Museum Passes

Summer is the perfect time to borrow one of the library’s museum passes! Visit the Beardsley Zoo, CT Science Center, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Maritime Aquarium, American Museum of Natural History and many more. For a complete list of our museum passes visit the library or go online to: www.ewml.org/passes

The passes provide free or discounted admission to local cultural attractions and most passes are available for a three day loan period. The Beardsley Zoo, Discovery Museum, and Stepping Stones Museum passes are available for a one day loan because they are so popular. Patrons often ask us why we don’t purchase more than one pass to each museum and the answer is that the museum or zoo will not allow us to have more than one pass. Passes are available on a first come/first serve basis – so what’s the best way to get one? Call the library to ask if the pass you are interested in is available. If it is we will hold it for you to pick up within two hours. When you come in please know that you must be 18 years old and a Monroe resident, taxpayer or member of the Friends of the Library. For one day loans you will have 24 hours to return the pass and they can be placed in the library book drop before we open at 10:00 the following day. Passes cannot be renewed and patrons are responsible for the replacement cost of the pass if they lose it.

The Friends of the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library provide the passes through their fund raising efforts so please consider becoming a member of the Friends to support their hard work. The Friends also provide supplemental funds to the library for books, materials, and programs. Membership in the Friends is only $15 for an individual or $25 for a family.

Enjoy your summer at one of our State’s great cultural attractions and say thanks to our Friends for the pleasure!

What's the big deal about summer reading?

The library will be hopping on Saturday, June 22 as we kick-off our summer reading programs for children, teens and adults. We’ll have various activities and contests throughout the day.  You can decorate a planter, make a yummy dirt cup, create a pet rock, try ice archaeology, and more. Don’t miss Mime Robert Rivest at 2:00 pm in the Ehlers Room.  Our sidewalk chalk contest is back with prizes for the best chalk drawing in several age categories. Grab your slab of sidewalk and decorate from 10:00 – 2:00; judging starts at 2:00 and prizes are awarded at 3:00. Don’t forget to bring your own chalk!

Why do we make such an effort to get children and families to the library? It’s because of the “summer slide”.  Studies have shown that children who do not read during the summer will lose more than two months of reading achievement, and the effect is cumulative. Kids who lose reading skills over the summer will be two years behind their classmates by the end of the 6^th grade.  By joining the Summer Reading Club, kids can prevent this from happening. We have programs for adults and teens too, with lots of prizes!  Why a program for adults?  Why should the kids have all the fun?  By joining our adult reading program parents can join the fun and make reading a family affair. Reading is one of life’s greatest pleasures!

This year’s children’s theme is Dig Into Reading.  Children love to dig into things – dirt boxes, mysteries, or solving a problem.  They want to find the answer, to satisfy their curiosity. This summer’s reading list will “dig” into science, nature, history, detective stories and more.  Our children’s programming will encourage kids to discover and create through fun science activities, arts & crafts, and exciting performances. Teens can read “Beneath the Surface”, about what can’t be seen or known at first glance, but is always there waiting to emerge. “Groundbreaking Reads” will encourage adults to expand their understanding of the world and enjoy programs that will give you a new perspective on history, science, and health. Register starting on June 22 and receive a summer reading starter kit complete with reading log, bookmark, brochures and other goodies. This year all three programs are also online! You can log your reading from your computer, tablet, or smart phone and receive notification when you are eligible for a prize.

The library and the Monroe Public Schools are working together to coordinate their summer reading program with the Governor's Reading Challenge.  The library will be forwarding information from all of the online reading logs to the schools at the end of the summer, so be sure to note which books you have finished reading when you log your minutes. Hope to see you at the library this summer and enjoy your reading!

National Library Week

Its that time of year when we celebrate libraries. librarians and library workers. At EWML we have a short survey at both the adult and circulation desks.  It will only take you a minute to fill out, I promise, and it will really help us plan for the future.  We want to know what you are thinking so now is your chance to let us know!

Libraries today are changing - they are much more than a repository for books and other resources.We are a community resource center; a place to gather, reconnect and reengage with each other. To find out what is happening at our library, please sign up for the library email list on our library webpage, www.ewml.org
Just add your email to the box in the upper right corner of our page and you will receive announcements of our programs and services.
Just one more thing - take the time to let our elected officials know that the library is important to you. It's budget season and very important that they know the library is a valued part of our community. Many thanks!

We have an APP!

Want to renew a book or place one on hold; find library hours or directions; download an ebook? We have an app for that!

EWML has a mobile App named Boopsie to put the library at your fingertips. From any mobile phone connected to the internet you can instantly tap into library resources, anytime, anywhere. You can search the library catalog, check your account, ask a question, and check our program calendar.

Our mobile app will put library information just one click away with much faster access than going through a browser. It’s important for library patrons to have access to our rich resources. Searching the catalog with the mobile app is especially easy. Just type the first few letters of two or three words and search results will begin to appear. For example, if you’re looking up Mark Twain in the catalog, just type “ma twa”. Once you find the title you’re looking for, you can place it on hold right from your phone.

To download the App on your mobile device use your phone’s browser and type in www.biblio.boopsie.com. Apple devices including the IPad can download the app by searching for Bibliomation in the App Store. You may also call the library Reference Desk and we will help you.

The library’s mobile app was developed by Boopsie Inc. More than 250 libraries and universities use Boopsie to increase campus and community visibility.

Our staff is the best!

On any normal day, about 300-400 patrons use the library.  On Wed. Oct. 31, after Hurricane Sandy, 1682 people used the library. Each day of that week saw record numbers of library users. Almost every seat in the library was taken. People were sitting on the floor next to outlets to charge their cell phones and tablets.  And through it all our staff answered questions, charged out movies and books, helped people in any way thay could, and all with a smile on their faces.  They worked longer hours keeping the library open for people to keep warm.  Some of our staff voluntered extra time to help out. Many people, appreciating this, thanked the staff.  Some patrons donated coffee and tea to help us keep our coffee bar running.  Thank you to them also.  But the real point of this post is my appreciation for the great people who work in the library who give the best service they can every day.  Thank you!

New Children's Librarian

Please join me in welcoming Michelle Turbak to the Children’s Room staff! Michelle will start as our new Children’s Services Librarian on September 4. Michelle joined the Reference Department at EWML in October, 2010, working only on Sundays. We quickly realized that her friendly smile, devotion to giving the best possible service to our patrons, and creative talents were something special so she took over more hours at the Reference Desk when we had an opening. Turns out Michelle has more to offer because she has experience in children’s programming, story hours, and summer reading programs so she is the perfect choice to lead our Children’s Department.


Michelle is a Monroe resident, raising her three boys here so she knows our community well. She is eager to meet the children and their parents and begin her new tasks in the Children’s Room. Please stop by in September to welcome her. Congratulations Michelle!

Summer Reading

Summer Reading is in full swing so come in and join the fun!  We have reading programs for kids, teens, and adults with great prizes in each program.  You can sign-up any day until August 14.  Teens and adults can register and participate online; see the library website.  Children can register and receive their reading packet at the library.The library is the place to visit this summer in Monroe.  Don't be left out. We have special programs for all age groups. See you at the library!