Poetry Reading June 29,2025
The Abington Social Library hosted a poetry reading of three award winning local poets, Karen Warinsky, Sarah P. Blanchard, and Steve Veilleux, on Sunday 29 June at 4pm.
Bloomsday Celebration 8 June
The Abington Social Library hosted a Bloomsday celebration on Sunday June 8, 2025 . Bloomsday is the day on which James Joyce's Ulysses takes place in one day in the life of Leopold Bloom in Dublin, Ireland (16 June of each year). There were readings from Ulysses and food from the novel plus a light supper of a pasta dish from Trieste; one of the cities Joyce lived in while writing Ulysses.
Gallery 1793 Art Show
Each year in December, we hold a community art show featuring many of northeast Connecticut’s working artists. The show typically includes pieces ranging from oil, acrylic and watercolor painting to charcoal sketches to metalwork, quilting and glass sculptural pieces.
Many artists offer their work for sale, of which a portion of the proceeds will go to support the library.
The goals of the art show are to promote local artists, contribute to art awareness in the community, and raise funds to support the library.
The title of the gallery comes from the year of the founding of the library in 1793 by the Rev. Walter Lyon, a graduate of Dartmouth and Yale, and minister at the nearby church at the time.
Dracula
On Sunday, October 27, 2024 we showed the original 1931 Dracula with Bella Lugosi directed by the legendary Tod Browning. People were invited to dress as their favorite monster or victim and were provided with a complementary light supper.
The Abington Social Library presented on Sunday, 18 August, the film, I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story. It is a 2014 American documentary film about Caroll Spinney, the original performer of Sesame Street characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. The film has received generally positive reviews. It has been shown at many film festivals, including the April 2014 Hot Docs Festival. We raised almost $700 from this event with about 40 attendees from around southern New England (and even a guest from NYC!). Thank you to all.
Photo: Debi Spinney with Jay Livernois answering questions of the audience.