The Tolland Public Library Foundation hopes everyone will come out to the library’s Grand Reopening Saturday, April 1 to see the expansion and the new Maker Space between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The equipment in the Maker Space, including a 3D printer and laptop, a 3D doodle pen, a light-box for tracing, a slides and negatives scanner/digital converter and equipment to transfer your old VHS tapes to DVDs, has all been purchased with grants from the Foundation. Never seen what a 3D printer can do? Here’s a demonstration by Foundation board member Cliff Vachon.

Come check out the newly expanded Tolland Public Library on Saturday, April 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its Grand Reopening Celebration.
Christina the Magician and Balloon Entertainer, music by James Burr and a scavenger hunt are just some of the planned events for this family-friendly festivity.
There will also be a demonstration of the 3-D printer, tours of the library, and demos of the library databases. The official opening of the Friends Book Sale room will take place as will the opening of the Business Support Center. The Friends of the Tolland Public Library funded all of the equipment in the Business Center, which includes a color printer/copier/scanner, a laminator, a paper shredder, and other apparatus.
Saturday will also be the official opening of the Maker Space room. The Tolland Public Library Foundation provided the money for the 3-D printer and laptop, a 3-D doodle pen, a light-box for tracing, a slides and negatives scanner/digital converter and equipment to transfer VHS tapes to DVDs.
The library is located at 21 Tolland Green.

A 3-D printer in the Tolland Public Library Maker Space that was funded by the Tolland Public Library Foundation

The Tolland Public Library Foundation will sponsor a free talk April 26 by a financial planner who will discuss “Bridging the Gap: Planning for Later Life.”
Craig Breitsprecher, a financial advisor and registered representative of Valark Financial Services in Hartford, will present an informative, one-hour presentation on planning in the areas of housing, transportation, health care and financial matters.
The seminar will be invaluable for attendees looking to better care for an aging parent or to proactively plan for their own later life. Over the past 100 years, Americans have seen an increase in life expectancy, changing retirement from a few years to a few decades in some cases. Breitsprecher says that has resulted in a greater need for cooperation, planning and transparency across generations to ensure dignity throughout a person’s retirement.
The talk will not include a sales pitch. Breitsprecher has been a frequent visitor to the library as he has given popular talks on “How to Pay for College” that have been sponsored by the Foundation.
The talk will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Conference Room A of Tolland Town Hall at 21 Tolland Green in Tolland. Registration is required. To register, call the library at 860-871-3620.
Craig Breitsprecher

Sixth annual Teen Poetry Slam at the Tolland Public Library

Here are the details that teen poets will need to take part in the Tolland Public Library Foundation’s Sixth Annual Teen Poetry Slam March 16. See entry form and required photo release below.

Dear poet,
The Tolland Public Library and the Tolland Public Library Foundation are pleased to invite middle and high school students aged 12 to 18 to take part in the sixth annual Teen Poetry Slam on Thursday, March 16 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Library Program Room at 21 Tolland Green, Tolland.
To enter, fill out the attached form and photo release and return them to the public library, any Tolland High School English teacher or the high school library no later than Monday, March 13. The event will be held as long as we have at least five entrants. Preference for participation will be given to Tolland residents, but students from other towns may enter if space permits
By Monday, March 13, please email copies of three original poems to Foundation Secretary Kate Farrish at [email protected] so they can be shared with the judges. Each poem should take one to three minutes to perform.
Here are the rules, adapted from those of the National Poetry Slam:

• Each poem must be an original composition of the performer.
• Poets have three minutes to perform each poem, with a 10-second grace period. One point will be deducted from the score of poets who go beyond the grace period. One point will be deducted from the score of poets who speak for less than one minute.
• No props, costumes or musical instruments are allowed.
• No profanity or vulgarity are allowed.
• A panel of judges, made up of a THS student, educators, librarians and Foundation board members, will give each poem a score of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest level. The highest and lowest scores will be dropped.
• Poets with the three highest scores will win prizes after one or two rounds. In the case of a tie, those poets may be asked to perform another poem.
• Poetry slams were born in Chicago in 1986 to celebrate the competitive art of performance poetry. In that spirit, judges will give an equal weight to the writing of the poetry and the poet’s performance.
• Slams are designed to allow the audience to react vocally to the hosts, performers and judges’ scoring, but the Foundation asks that audience members be respectful.

We hope you are as excited about this event as we are. Please invite any relatives or friends you want to come cheer you on. They should register by calling the library at 860-871-3620.
Any questions can be directed to Kate Farrish at 860-871-8089 or at [email protected].

Tolland Public Library Foundation Inc.

                             Sixth annual Teen Poetry Slam at the Tolland Public Library

Entry Form

Name: ____________________________________________________

Best phone number to reach you: ______________________________

Email: ________________________

Grade and school where you are enrolled: ________________________

Age as of March 13, 2017 __________

Please return this entry form to the public library, any Tolland High English teacher or the high school library no later than Monday, March 13.

Please prepare three poems that will each take one to three minutes to perform. Poets will perform two poems, but we ask you to have a third poem ready in case we need to break a tie. The poems should be emailed to Foundation Secretary Kate Farrish at [email protected] no later than Monday, March 13.

Please have your parent or guardian sign the attached photo release and submit it with this entry form no later than Monday, March 13.

Audience members who wish to attend should call the library at 860-871-3620 to register.

                        Tolland Public Library Foundation Poetry Slam Photo Release

Participant who is 18 or over:

 I am 18 or over and give permission to the Tolland Public Library Foundation to use photos of me taking part in its sixth annual Teen Poetry Slam on March 16, 2017. I understand that the photos may be sent to news outlets for publicity purposes and may be used on the Foundation’s Facebook page and website.

I understand that the photos will only be used to educate the public about library services and that the Foundation or the Tolland Public Library will not knowingly release the material for use in any advertising medium.

Permission given by:

Print name

_____________________________________________________________________________

Signature

_____________________________________________________________________________

Participant who is under 18:

 I give permission to the Tolland Public Library Foundation to use photos of my child taking part in its sixth annual Teen Poetry Slam on March 16, 2017. I understand that the photos may be sent to news outlets for publicity purposes and may be used on the Foundation’s Facebook page and website.

I understand that the photos will only be used to educate the public about library services and that the Foundation or the Tolland Public Library will not knowingly release the material for use in any advertising medium.

Name of child:

____________________________________________________________________________

Permission given by:

Print name

___________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________Date:__________________________ Signature

____________________________________________ Relationship to child

Foundation Vice President Dani Titterton, right, with U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney and Library Director Barbara Pettijohn

Thanks to U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney for stopping by the Tolland Public Library Foundation’s table at Celebrate Tolland on Saturday, Sept. 17.

Foundation Vice President Dani Titterton and Library Director Barbara Pettijohn provided him with updates on the library’s expansion on the programs, author visits and library grants that the Foundation sponsors and presents to support the Tolland Public Library Foundation.