwhile, Nelly, an aspiring comic, faces pressure from family to drop a lawsuit against her attacker. Mohamed Diab’s deftly braided narrative tells a gripping, timely social tale through its patchwork of interconnected lives and deeds.

ONE WORLD, MANY STORIES: Islam Q&A Sessions
Pickering Room
Second and fourth Saturdays at 3:30 pm (note new time!), ONGOING
July 13 & 27
Please join members of the Islamic Society of Vermont for an informative series of question and answer sessions about all aspects of Islam.  The informal conversation groups will meet twice per month for friendly dialogue on a number of topics.  Through these discussions with fellow Vermonters journey toward a greater understanding of our world.

This program is held in conjunction with the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf, a project of the National Endowment for the Humanities Bridging Cultures initiative awarded to the Fletcher Free Library.  The Muslim Journeys Bookshelf is a collection of books and videos selected to help Americans become more familiar with the people, places, history, faith and cultures of Muslims around the world, including those within the U.S.  For more information, contact Barbara at 865.7211.

ESL  PROGRAMS

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSES
Pickering Room, 2nd Floor-- Beginner Level
Administrative Conference Room-- Intermediate/Advanced Level
Wednesdays, 7-9 pm
(no mtg July 3: Library closes at 6 pm on July 3)
For more information, contact FFL Outreach Department, 865.7211.

ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP
Pickering Room
First and third Wednesday of each month, 6-7 pm
July 17 (no mtg July 3: Library closes at 6 pm on July 3)
Do you want to improve your English conversation skills and meet new people?  Practice and improve your English conversation with other English learners and native speakers at the Library.
For more information, contact FFL Outreach Department, 865.7211.

CONVERSATION GROUPS

FRENCH-ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP - "Dimanches"
Panera Bread, Church Street (Summer location)
Sundays, 6:00 pm
Parlez-vous francais?  Meet others in the community who do too.  Join the group and practice foreign language conversation.  Fluency is not required (nor is attendance at every meeting). The group plays Petanque outside when weather permits (for details contact Steve Norman at stevenorman@fastmail.fm)
For more information, contact Barbara Shatara, FFL Outreach Department, 865.7211.

GERMAN-ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP
Local History Room
Meets the first and third Wednesday of each month, 7-9 pm
July 17 (no mtg July 3: Library closes at 6 pm on July 3)
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?  Meet others in the community who do too.  Join the group and practice foreign language conversation.  Fluency not required (nor is attendance at every meeting).
For more information, contact Barbara Shatara, FFL Outreach Department, 865.7211.

SPANISH-ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP
(See Circulation Desk for location)
Wednesdays, 5:30-6:45 pm
Habla espanol?  Meet others in the community who do too.  Join the group and practice foreign language conversation.  Fluency is not required (nor is attendance at every meeting).
For more information, contact Barbara Shatara, FFL Outreach Department, 865.7211.

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All programs are free and open to the public at the Fletcher Free Library, 235 College Street, Burlington.  For more information, contact Barbara at 865.7211.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, every effort will be made to make our programs accessible to individuals with disabilities.  Please contact us at least two weeks prior to the program you wish to attend.  To make arrangements, please call 865.7211  (TTY Relay 711).

BOOK REQUESTS
Teens, did you know that you can request books from the Fletcher Free Library to be delivered to your school?  Contact the Edmunds Middle School, Hunt Middle School or Burlington High School librarians OR Rebecca Goldberg at rgoldberg@ci.burlington.vt.us

Check out the Teen Page: http://www.fletcherfree.org/teens.html

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Youth Programs in June

Stories with Megan. Mondays, June 3rd & 10th, 11:00-11:30 a.m. Enjoy a fun-filled storytime with stories, songs, and rhymes. Free. Ages 2-5 years. No preregistration needed. *

Creative Tuesdays. June 4th, 11th & 25th,  3-5 p.m. Join us and use your imagination to be creative with recycled materials. Free. All ages, but children under 10 should be accompanied by an adult helper, please! No preregistration needed. 

Spanish Musical Kids. Friday, June 7th, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Hola amigos! Come share Constancia's love of Spanish during 45 minutes of Latin American songs and games. Constancia Gomez is a native Argentinian, experience Spanish teacher and certified instructor of Music Together. She makes learning fun! Free. Ages 1-5 years. No preregistration needed.

DIG INTO READING! The Fletcher Free Library 2013 Summer Reading Program begins Monday, June 17th! Visit the Library any time during the first few weeks of the program to sign up and begin your summer reading! See our Summer Reading Program flyer in June for more details. Free. For students entering K-8th grade.

We Dig Our Mayor! Shake Hands with Miro! Monday, June 17th, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon. Mayor Weinberger looks forward to greeting summer readers and encourages kids to "dig into books" and to read more this year than ever before! Free. Ages 5 & up. No preregistration needed.

Dig Those Faces! Monday & Tuesday, June 17th & 18th, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. Sign up for the Summer Reading Program and get your face painted! Free. Ages 5 & up. No preregistration needed.

What on Earth? Activity Stations at the Library beginning Wednesday, June 19th and continuing throughout the summer. Drop by the library to enjoy activities, games, puzzles and a scavenger hunt. You may choose to dig into your personal roots, unearth the secrets of composting, or uncover hidden treasures in books! Free. Ages 5 & up.

Digging Yourself: A Celebration of Who We Are! Wednesday, June 26th, 1:00-2:00 p.m. Through storytelling, call-and-response, folk/hiphop music and interactive improvisation, we will creatively explore our diversity while celebrating beauty shared when we dig beneath the surface. Join in the fun with local artists Storyteller Randee Eddins, Singer/Songwriter Tommy Alexander and Alanna Grace Flynn of the folk duo Quiet Lion, Singer/Songwriter Josh Boniello of Set Up City, and Spoken Word/HipHop Artists Rajnii Eddins, Scottie Raymond and Jeff Philie of Bless the Child. Free. Ages 5 & up. No preregistration needed.

Check out our Kids Blog: www.fletcherkids.blogspot.com!

Youth Programs in July

Please note: The Library will be closing at 6:00 on Wednesday, July 3rd, and CLOSED on Thursday, July 4th for Independence Day.

DIG INTO READING! The Fletcher Free Library 2013 Summer Reading Program begins Monday, June 17th and continues through August 11th! Visit the Library any time during the first few weeks of the program to sign up and begin your summer reading! See our Summer Reading Program flyer in June for more details. Free. For students entering K-8th grade.

What on Earth? Activity Stations at the Library beginning Wednesday, June 19th and continuing throughout the summer. Drop by the library to enjoy activities, games, puzzles and a scavenger hunt. You may choose to dig into your personal roots, unearth the secrets of composting, or uncover hidden treasures in books! Free. Ages 5 & up.

Dig Into Stories with Megan. Mondays, July 1st, 8th, 15th & 29th, 11:00-11:30 a.m. Enjoy a fun-filled storytime with stories, songs, and rhymes. Free. Ages 3-6 years. No preregistration needed. *

Creative Tuesdays. July 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th,  3-5 p.m. Dig into your imagination and be creative with recycled materials. Free. All ages, but children under 10 should be accompanied by an adult helper, please! No preregistration needed. 

Sid the Science Kid: The Movie. - A VPT Public Film Screening. Monday, July 1st, 2:15-3:15 p.m. Follow "Junior Investigators" Sid and Gabriela through their adventures in the Super Ultimate Science Museum. Free. Ages 6-9 years. No preregistration needed.

"Narnia." Wednesday, July 3rd, 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. Bring lunch and enjoy Very Merry Theatre's "Narnia" musical on the Library lawn. "Narnia" is based on C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with popular tunes from the 1960s. Held indoors in the event of rain. Free. Ages 5 & up. No preregistration needed.

What Rot! The Amazing Life of Dirt. Thursday, July 11th, 1:00-2:00 p.m. Want the real "scoop" on dirt? What would life on Earth be without "rot?" Naturalist Steve Amos will entertain and educate us with answers to these questions and more, with live animals and hands-on activities. Free. Ages 5 & up. No preregistration needed.

Spanish Musical Kids. Friday, July 12th, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Hola amigos! Come share Constancia's love of Spanish in a program of Latin American songs and games. She makes learning fun! Free. Ages 1-5 years. No preregistration needed.

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! Safari, So Good! - A VPT Public Film Screening. Monday, July 15th, 2:15-3:15 p.m. Join the Cat in the Hat in his brand-new safari adventure! Free. Ages 5 & up.

"Bugsy Malone." Wednesday, July 17th, 12:00 noon-1:00 p.m. Bring lunch and enjoy the Very Merry Theatre's "Bugsy Malone." a fun-filled take on the old gangster films, written for children and based on the 1970s movie. Held indoors in the event of rain. Free. Ages 5 & up. No preregistration needed.

Cardboard Board Parade. Thursday, July 18th, 1:00-3:00. Unearth your favorite construction or gardening book, or any book that you treasure, and create a cardboard box costume to join in the Burlington Parks & Recreation parade. Free. Ages 2-23. No preregistration needed. Meet at the UU Church at the top of Church Street at 1:00 p.m.

We Dig Our Lake Monsters! Monday, July 22, 11:00-11:45 a.m. Meet your baseball heroes from the Vermont Lake Monsters, Burlington's Minor League baseball team, who will share books, answer questions and sign autographs. AND join Library staff at the Centennial Field game on Saturday, July 27th at 6:05 p.m. Be on time to hear Robert Resnik and Megan Butterfield lead us in our national anthem! Free. Ages 5 & up. No preregistration needed.

An Evening of Music and Dance from Trad Camp. Wednesday, July 24th, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Young Tradition Vermont presents campers and instructors from its annual Trad Camp. Enjoy songs, tunes and dances with Pete Sutherland, Brian Perkins, Mary Wesley, Julia Wayne, Mark Sustic and others. Free. Ages 5 & up. No preregistration needed.

X-Theater Presents wondrously wacky plays, written and performed by kids for kids. Thursday, July 25th, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon. Productions of the Burlington Parks & Recreation Open Stage Performance Camp. Free. Ages 5 & up. No preregistration needed.

Check out our Kids Blog: www.fletcherkids.blogspot.com!

*Please note: All groups must receive special permission to attend any program from Rebecca Goldberg. Daycares are welcome to programs with a caregiver for every two children. Please call 865.7216.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, every effort will be made to make our programs accessible to people with disabilities.  To aid us in making accommodations, please contact us a minimum of two weeks prior to the program you wish to attend.  Please call 865-7216 (TTY relay 711).