PROGRAMS

African & African American Authors Book Discussion

Monday, November 28 from 7 to 9 p.m.

South End Branch and via Zoom

A discussion of Lakewood by Megan Giddings. Provocative and thrilling, Lakewood is a breathtaking novel that takes an unflinching look at the moral dilemmas many working class families face, and the horror that has been forced on Black bodies in the name of science.

Let's Talk: Conversation Groups

New! Evening Sessions Back in Person

Tuesday, November 29 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Main Library, DiMattia Building

Dudley N. Williams, Jr. Auditorium

Tuesday, November 29 via Zoom

New students welcome for English-language conversation groups.

New Students: noon to 12:30 p.m.

Basic: 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Low Intermediate: 2:30 p.m.

Advanced: 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 30 via Zoom

High Intermediate: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Beginner: 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Tech Tips for Older Adults

Tuesday, November 29 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.

Community Mindfulness Project: Meditation

Tuesday, November 29 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.

Mah-Jongg Club

Wednesday, November 30 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Weed Memorial & Hollander Branch

Our popular Mah-Jongg Club is open to beginners, intermediate and experienced players.

Come play this game of strategy with us.

Community Conversation: Stamford Youth Mental Health Alliance

Wednesday, November 30 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Main Library, DiMattia Building

Dudley N. Williams, Jr. Auditorium

Join us for a panel discussion with community leaders about the mental health challenges young people often face and the support they need to achieve wellness.

This program includes a screening of selections from the documentary series Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness, produced by Ken Burns, Ewers Brothers Productions and Florentine Films. The film gives voice to the experiences of 20 young people who bravely share their stories of struggles with mental health challenges, focusing on the importance of awareness and empathy.

Registration required.

Presented by the Ferguson Library and the Stamford Youth Mental Health Alliance.

Co-sponsored by the Bank of America.

Women's Self-Defense Workshop

Saturday, December 3 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Main Library, DiMattia Building

Dudley N. Williams, Jr. Auditorium

Club Kung Fu of Stamford will lead a female-focused self-defense workshop focusing on three phases: setting up boundaries and assessing the threat; learning the best way to strike using palms, elbows and knees; and defending against chokes, grabs and mounts.

Club Kung Fu practices the traditional Chinese martial art of Wing Tsun, which was originally created by Buddhist nun Ng Mui to defend against typically larger and stronger opponents.

Please wear comfortable clothing and sneakers. For teens and adults.

Registration required.

Documentary Screening: The Booksellers

Saturday, December 3 from 2 to 3:45 p.m.

Main Library, DiMattia Building

Third Floor Technology Center

A behind-the-scenes look at the New York City rare book world, featuring interviews with important dealers in the business, prominent collectors, auctioneers and writers who reflect on book culture and the future of the book.

For teens and adult.

Business And Career Development

Maximizing LinkedIn

Thursday, December 1 from 3 to 4 p.m.

Main Library, DiMattia Building

Third Floor Technology Center

Looking to create a professional social networking profile designed to connect with like-minded business professionals? Learn how to create a profile, connect with business professionals, search for jobs and career interests and gather referrals and endorsements from co-workers and supervisors.

Registration required.

Presented in partnership with Goodwill Careers.

TechXel Stamford Accelerator Series Venture Expert Talks

Thursday, December 1 from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. via Zoom

Capital Tables and Valuation

Charlotte Walker, Investor

Charlotte Walker is Founder and President of TSF Management, Inc., a management consulting company; General Partner for The Seed Fund; and currently sits on the board of directors of Smartleaf, Inc., a fintech company. She also serves on the advisory boards of Aliro Group, LLC, an advanced talent management SaaS platform, and Daily Cloudt, Inc., a civic tech company.

Registration Required

COMING SOON

New Time and Location!

Friends Author Series: A Conversation with Legendary Chef Jacques Pépin

Sunday, Dec. 4 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Main Library, DiMattia Building

Iconic chef Jacques Pépin will discuss his new illustrated new book, Jacques Pépin Art of the Chicken: A Master Chef’s Paintings, Stories and Recipes of the Humbled Bird with Valerie Foster, former Food and Features Editor for The Advocate.

Registration Required.

Ongoing At The Library

Access Health CT Open Enrollment

Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Main Library, DiMattia Building

Second Floor Study Room

Open Enrollment Period for 2023 health and dental insurance coverage. Representatives from Access Health CT will be on the library's second floor weekdays through January 13 to help you enroll in or renew a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) and/or Stand-Alone Dental Plan (SADP). Whether you are renewing coverage or looking at insurance options for the first time, Access Health CT can help you understand how to enroll and what to expect during Open Enrollment. For more information, visit the program's web site.

Covid-19 Vaccination Clinics

Monday, November 28

Tuesday, November 29

Wednesday, November 30

Thursday, December 1

Friday, December 2

from 1 to 5 p.m.

Main Library, DiMattia Building

Dudley N. Williams, Jr. Auditorium

Free Covid-19 vaccines and boosters will be available to adults and children from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Main Library on weekdays. No appointment necessary. Please bring your vaccine and insurance cards if you have them. In addition to primary vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna Bivariant boosters will be available.

More community clinics will be offered at the library through December 29. Clinic dates are posted weekly.

This clinic is offered in partnership with the Stamford Health Department and Griffin Health.

Tell Your Story Project

We are resuming our oral history project, Tell Your Story, an effort to capture Stamford's history through the lives of its residents. If you are a long-time resident and would like to share memories of growing up in Stamford, please let us know. We welcome photos and other memorabilia, too. You can experience the stories we have collected so far by visiting the Ferguson Library Digital Archive at fergusonlibraryarchive.org. If you are interested contact Frank Skornia at [email protected] or 203 351-8220.

Art at the Ferguson

Celebrating New Art: Work Created Since 2020

Main Library, DiMattia Building

Dudley N. Williams, Jr. Auditorium

The juried show, curated by the Stamford Art Association, features work by local and regional artists and will be on display through January 19, 2023.

Pictured: See Through by Cecile Roberfroid.

Volunteers Wanted to Help English Language Learners

The Ferguson Library is 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].

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.

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

Wednesdays beginning November 2 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Weed Memorial & Hollander 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

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.

[More information]

Library Hours

Main Library, DiMattia Building

Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday 1 - 5 p.m.

Harry Bennett Branch

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Wednesday 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

South End Branch

Monday through Thursday 10 – 5:30

Saturday 10 – 2

Weed Memorial & Hollander Branch

Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Tuesday 12 - 7 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For information about passport services, visit our Passports page or call 203 351-8298.

Curbside Pickup Available

Curbside Pickup is available for Ferguson Library cardholders.

[More Information]

Phone Service

Main Library Borrowers Services: 203 351-8261

Main Library Adult Services/Reference Desk: 203 351-8221

Youth Services: 203 351-8242

Harry Bennett Branch: 203 351-8292

Weed Memorial & Hollander Branch: 203 351-8285

South End Branch: 203 351-8280

Online Chat (Look for the Chat with us button on our website.)