Hispanic Heritage Month Events  

Happening Today!
Film Screening: La Bamba
Saturday, October 8 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Main Library, DiMattia Building
Dudley N. Williams Auditorium
Biopic about the life and short-lived career of Mexican-American rock 'n' roll star Richie Valens, starring Lou Diamond Phillips.

Concert: William Mendoza and the Latin Heartbeat Ensemble
Sunday, October 9 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Main Library, DiMattia Building
Dudley N. Williams, Jr. Auditorium
A performance of Latin jazz and salsa originals and classics by William Mendoza and his Latin Heartbeat Orchestra.  

Film Screening: The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
Saturday, October 15 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Main Library, DiMattia Building
Dudley N. Williams Jr., Auditorium
Starring and produced by Edward James Olmos, the film tells the story of a Mexican-American farmer accused of murdering a Texas lawman in 1901. The film chronicles his flight and eventual capture after two weeks evading a posse.

Programs  

Book Discussion
Monday, October 10 from 7 to 8 p.m. via Zoom.
Harry Bennett Branch
A discussion of The Personal Librarian, a novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation.  

Tech Tips for Older Adults
Tuesday, October 11 from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
South End Branch, Second Floor Program Room
Free weekly tech help with our experienced bilingual English and Spanish team.

Let's Talk: Conversation Groups via Zoom
Tuesday, October 11
New students welcome for English-language conversation groups.
New Students: Noon
Basic: 12:30 p.m.
Low Intermediate: 2:30 p.m.
Advanced: 5: 30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 12
High Intermediate: 10 a.m.
Beginner: 3 p.m.

Easy English for Beginners: Side by Side (Part 2)
Thursday, October 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Main Library, DiMattia Building
Third Floor Technology Center
Learn language and life skills through reading, speaking and writing during this six-week interactive English course based on the Easy English TV program by Steven Molinsky and Bill Bliss. Registration Required.  

Community Mindfulness Project Meditation
Tuesday, October 11 at Noon
Main Library, DiMattia Building
Dudley N. Williams, Jr. Auditorium
This 45-minute session will include a 30-minute guided meditation to help reset your nervous system and support your emotional and physical well-being. Please arrive five minutes early.  

Meet Historian Sarah Cedar Miller, Author of Before Central Park
Tuesday, October 11 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Main Library, DiMattia Building
Dudley N. Williams, Jr. Auditorium
Join Sara Cedar Miller, historian emerita of the Central Park Conservancy, as she chronicles the history of Manhattan's Central Park, once the site of farms, businesses, churches, wars and burial grounds, and home to many different kinds of New Yorkers.
Registration required.  

Mystery Book Discussion
Wednesday October 12
Two Sessions: 10 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 6 p.m.
Main Library, Dimattia Building
Dudley N. Williams Jr., Auditorium
A discussion of Eileen by Otessa Moshfegh.
Registration required the morning and evening sessions.  

Mah-Jongg Club Kickoff
Wednesday, October 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Weed Memorial & Hollander Branch
Join our Mah-Jongg club, which is open to everyone from novices to experienced players of this popular tile game with origins in China.  

Friends of the Ferguson Library Pub Crawl
Wednesday, Oct. 12 6:15 to 10 p.m.
Main Library, Outdoor Plaza
The Friends of the Ferguson Library's annual Literary Pub Crawl returns to downtown Stamford for a convivial evening featuring roving visits to local bars and restaurants.

Participants will meet in the library's lobby and divide into groups to visit two of four participating restaurants—Bar Rosso, Hudson Social, Towne Parlor and ZAZA Italian Gastrobar. Each location will offer entertainment or literary bingo and happy hour pricing for drinks and appetizers. Dessert on the house and additional entertainment will follow at the library.
Tickets are $40; $30 for Friends members. Register.  

Basic Microsoft Powerpoint
Thursday, October 13 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Learn how to create and save presentations, design slide shows and insert images and text.
Registration Required.

Death Cafe Stamford
Thursday, October 13 from 2 to 3 p.m. via Zoom.
A discussion about increasing the awareness of death to help people make the most of their finite lives. With Sahara Farrugio a licensed funeral director specializing in advanced planning. Death Cafe is not grief support or counseling.  

Spanish Book Discussion
Thursday, October 13 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Main Library, Dimattia Building
Ann M. Sexton Board Room
A discussion of Indomita (A Woman of Endurance) by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa. Set in nineteenth-century Puerto Rican plantation society, the novel explores themes of survival, regeneration and reclamation of common humanity.  

Identifying Domestic Abuse
Thursday, October 13 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Main Library, Di Mattia Building
Dudley N. Williams, Jr. Auditorium
A Domestic Violence Crisis Center (DVCC) presentation which will explore the different types of domestic abuse; how to recognize red flags; and practical steps you can take to help a loved one in an unhealthy relationship. Also available via Zoom.  

Intermediate Microsoft Excel
Saturday, October 15 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Main Library, DiMattia Building
Third Floor Technology Center
Learn how to work with entered data, sort and filter data, use conditional formatting for data analysis, and apply keyboard shortcuts and templates. Registration required.  

Centennial Celebration: Haitian Writer Jacques Stephen Alexis
Saturday, October 15 from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
South End Branch
Commemoration of the life of Haitian novelist, poet and activist Jacques Stephen Alexis, featuring a screening of Mort sans sepulture, a documentary by Arnold Antonin. The event will also include a presentation by Dr. Frantz-Antoine Leconte, author of A la recontre de Jacques Stephen Alexis.

Co-sponsored by Friends of the Ferguson Library and Heart & Purpose.  

Old Folkies Acoustic Singalong
Saturday, October 15 from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Harry Bennett Branch
An afternoon outdoors featuring toe-tapping, finger snapping acoustic delights with our own Dr. Ev, who will take requests.
Complimentary refreshments. Weather permitting.

Business & Career Development  

TechXel Stamford Accelerator Series Venture Expert Talks
Thursday, October 13 from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. via Zoom
Customer Acquisition, Development and Retention: Robert Oros, Founder, Business Development Resources
Bob Oros' expertise resides within new product & new business development. Over 40 years, he has identified and commercialized many successful products, including some which created entirely new categories within their respective industries.
Registration Required.
Coming Soon!  

Art at the Ferguson
Celebrating New Art: Work Created Since 2020
Main Library, DiMattia Building
Dudley N. Williams, Jr. Auditorium
Our fall exhibit, Celebrating New Art: Work Created Since 2020 launches October 20 at 6 p.m. with an opening reception at the Main Library. The juried show, curated by the Stamford Art Association, features work by local and regional artists. The exhibit will be on view through January 19, 2023.

Pictured: See Through by Cecile Roberfroid.

Ongoing at the Library  

Volunteers Wanted to Help English Language Learners
The Ferguson Library is currently looking for enthusiastic, sensitive volunteers interested in helping English language learners develop their speaking skills in our weekly, virtual classes.
We are looking for volunteers with the following qualities and availability:

*At least 18 years old.
*Tact, sensitivity and respect for people of diverse cultural backgrounds.
*Weekly availability for several consecutive months (or the equivalent of a college semester).

No prior teaching experience required.

Interested? Contact Yelena Klompus, ELL, Citizenship & Cultural Programs Manager at [email protected] or call her at 203 351-8228 to set up a an interview.  

We Can Help Your Book Club
Need a suggestion for your book group discussion or help locating copies? We're ready to support your book group with a variety of resources. The library has a well-curated book discussion collection, with multiple copies of each book. We can also get books for you if we don't have the title and share resources about how to have a successful book discussion. And of course, our readers advisory services can help you find your group's next great read.

For book group services, contact Anthony Marrocolla at [email protected].  

2022 Reading Challenge
Sign up for our 2022 Reading Challenge.
This challenge is for both fast and slow readers. Whether you read a book a week or one every month—e-books and audiobooks count—there will be a prize drawing for those who finish reading 12 books from the list and another drawing for those who finish 52 books. The challenge ends December 2022.  

Digital Navigators  
Need help accessing health or banking information online? Want to get up to speed on Google tools or help your children succeed in school?
Our Digital Navigators can help you with all this and more, and even set you up with a digital device if you need one. Don’t be left behind in a digital world.
Appointments are required, and are available in English, Spanish, Arabic and Haitian-Creole. Call 203 351-8251 to book a time at the Main Library or the South End Branch.
This project is made possible with an IMLS grant awarded through the CT State Library
By registering for programs, you may receive occasional emails about
upcoming events at the library. You can opt out at any time.

BOOK SHOP NEWS  

Looking for scary or not-so-scary reads for your favorite goblin? The Book Shop is highlighting Halloween this month, with a collection of adult and children's titles. They also have a selection of books celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Stop in and browse at the Main Library or Harry Bennett shops. All books are donated and proceeds support the library.

LIBRARY RESOURCES  

Just finished reading an amazing book and don't know what to read next? Complete this form and a librarian will send you three suggestions based on your response. We will reply to your email within 24 hours.  

Notary Services
Returning in November
Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m.
Harry Bennett Branch
Our notary public is available to notarize your paperwork for free. By appointment only. For information or to make an appointment, call 203 351-8292.  

Entrepreneurs-in Residence
Starting a new business? Looking to expand your current business? Have an idea and don't know where to start?
Our Entrepreneurs-in-Residence are available by appointment to help early stage entrepreneurs conceptualize and grow their ideas into companies. Book an appointment. For more information, call 203 351-8221.

Book-A-Librarian
Reserve up to one hour with a librarian for information or technology assistance, including assistance with our virtual resources like e-books, e-audiobooks and movie streaming. Complete this form to make an appointment.

COMMUNITY GOINGS ON

MarcUs for Change 5K Walk & Run
Sunday, October 23 Kick Off at 9 a.m.
Mill River Park, Stamford

Join the Stamford Public Education Foundation in celebrating the 10th anniversary of the MarcUS for Change 5 K Walk & Run. Students, educators, parents and community members will run or walk to celebrate the life and memory of Marcus Dixon McInerney, a Stamford High School graduate who overcame many life challenges to attend West Point Academy before his death in 2012.

Afterward, join the fun at SPEF's Fall Fest, featuring interactive, hands-on activities for kids, the Ferguson Library's Bookmobile, SPEF's Books Across Stamford books giveaway, fall treats and more.

To register for the walk/run visit www.spefct.org/5k.  

Person-to-Person Mobile Food Pantry and Casework
Schedule subject to change

-Yerwood Center - 90 Fairfield Avenue: Mondays from 11 a.m.– 1 p.m.
-Stamford Manor - 26 Main Street: Mondays from 2 to 4 p.m.
-Ferguson Library South End Branch - 34 Woodland Avenue: Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
-Quintard Manor - 18 Quintard Terrace: Tuesdays from 2 to 4 p.m.
-DOMUS - 82 Lockwood Avenue: Wednesdays from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
-Building One Community - 75 Selleck Street: Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m.
-DOMUS - 82 Lockwood Avenue (Subject to change): Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

PLEASE NOTE: All clients must wear face masks inside P2P buildings and P2P on Wheels.
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