Summer Unplugged - Bears!
2025-06-25 13:00 - 13:45 (America/New_York) | Whiting Library, 117 Main St., CHESTER, VT, 05143, United States
One of New England’s largest waddlers is the American black bear. Although often feared, these sizable mammals are intelligent, sneaky, and beautiful. How can we share our habitats safely with these two hundred pound omnivores? Come activate your inner bear as we learn about the life of black bears, explore black bear biofacts, snuggle up for a story reading, and engage in the black bear experience!
The Nature Museum aims to engage and educate in order to spark a lifelong connection and responsibility to the natural world. Our vision is that we help all people be inspired to explore the wonder, science, and beauty of the natural world and to protect the regional and global ecology.
Thanks to the generous support from Great River Hydro, The Nature Museum is excited to once again bring free environmental education programming to public libraries throughout the Middle Connecticut River Valley and at the Bellows Falls Fish Ladder and Visitor Center during the summer of 2025.
These programs aim to be engaging and highlight topics related to the unique ecology and landscape of Northern New England. These programs are geared towards youth ages Pre-K through elementary grades, but all are welcome! Programs will be approximately 45 minutes long with dedicated time for a story reading and any nature related questions you may have for our expert educators. Library programs will be both outdoors whenever possible and indoors as needed depending on weather and location. Join us to unplug, discover, and learn!

Summer Reading Challenge Kick Off Party with author Carrie Kruck
2025-06-28 10:30 - 11:30 | Whiting Library, 117 Main St., CHESTER, VT, 05143, United States
Sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge!
Join Whiting Library for a summer filled with reading, creativity, and discovery! Our Summer Reading Challenge encourages kids simply to read every day—no sign-up, timers, or reading logs required. Just stop by the Youth Room, pick up a summer reading challenge sheet (or not!), and take part in fun activities that keep learning going all summer long.
Our special guest of honor will be New Hampshire author Carrie Kruck, who will read from one of her picture books. All youth who attend can select two new books from various options! A Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF) grant makes the book giveaway and author presentation possible.
Did you know that summer break can lead to the “summer slide,” where kids lose academic progress? Our Summer Reading Challenge is the perfect way to keep young minds sharp! Regular reading helps reinforce literacy skills, prevent learning loss, and spark new achievements—all while having fun.
📚 How It Works
🎁 Every kid who visits the library on Saturday, June 28, from 10:30AM – 11:30AM will receive 2 free books!

Just tell a staff member that who would like to participate in the Summer Reading Challenge.
Read every day from June 28th to August 2nd.
Attend fun events throughout the summer at the library.
🧱 The Nature Museum programs, Story hour & playgroups held weekly
🎨 Try the artist scavenger hunt at the library. Color your world with fun art projects at the library this summer.

📚 Kids read and report back to the library for a weekly pick from the prize basket or bookshelf!🍦 Celebrate All Summer Readers at our Ice Cream Social – Saturday, Aug 2 at 11:30AM!
Library cards for Whiting Library are free to all residents of the towns of Chester and Andover, Vermont. Adults please bring your proof of residency (i.e. mail with your name and address on it) with you when you sign up for a library card.
For more details, contact Carrie King, Youth Librarian, at youthlibrarian@whitinglibrary.org.

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Playgroup for Wee Littles (0-5) & Caregivers
2025-07-01 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-07-08 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-07-15 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-07-22 10:00 - 11:30 | Whiting Library, 117 Main St., CHESTER, VT, 05143, United States
Whiting Library is home to a weekly playgroup for the Wee Littles (0-5 years old) and their caregivers on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. This is a free, fun and relaxed gathering where little kids play while their grown ups supervise and socialize.
No need to pre-register, simply drop in to the library Community Room. Stay as long or as little as you like. Geared towards Caregivers who want to find friendship and build connections in the greater wee little people (0-5 years old) community.
Fun & games, plus art & craft projects in the community room downstairs!
Everyone learns best through play! Contact our Youth Librarian, for more information via youthlibrarian@whitinglibrary.org or call 802-875-2277.

Story Hour
2025-07-02 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-07-09 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-07-16 10:00 - 11:00 | Whiting Library, 117 Main St., CHESTER, VT, 05143, United States
Story Hour is geared toward preschoolers, but all ages are welcome to join the fun! Each session runs from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, with approximately 15-30 minutes of focused storytime, where children will enjoy engaging stories, hand plays, music, and occasional new book previews from the library. The remaining time is free choice, allowing children to explore hands-on learning through play, crafts, and social interaction.
Whether listening to a story, making a craft, or engaging in imaginative play, kids are strengthening the skills they need for future reading success!
Look for us in the Community Room downstairs, or, if the weather is nice, we may be outside in the backyard.
Preregistration is appreciated but not required—drop-ins are always welcome! To sign up, call the library at 802-875-2277 or email Carrie at youthlibrarian@whitinglibrary.org.

Summer Unplugged - Raptors!
2025-07-02 13:00 - 13:45 | Whiting Library, 117 Main St., CHESTER, VT, 05143, United States
Raptors are amazing predators that soar, swoop, dive, and glide. Learn what makes raptors unique, the differences between some native raptor species, and why they are such important predators in their environments. Immerse your senses in calls, feathers, and fun as we study where and how raptors thrive and survive. We may just even see one soaring above! Come observe bio-facts, hear some raptor calls, read a story, and immerse ourselves in the fast-flying world of predatory birds!
The Nature Museum aims to engage and educate in order to spark a lifelong connection and responsibility to the natural world. Our vision is that we help all people be inspired to explore the wonder, science, and beauty of the natural world and to protect the regional and global ecology.
Thanks to the generous support from Great River Hydro, The Nature Museum is excited to once again bring free environmental education programming to public libraries throughout the Middle Connecticut River Valley and at the Bellows Falls Fish Ladder and Visitor Center during the summer of 2025.
These programs aim to be engaging and highlight topics related to the unique ecology and landscape of Northern New England. These programs are geared towards youth ages Pre-K through elementary grades, but all are welcome! Programs will be approximately 45 minutes long with dedicated time for a story reading and any nature related questions you may have for our expert educators. Library programs will be both outdoors whenever possible and indoors as needed depending on weather and location. Join us to unplug, discover, and learn!

Teen Community Service Club
2025-07-03 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-07-10 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-07-17 18:00 - 19:00
Thursdays, July 3 through August 21 at 6 p.m.

Want to make a difference in your community and earn service hours?

Drop by one of our Community Service Club meetings!

Exclusively open to students aged 13+, the Community Service Club’s mission is to promote and grow library services for teens and others by:

Planning and running teen events at the library;
Recommending books, movies, music, manga, and magazines for the library;
Promoting library events and services within the community and in schools;
Encouraging expression by and for teens via the creation of displays, flyers, and booklists.

Closed for Independence Day
2025-07-04

Drawing Your World with Raúl The Third (PK-2nd Grade)
2025-07-08 16:00 - 16:30 | Zoom Online
This online event will be 30 minutes in length. Register here: https://libraryc.org/whitinglibrary/upcoming
Join author and illustrator Raúl The Third as he discusses his book ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Read!. Meet Little Lobo and friends as they explore their library’s Libro Love Book Festival! From cookbook demonstrations and comics workshops to mask making and language classes, this library has something for everyone and Little Lobo can’t wait to show you.
Raúl the Third uses his culture and his experience growing up on the US and Mexico border to inspire his art and his storytelling. Students will be encouraged to explore their world through a creative lens. A draw along is planned, drawing supplies and paper are recommended.
Please note that we will be hosting Raúl the Third twice on this date, once in Spanish and in English. Be sure that you are registering for your preferred format.
About the Author: Raúl The Third is a New York Times bestselling and three-time Pura Belpre award-winning illustrator, author, and artist living in Boston. His work centers around the contemporary Mexican-American experience and his memories of growing up in El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He is currently adapting his World of Vamos! books into an animated television series with Silvergate Media and Mercury Filmworks.

Summer Unplugged - Homebodies & Shell-ters
2025-07-09 13:00 - 13:45 | Whiting Library, 117 Main St., CHESTER, VT, 05143, United States
Looking to make some home improvements? Check out how some of Vermont and New Hampshire’s builders craft their structures! From birds to bees, mollusks to reptiles, certain creatures are able to keep safe in hand-made (or rather, paw- and claw-made) accommodations. Be prepared to learn paws-on as we explore which creatures create a harder exterior!
The Nature Museum aims to engage and educate in order to spark a lifelong connection and responsibility to the natural world. Our vision is that we help all people be inspired to explore the wonder, science, and beauty of the natural world and to protect the regional and global ecology.
Thanks to the generous support from Great River Hydro, The Nature Museum is excited to once again bring free environmental education programming to public libraries throughout the Middle Connecticut River Valley and at the Bellows Falls Fish Ladder and Visitor Center during the summer of 2025.
These programs aim to be engaging and highlight topics related to the unique ecology and landscape of Northern New England. These programs are geared towards youth ages Pre-K through elementary grades, but all are welcome! Programs will be approximately 45 minutes long with dedicated time for a story reading and any nature related questions you may have for our expert educators. Library programs will be both outdoors whenever possible and indoors as needed depending on weather and location. Join us to unplug, discover, and learn!

Adult Book Discussion: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
2025-07-09 16:30 - 17:30
If you want to participate in the book club, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the library at director@WhitingLibrary.org or call 802-875-2277 to reserve a copy.

Summer Flicks: Paddington in Peru
2025-07-10 14:00 - 16:00
PADDINGTON IN PERU follows Paddington and the Brown family as they visit Aunt Lucy in Peru. A thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and to the mountain peaks of Peru.
Starring Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman.
Columbia Pictures, 2024, Rated PG, 106 minutes

Read to a Dog
2025-07-11 11:30 - 12:30
Read aloud to Orla, a gentle therapy dog. This relaxed, judgment-free program is perfect for emerging and reluctant readers.
Whiting Library is pleased to partner with Kathleen Karl, a trained therapy dog handler, experienced educator, and classroom teacher, for this spectacular 2025 Summer Reading event.
Wednesdays and Fridays, July 2-August 2
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or by appointment.
You can call 802-875-22177 for information.

Drop-in Friday Crafternoon: Paint Like Alma Woodsey Thomas
2025-07-11 13:00 - 16:00
Unleash the artist within! Join us for crafting and fun. We will provide refreshments, craft materials, coloring books, and colored pencils; you bring the conversation. If you want, bring a craft you are working on or try something new! The featured activity this week is painting. Learn a simple painting technique along with a bit of art history. While the technique is simple, it can be used to make art of infinite complexity.

The Colorful World of Butterflies!
2025-07-12 11:00 - 12:00
What are some ways we can conserve butterfly habitat? What does a good butterfly garden look like? When, how, and why do Monarch butterflies go to Mexico?
Meet Jerry Schneider, aka The Butterfly Guy, and learn interesting butterfly characteristics (did you know that butterflies taste with their feet?) and more. Jerry brings displays of butterflies and moths, cocoons, and sometimes caterpillars, and will share a slideshow. The second half of this program involves a t-shirt craft, so please bring a white T-shirt and create wearable art!

Tales to Tails: Read to a Dog!
2025-07-16 11:30 - 12:30 | Whiting Library, 117 Main St., CHESTER, VT, 05143, United States
Come read to a furry friend! 🐶
Kids are invited to boost their reading confidence by reading aloud to a gentle, trained therapy dog named Orla. Our Tales to Tails program provides a calm, playful, and nonjudgmental space where young readers can practice their skills, build fluency, and enjoy the company of a four-legged listener.
Reading to a dog makes learning feel like play—which is essential to literacy development! Through play, children engage their imagination, build language skills, and gain the confidence they need to become lifelong readers.
Perfect for emerging and reluctant readers—because dogs make the best audience! 📖
Kathleen Karl, a registered therapy dog handler and seasoned educator with over 20 years of experience helping children become successful readers, will be on hand to support young participants. Kids are welcome to bring their own book or choose one from the library.
When: July 2 – August 2📖 Wednesdays from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM📖 Fridays from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
🐾 Prefer a different time? Appointments are welcome! Contact Carrie to request a time that works for you—we’ll do our best to accommodate your schedule.
🔖 Reserve your reading time with Orla:Email Carrie King at youthlibrarian@whitinglibrary.org

Summer Unplugged - Thrive & Survive: A Guide for New England’s Predators & Prey
2025-07-16 13:00 - 13:45 | Whiting Library, 117 Main St., CHESTER, VT, 05143, United States
From silent flights to super senses and kooky camouflage, animals have evolved to survive in a competitive world. Using observation, hands-on examination of bio-facts (animal furs, feathers, bones, and more) and other engaging activities, participants will enjoy learning about the incredible physical and behavioral adaptations that animals use to thrive in their habitats!
The Nature Museum aims to engage and educate in order to spark a lifelong connection and responsibility to the natural world. Our vision is that we help all people be inspired to explore the wonder, science, and beauty of the natural world and to protect the regional and global ecology.
Thanks to the generous support from Great River Hydro, The Nature Museum is excited to once again bring free environmental education programming to public libraries throughout the Middle Connecticut River Valley and at the Bellows Falls Fish Ladder and Visitor Center during the summer of 2025.
These programs aim to be engaging and highlight topics related to the unique ecology and landscape of Northern New England. These programs are geared towards youth ages Pre-K through elementary grades, but all are welcome! Programs will be approximately 45 minutes long with dedicated time for a story reading and any nature related questions you may have for our expert educators. Library programs will be both outdoors whenever possible and indoors as needed depending on weather and location. Join us to unplug, discover, and learn!

Summer Flicks: Moana 2
2025-07-17 14:00 - 16:00
“Moana 2” reunites Moana and Maui three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.
Starring Auli’i Cravalho, Hualālai Chung, Dwayne Johnson, Rose Matafeo, David Fane.
Walt Disney Pictures, 2024, 100 minutes, Rated PG

Discerning the Truth with Marie Lu (9th-12th Grade)
2025-07-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Zoom Online
To register for this online event, visit https://libraryc.org/whitinglibrary/upcoming
Explore the intricate world of Legend with Marie Lu as she encourages readers to look beyond the surface and reveal hidden secrets. Explore the depths of deceit, battle for power, and the lengths characters will go to unmask the Truth.
Legend is a dystopian novel where two unlikely characters, June and Day, cross paths in search for the Truth. Can they set aside their differences and preconceptions for the greater good? Readers will devour Marie Lu’s words as they are challenged to think critically about the world around them and reminded to never judge a book by its cover. Register now for an event you don’t want to miss!
About the Author: Marie Lu is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Legend trilogy and The Young Elites trilogy. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry, working for Disney Interactive Studios as a Flash artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing Assassin’s Creed, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California (see above: traffic), with one husband, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis.

Tales to Tails: Read to a Dog!
2025-07-18 11:30 - 12:30, 2025-07-23 11:30 - 12:30 | Whiting Library, 117 Main St., CHESTER, VT, 05143, United States
Come read to a furry friend! 🐶
Kids are invited to boost their reading confidence by reading aloud to a gentle, trained therapy dog named Orla. Our Tales to Tails program provides a calm, playful, and nonjudgmental space where young readers can practice their skills, build fluency, and enjoy the company of a four-legged listener.
Reading to a dog makes learning feel like play—which is essential to literacy development! Through play, children engage their imagination, build language skills, and gain the confidence they need to become lifelong readers.
Perfect for emerging and reluctant readers—because dogs make the best audience! 📖
Kathleen Karl, a registered therapy dog handler and seasoned educator with over 20 years of experience helping children become successful readers, will be on hand to support young participants. Kids are welcome to bring their own book or choose one from the library.
When: July 2 – August 1📖 Wednesdays from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM📖 Fridays from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
🐾 Prefer a different time? Appointments are welcome! Contact Carrie to request a time that works for you—we’ll do our best to accommodate your schedule.
🔖 Reserve your reading time with Orla:Email Carrie King at youthlibrarian@whitinglibrary.org

Drop-in Friday Crafternoon: Victoria Villasana Inspired Art
2025-07-18 13:00 - 16:00
Unleash the artist within! Join us for crafting and fun. We will provide refreshments, craft materials, coloring books, and colored pencils; you bring the conversation. If you want, bring a craft you are working on or try something new! This week’s featured activity is altering photos by blending photography and fiber arts! Explore the techniques of artist Victoria Villasana and learn how to use needle and thread to enhance a photograph. Discover how to transform a simple photo into a stunning, textured piece of art.

Story Time
2025-07-23 10:00 - 11:00 | Whiting Library, 117 Main St., CHESTER, VT, 05143, United States
Story Time is geared toward preschoolers, but all ages are welcome to join the fun! Each session runs from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, with approximately 15-30 minutes of focused storytime, where children will enjoy engaging stories, hand plays, music, and occasional new book previews from the library. The remaining time is free choice, allowing children to explore hands-on learning through play, crafts, and social interaction.
Whether listening to a story, making a craft, or engaging in imaginative play, kids are strengthening the skills they need for future reading success!
Look for us in the Community Room downstairs, or, if the weather is nice, we may be outside in the backyard.
Preregistration is appreciated but not required—drop-ins are always welcome! To sign up, call the library at 802-875-2277 or email Carrie at youthlibrarian@whitinglibrary.org.

Summer Unplugged - Fuzzy, Flying, & Misunderstood: Bats!
2025-07-23 13:00 - 13:45 | Whiting Library, 117 Main St., CHESTER, VT, 05143, United States
Bats often get a bad rap even though they’re incredibly important, and special, animals. Several species of these night-flying fuzzy mammals call New England home. Come join us to dispel bat myths and learn more about these misunderstood winged wonders. Explore bat biofacts, stick around for a bat story, and join the hunt in a special bat activity!
The Nature Museum aims to engage and educate in order to spark a lifelong connection and responsibility to the natural world. Our vision is that we help all people be inspired to explore the wonder, science, and beauty of the natural world and to protect the regional and global ecology.
Thanks to the generous support from Great River Hydro, The Nature Museum is excited to once again bring free environmental education programming to public libraries throughout the Middle Connecticut River Valley and at the Bellows Falls Fish Ladder and Visitor Center during the summer of 2025.
These programs aim to be engaging and highlight topics related to the unique ecology and landscape of Northern New England. These programs are geared towards youth ages Pre-K through elementary grades, but all are welcome! Programs will be approximately 45 minutes long with dedicated time for a story reading and any nature related questions you may have for our expert educators. Library programs will be both outdoors whenever possible and indoors as needed depending on weather and location. Join us to unplug, discover, and learn!
