Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, and a simple craft with your child! This program is age appropriate for your active two year old!   For age 2.  Space is limited; please register beginning February 12.

Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm in the Business Center 

Players of all ages and skill levels are invited to play chess every Wednesday from 5pm - 8pm.  Use one of our chess sets or bring your own.  No registration necessary.

Feeling a little lost with all the new technology?  Maybe even some of the old technology?  Our staff is ready to assist you with one-on-one instruction tailored to your specific need. Topics include basic computer skills, navigating the internet, e-mail, e-readers, and Microsoft Office.  Assistance will be provided by appointment only on Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm.  Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information or to make an appointment.  

Children enjoy stories, songs and rhymes while their grownups wait in the Children’s Department.  Caregivers are encouraged to join the fun during craft time at the end of the class! Space is limited; please register beginning February 12.  Ages 3-5.

The Rows City Knitters, our adult drop-in knitting group, meet every Friday at 10am in the Meeting Room.  All skill levels welcome!  For more information, call Julie at (860) 889-2365, ext. 128.

Feeling a little lost with all the new technology?  Maybe even some of the old technology?  Our staff is ready to assist you with one-on-one instruction tailored to your specific need. Topics include basic computer skills, navigating the internet, e-mail, e-readers, and Microsoft Office.  Assistance will be provided by appointment only on Fridays, 10am - 1pm.  Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information or to make an appointment.  

Build structures using a variety of materials in the Children’s Department.  No registration required.  For grades K - 8.

Otis Library will be hosting a series of programs in April, 2018 to celebrate the Harris sisters, Norwich natives and students at Prudence Crandall’s school for young African-American women from 1833 – 1834. The umbrella theme for the month is access to education.

Otis Library will host students from the Norwich Free Academy on Saturday, April 28, at 1pm in the Community Room.  The students will present a variety of spoken word performances – reminiscence, monologue, poetry – on the intertwining themes of education and liberation. 

All programs are free and open to the public. No registration required.  Sign language interpretation will be available if requested one week prior to each event. Descriptive tours of the student art exhibit "My Teacher Taught Me..." will also be available upon request. Please contact Elanah Sherman at 860-614-7200 or by e-mail at elanahs@gmail.com for interpretation or descriptive tours.

These events are sponsored by The Elsie Brown Fund.  For more information, contact Julie at (860) 889-2365, ext. 128.  

Enjoy 30 minutes of traditional rhymes, songs, fingerplays, and other activities for the very young; then stay (or not) for a one-hour open playgroup. Older siblings are welcome to attend!  Ages newborn – 23 months. Drop-in.       

For Grades 6-8.

Space Dumplins, by Craig Thompson, will be discussed. We will enjoy pizza & play with Cubelets Twelve kits! Cubelets are an expandable system of robot blocks, designed to introduce children of all ages to robotics, coding, and design thinking. Registration begins March 26. Please register below or call the Front Desk at 860-889-2365 ext. 100. Pick up a copy of the book at the Front Desk.    

About Space Dumplins: "For Violet Marlocke, family is the most important thing in the whole galaxy. When her father goes missing while on a hazardous job, Violet throws caution to the stars and sets out with a group of misfit friends on a quest to find him."

Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, and a simple craft with your child! This program is age appropriate for your active two year old!   For age 2.  Space is limited; please register beginning February 12.

Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm in the Business Center 

Players of all ages and skill levels are invited to play chess every Wednesday from 5pm - 8pm.  Use one of our chess sets or bring your own.  No registration necessary.

Feeling a little lost with all the new technology?  Maybe even some of the old technology?  Our staff is ready to assist you with one-on-one instruction tailored to your specific need. Topics include basic computer skills, navigating the internet, e-mail, e-readers, and Microsoft Office.  Assistance will be provided by appointment only on Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm.  Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information or to make an appointment.  

Children enjoy stories, songs and rhymes while their grownups wait in the Children’s Department.  Caregivers are encouraged to join the fun during craft time at the end of the class! Space is limited; please register beginning February 12.  Ages 3-5.

This series is generously sponsored by Guinan & Houle, LLP Attorneys at Law. 

Otis Library and Bank Square Books present a Delicious Discussions author luncheon with Jill Santopolo, author of the national and international bestselling novel The Light We Lost. Tickets for this event are $40 and include an author talk and signing, a copy of The Light We Lost  and a buffet lunch at Michael Jordan's Steak House at Mohegan Sun. This event will take place at noon on May 3 and requires preregistration. To register, please call Julie at (860) 889-2365 ext. 128, or register online.  Delicious Discussion Author Series is a partnership between Otis Library, Bank Square Books and Michael Jordan's Steak House at Mohegan Sun. 

The Rows City Knitters, our adult drop-in knitting group, meet every Friday at 10am in the Meeting Room.  All skill levels welcome!  For more information, call Julie at (860) 889-2365, ext. 128.

Feeling a little lost with all the new technology?  Maybe even some of the old technology?  Our staff is ready to assist you with one-on-one instruction tailored to your specific need. Topics include basic computer skills, navigating the internet, e-mail, e-readers, and Microsoft Office.  Assistance will be provided by appointment only on Fridays, 10am - 1pm.  Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information or to make an appointment.  

Build structures using a variety of materials in the Children’s Department.  No registration required.  For grades K - 8.

Enjoy 30 minutes of traditional rhymes, songs, fingerplays, and other activities for the very young; then stay (or not) for a one-hour open playgroup. Older siblings are welcome to attend!  Ages newborn – 23 months. Drop-in.       

Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, and a simple craft with your child! This program is age appropriate for your active two year old!   For age 2.  Space is limited; please register beginning February 12.

Join us for this joyful movement class hosted by Eastern Connecticut Ballet.  This month’s theme is Flowers & Insects: hear a story around this theme and do 35 minutes of movement.  For ages 3 – 5.  Please register now.

Local Taxpayer Advocate Alisa Lebovitz will be at Otis Library on Wednesday, May 9, at 11:30am in the Millie and Martin Shapiro Community Room.  Ms. Lebovitz is with the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent department within the Internal Revenue Service.  They provide free assistance to people who have hardships or are having difficulty resolving their issues through normal channels within the IRS.

Ms. Lebovitz will provide information about the Taxpayer Advocate Service and the types of cases they generally see; primarily frozen refunds (due to Identity Theft, Wage Verification and Earned Income Tax Credit audits).  She will talk about what to do if you receive a letter from the IRS, what your options are if you owe money to the IRS, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, and Tax Scams.  Please note:  The Taxpayer Advocate Service does not prepare tax returns or offer tax law advice and are not providing information regarding the recent tax reform legislation. 

Free program; no registration required.

The Changing Minds Book Club will be discussing "Enduring Love" by Ian McEwan.  Join us for conversation and refreshments!  Copies of the book are available to borrow at the Front Desk.  No registtration required.

Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm in the Business Center 

Players of all ages and skill levels are invited to play chess every Wednesday from 5pm - 8pm.  Use one of our chess sets or bring your own.  No registration necessary.

Feeling a little lost with all the new technology?  Maybe even some of the old technology?  Our staff is ready to assist you with one-on-one instruction tailored to your specific need. Topics include basic computer skills, navigating the internet, e-mail, e-readers, and Microsoft Office.  Assistance will be provided by appointment only on Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm.  Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information or to make an appointment.  

In partnership with the Connecticut/Rhode Island Coastal Fly Fishers, Otis Library will host a fly fishing seminar featuring tying and casting on Wednesday, May 9, at 6pm in the Community Room.  All ages welcome!  This program is free and open to the public. 

CT/RI Coastal Fly Fishers are comprised of both fresh and saltwater fly rodders from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York and other points around the USA.  The club's interests encompass all aspects of fly-fishing including government regulations and conservation efforts.

Children enjoy stories, songs and rhymes while their grownups wait in the Children’s Department.  Caregivers are encouraged to join the fun during craft time at the end of the class! Space is limited; please register beginning February 12.  Ages 3-5.

Otis Library will host a special Lunch & Learn in honor of Mother’s Day on Thursday, May 10, at 12pm in the Millie and Martin Shapiro Community Room.  Norwich native Bernice (Janovicz) Rocque will discuss her new book, The Ponemah Years: Walking in the Footsteps of My Mother. Ms. Rocque will share insights gained during her research/writing and will invite participants to share memories of their own mothers. Gabrielle Picard, the author’s mother, wove fabric at Ponemah Mill and resided in Taftville, “the village," from 1924-1946. Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing.  This is a free event; lunch is included.  Registration is required.  To register, call Julie at (860) 889-2365, ext. 128, or register here.

The Rows City Knitters, our adult drop-in knitting group, meet every Friday at 10am in the Meeting Room.  All skill levels welcome!  For more information, call Julie at (860) 889-2365, ext. 128.

Feeling a little lost with all the new technology?  Maybe even some of the old technology?  Our staff is ready to assist you with one-on-one instruction tailored to your specific need. Topics include basic computer skills, navigating the internet, e-mail, e-readers, and Microsoft Office.  Assistance will be provided by appointment only on Fridays, 10am - 1pm.  Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information or to make an appointment.  

Send in the clowns!  Join us as we decorate fun and fanciful clown cookies!  Related activities complete the fun.  Space is limited; register beginning April 16.  For ages 8 – 11.   

Visit and read to our very favorite therapy pug, Bella.  No registration required.  Courtesy of Ms. Pepin – thank you!  All ages.

Enjoy 30 minutes of traditional rhymes, songs, fingerplays, and other activities for the very young; then stay (or not) for a one-hour open playgroup. Older siblings are welcome to attend!  Ages newborn – 23 months. Drop-in.       

For Grades 3-5.

The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey will be discussed, followed by an activity related to the book. Pizza will be served. Registration begins April 23. Please register below, or call the Children’s Desk, 860-889-2365, ext. 114. Pick up a copy of the book at the Front Desk. 

About The Bad Guys: “They’re scary and dangerous and well…just bad. But Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark are ready to do some good deeds, whether you want them to or not!”

Artreach, Inc. presents a performance for Mental Health Month on Monday, May 14, at 6 pm in the Millie and Martin Shapiro Community Room at Otis Library.  Artreach, Inc. is a Norwich-based nonprofit Mental Health/Arts agency.

“A Mixed Bag” is mental health-themed comedy, music and poetry written and performed by people who understand mental health issues from the inside. This evening will be lighthearted, fun, community building and (maybe even) educational. The event is free and open to the public.  Refreshments will be served.

After “A Mixed Bag,” there will be an opportunity to talk to the performers about the impact Artreach activities have on their lives. They will explain how engaging in the performing arts and the rehearsal process leading up to a show offers the opportunity to build self-esteem; increase artistic skill; make friends; gain motivation; and reduce isolation. The opportunity to perform for the community helps demystify "mental illness" (whatever that is!) and blur the line between "them" and "us." 

The club meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month to learn and to brainstorm about family history projects. Please bring with you any basic information you have about the family members for whom you are looking.  This club will be useful for beginners as well as experienced researchers. For more information , please call Kathleen Wieland, Genealogy Librarian, at (860) 889-2365, ext. 108. 

Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm in the Business Center 

Players of all ages and skill levels are invited to play chess every Wednesday from 5pm - 8pm.  Use one of our chess sets or bring your own.  No registration necessary.

Feeling a little lost with all the new technology?  Maybe even some of the old technology?  Our staff is ready to assist you with one-on-one instruction tailored to your specific need. Topics include basic computer skills, navigating the internet, e-mail, e-readers, and Microsoft Office.  Assistance will be provided by appointment only on Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm.  Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information or to make an appointment.  

In partnership with the Eastern Connecticut Community Gardens Association (ECCGA), Otis Library will host a series of classes on gardening for beginners.   Experienced gardeners from the ECCGA will teach basic gardening skills for everyone, from home owners to apartment dwellers.  Learn to grow your own fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables!  Dates are as follows:  Wednesday, May 16, Container Gardening; Wednesday, June 13, Maintaining Raised Beds; Wednesday, July 11, Harvesting Your Garden; and September date TBD, Putting the Garden to Bed for the Winter. All programs will begin at 6pm in the Story Room and are free and open to the public.  Appropriate for school-age through adult!  Children must be accompanied by an adult. 

The Rows City Knitters, our adult drop-in knitting group, meet every Friday at 10am in the Meeting Room.  All skill levels welcome!  For more information, call Julie at (860) 889-2365, ext. 128.

Feeling a little lost with all the new technology?  Maybe even some of the old technology?  Our staff is ready to assist you with one-on-one instruction tailored to your specific need. Topics include basic computer skills, navigating the internet, e-mail, e-readers, and Microsoft Office.  Assistance will be provided by appointment only on Fridays, 10am - 1pm.  Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information or to make an appointment.  

You’ll feel like you’re on the trail yourself as Sam Ducharme recounts his true life adventure hiking the Appalachian Trail!  Learn facts about wildlife, people and scenery.  This interactive program will inspire hiking and nature enthusiasts!  Please register beginning April 16.  Program will take place in the Community Room.  For grades 7 & up.

For Grades 6-8.

Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke will be discussed, followed by an activity related to the book. Pizza will be served. Registration begins April 30. Please register below or call the Front Desk, 860-889-2365, ext. 100. Pick up a copy of the book at the Front Desk. Program will take place in the Courtyard. In the event of rain, it will take place in the Story Room.

About Mighty Jack: "This first in a series flourishes up to its nail-biting cliffhanger: expect interest for the subsequent offering to positively bloom. Very mighty indeed." -Kirkus, starred review

Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm in the Business Center 

Players of all ages and skill levels are invited to play chess every Wednesday from 5pm - 8pm.  Use one of our chess sets or bring your own.  No registration necessary.

Feeling a little lost with all the new technology?  Maybe even some of the old technology?  Our staff is ready to assist you with one-on-one instruction tailored to your specific need. Topics include basic computer skills, navigating the internet, e-mail, e-readers, and Microsoft Office.  Assistance will be provided by appointment only on Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm.  Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information or to make an appointment.  

Author Susanne Davis will read from her colletion of short stories entitled "The Appointed Hour," which is set in rural Connecticut, and will discuss how local history inspired her writing.  Ms. Davis is a graduate of the Iowa Writer's Workshop, and she teaches creative wirting at Trinity College and the University of Connecticut.  She is a past winner of the Hemingway First Novel Competition, a finalist for the Reynolds Price Short Fiction Award, and the runner-up in the University of Kentucky Press New Poetry and Prose Series competition.

Copies of "The Appointed Hour" will be available for sale and signing.  Free program; no registrtion required. 

The Rows City Knitters, our adult drop-in knitting group, meet every Friday at 10am in the Meeting Room.  All skill levels welcome!  For more information, call Julie at (860) 889-2365, ext. 128.

Feeling a little lost with all the new technology?  Maybe even some of the old technology?  Our staff is ready to assist you with one-on-one instruction tailored to your specific need. Topics include basic computer skills, navigating the internet, e-mail, e-readers, and Microsoft Office.  Assistance will be provided by appointment only on Fridays, 10am - 1pm.  Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information or to make an appointment.  

Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm in the Business Center 

Players of all ages and skill levels are invited to play chess every Wednesday from 5pm - 8pm.  Use one of our chess sets or bring your own.  No registration necessary.

Feeling a little lost with all the new technology?  Maybe even some of the old technology?  Our staff is ready to assist you with one-on-one instruction tailored to your specific need. Topics include basic computer skills, navigating the internet, e-mail, e-readers, and Microsoft Office.  Assistance will be provided by appointment only on Wednesdays, 5pm - 8pm.  Please call 860-889-2365, ext. 100, for additional information or to make an appointment.  

In partnership with Liberty Bank, Otis Library will host a Home Buying Seminar on Wednesday, May 30, at 6pm in the Meeting Room.  Learn the first steps to buying a home, including getting pre-qualified, credit and budgeting, available affordable housing programs, and renovation loan options.  Free program; pizza and soda will be provided.  Registration is required.  Please contact Julie at 860-889-2365, ext. 128, or register on our online calendar.

This series is generously sponsored by Guinan & Houle, LLP Attorneys at Law. 

Otis Library and Bank Square Books present a Delicious Discussions author luncheon with bestselling author Nancy Thayer in celebration of her new book A Nantucket Wedding.  Tickets for this event are $45 and include an author talk and signing, a copy of A Nantucket Wedding  and a buffet lunch at Michael Jordan's Steak House at Mohegan Sun. This event will take place at noon on June 5 and requires preregistration. To register, please call Julie at (860) 889-2365 ext. 128, or register online. Delicious Discussion Author Series is a partnership between Otis Library, Bank Square Books and Michael Jordan's Steak House at Mohegan Sun. 

The Changing Minds Book Club will be discussing "Hillbilly Elegy" by J. D. Vance.  Join us for converwation and refreshments!  Copies of the book are available to borrow at the Front Desk.  No registration required.

In partnership with the Eastern Connecticut Community Gardens Association (ECCGA), Otis Library will host a series of classes on gardening for beginners.   Experienced gardeners from the ECCGA will teach basic gardening skills for everyone, from home owners to apartment dwellers.  Learn to grow your own fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables!  Dates are as follows:  Wednesday, May 16, Container Gardening; Wednesday, June 13, Maintaining Raised Beds; Wednesday, July 11, Harvesting Your Garden; and September date TBD, Putting the Garden to Bed for the Winter. All programs will begin at 6pm in the Story Room and are free and open to the public.  Appropriate for school-age through adult!  Children must be accompanied by an adult. 

In partnership with the Eastern Connecticut Community Gardens Association (ECCGA), Otis Library will host a series of classes on gardening for beginners.   Experienced gardeners from the ECCGA will teach basic gardening skills for everyone, from home owners to apartment dwellers.  Learn to grow your own fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables!  Dates are as follows:  Wednesday, May 16, Container Gardening; Wednesday, June 13, Maintaining Raised Beds; Wednesday, July 11, Harvesting Your Garden; and September date TBD, Putting the Garden to Bed for the Winter. All programs will begin at 6pm in the Story Room and are free and open to the public.  Appropriate for school-age through adult!  Children must be accompanied by an adult.