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Library Chester Public Library... it's bigger than it looks!  Welcome to Chester Public Library! We know it's not always convenient, or even possible for you to get to the library, so this page provides information about and access to library resources whenever you want them. Clicking on one of the topics on the right-hand side of the page reveals information about borrowing museum passes, which magazines the library receives, how to become a member of the Friends of Chester Public Library, and much more. Here in the center of the page is a link to the library catalog, program news, and information about featured library resources. Clicking on any of the highlighted words will take you to the access point for an online resource, or to more information about the topic. You'll need a current Chester Library card to access many of the resources.
We hope this is helpful to you. If you have have thoughts as to how we can make this website more useful, please share them.
Library Catalog 
To search the library catalog, click here.
For information about using VERSO, the library's circulation system, click here.
IN OUR WORDS: CHESTER POETS  In celebration of National Poetry Month, the Chester Library Board of Trustees is sponsoring a second annual poetry reading by Chester poets. Titled “In Our Words,” the free program will be held Monday, April 30 at 7 p.m. at the United Church of Chester. Refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the program.
Five poets, all Chester residents, will read some of their work. They are Jonathan Gillman, Suzanne Levine, Pamela Nomura, Pamela St. Clair, and Ravi Shankar.
Jonathan Gillman says, “Back in the day, I took poetry writing classes with some well-known poets, including Robert Lowell. Then I stopped writing poetry for years, to concentrate on other genres - particularly fiction and playwriting. I came back to poetry writing a few years ago, just in time, it would seem, to write about my father, who was a classically trained pianist with a certificate from Juilliard, and a nationally known mathematician with a brilliant mind. By the time he died, with severe Alzheimer's, little was left of the person he had been. I have written, and will be reading from, an interconnected collection of poems, My Father,
Humming - the Alzheimer's Journal. It follows his descent toward greater senility and death, and my acceptance of him, both who he had been and who he was becoming, and of my own mortality.”
Suzanne Levine says, “I describe my poetry as narrative, primarily as story. In my book, Haberdasher's Daughter, published by Antrim House in 2010, I set out to arrange and often to
write the poems so they could easily be read as one story and to also stand alone.” Ms. Levine, who received her MFA from Vermont College, has been writing for more than 30 years. She has been to numerous writers’ conferences and workshops and meets weekly with the Brickwalk Writers in West Hartford and a small group of writers in Chester. “Lary Bloom and I have taught the Art of Memoir Writing for the last few years, taking our eight-week course to the Mark Twain House, R J Julia Booksellers, the Florence Griswold Museum, Chester Village West, and numerous libraries, including the Chester Library.”
Pamela Nomura has chaired the creative writing programs at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts and the Center for Creative Youth at Wesleyan University. She has also served as director of the Poetry Center and Poetry-in-the-Schools Program at Trinity College. Ms. Nomura has been in residence at Soul Mountain, the Blue Mountain Center, and most recently, in Cape Town, South Africa, where she partnered with South African artists to work with youth-at-risk. Her book of poems, Water and Land by Turns, was published by the Hill-Stead Museum. She is most recently published in the 20th anniversary anthology of the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival (Wesleyan University Press).
Pamela St. Clair is a freelance writer and an English instructor at Middlesex Community College. Her poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in various journals, including The Connecticut River Review, Ellipsis, and Inertia. In 2008, Finishing Line Press published her chapbook, On Receiving Word.
Ravi Shankar, who has performed his work around the world, says, “I have written poetry for most of my life and my themes encompass the experience of growing with two cultures, the delightful range and hue of language, and our philosophical appreciation for life on earth. In my ideal incarnation I'm a cross between Rumi and Wallace Stevens. I've published or edited seven books or chapbooks of poetry, including the 2010 National Poetry Review Prize winner, Deepening Groove, and I have taught poetry writing for the last decade plus. I'm also the founding editor of one of the world's oldest electronic journals of the arts, Drunken Boat (www.drunkenboat.com), and I am chairman of the Connecticut Young Writers Trust.”
Connecticut Science Center Coupons  The Connecticut Science Center has given Chester Library a number of coupons offering 20% off general admission for up to 4 people. The Center will honor one pass per group. The coupons are valid until December 31, 2012 and may be obtained by dropping by the library and requesting one. Visit the Science Center's website to see what's happening now and plan your trip!
For a complete list of the passes available through Chester Library, click here.
Now Available at Chester Cinema, er... Library!  Chester Library's collection of movies contains over 1000 titles, including these, that have been added in the past couple of months:
Beginners
Boardwalk Empire (TV Series)
Dr. Bell and Mr. Doyle
Downton Abbey, Season 2
Hugo
The Ides of March
Margin Call
Mildred Pierce (Series)
Moneyball
My Vietman, Your Iraq
Page One
The Tree of Life
The Twilight Sage: Breaking Dawn
Looking for a movie that Chester doesn't own? Ask about obtaining it through the library's Netflix account.
THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT: iLib2Go
 That’s right, if you are an iPhone, iTouch, or iPad user, there is now a FREE app that allows access to the Chester Library catalog and your account from your device- anywhere! Check to see if that movie you’ve been itching to watch is available when you leave work. Renew those books on your way to the airport. For instructions on getting the App, click here!
The Lowdown on Downloadables
 It seems that everyone is talking about downloadables, both audiobooks and eBooks. Chester residents now have access to free downloadable audio and eBooks though Chester Library. There are two sources for these materials. First, there is iCONN which provides access to a collection of audiobooks that is available to every library user in Connecticut. Understandably, there is lots of demand for these titles, so be prepared to place a hold on the ones you want. In time, you’ll receive an email letting you now the title is available for you, at which point you will have a limited number of days to download it. Click here to see what is available through iCONN. If you are new to digital audio, scroll down the page, looking on the left-hand side for “New to Digital Audio?” where complete instructions are provided.
Overdrive is the newest resource for both downloadable audio books and eBooks. Overdrive downloadables are available to Chester Library users through the library’s membership in Library Connection, a consortium which offers a collection of about 2300 audio books and 950 eBooks to its Connecticut members. The collection is growing constantly but there may still be a wait for high demand titles. Click here to visit the Library Connection/Overdrive website. Take a look at My Help! or the Quick Start Guide in the Getting Started Box on the left side of the page.
For both resources you will need your Chester Library barcode number for log-in purposes. On the Library Connection/Overdrive website, use the barcode for both your library card number and PIN. Call or drop by the library with questions you have about these resources.... and happy downloading!
Recycle Your Empty Printer Cartridges  Calling all empty printer ink cartridges! The library is collecting expended printer ink cartridges of all sorts. Recycling these empty cartridges supplements the library's budget and helps the environment. What better season than Spring to be green! Thank you!
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