Library News

AVON TALKS Presents The Avon Free Public Library

Posted on by Glenn Grube

The March edition of AVON TALKS, the podcast from the Avon Historical Society, is now available.  In this episode, host Ethan Guo explores the development of the Avon Free Public Library.

Avon’s public library has had a long history, from being transplanted across the town to developing an evolving identity as the needs of libraries and information literacy have changed with the digital age. Guests for this episode are Glenn Grube, the director of Avon Free Public Library and Cal Miller of Miller Farms.

You can listen to AVON TALKS Podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Podcast Index and Amazon Music. Avon Talks is a monthly podcast about Avon, CT’s history, landmarks, and current events from the Avon Historical Society and Town of Avon. It is hosted by Ethan Guo, an Avon Resident and current undergraduate student at Tufts University.

Listen to the episode about Avon Library at https://avontalks.buzzsprout.com/2024219/14707971-avon-free-public-library-with-glenn-grube-and-cal-miller

Find more Avon Talks info on https://avontalks.buzzsprout.com

Charge up at Avon Library!

Posted on by Glenn Grube

Avon Free Public Library now offers an electric vehicle (EV) charging station in the library’s parking lot. The dual port, ChargePoint level 2 charging station is a paid service, accessible through the ChargePoint app for EV drivers.

Funding for this charging station was provided by the Town of Avon, the Avon Free Public Library, Eversource and a VW Settlement Grant administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Special thanks to the Board of Directors of the Avon Free Public Library, the Avon Town Council, and the Avon Clean Energy Commission for their support for this project.

Unearthing History: 2024 Virtual Lecture Series

Posted on by Tina Panik

Unearthing History: The discovery of a 12,500 year old Paleo-Indian site along the Farmington River in Avon. Join us for a virtual series of lectures, sponsored by a grant from the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee that will cover the many aspects of archaeology, with a focus on the Brian D. Jones Paleo-Indian discovery in Avon, Connecticut. All events begin at 7:00pm EST on Zoom.

This 2024 VIRTUAL HISTORY SERIES is sponsored by Avon Historical Society, Avon Free Public Library and Avon Senior Center, in partnership with the Avon Land Trust, Farmington River Watershed Association, and the Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington, CT.

Times are EST: Eastern Standard Time.  Events are free to attend. Webinars will be recorded; links appear at the end of this post and are available on the Avon Library’s YouTube Channel.

View the full 2024 series flyer here

October 10 – Paleoindian Discoveries in America

Presented by Brad Lepper, Senior Archaeologist, World Heritage Program, Ohio History Connection. The Paleoindian discovery America was the last great human migration into an unpeopled world. It is the foundation of all that came after it across the Indigenous Americas. Archaeologists are still seeking the answers to many of the most important questions about this first chapter in American history. When did people first arrive in this hemisphere? How did these people so quickly occupy and adapt to the many varied environments of North and South America? What effect did the arrival of humans have on the many large species of mammals living across these two continents? The answers to these and other questions will be explored in this presentation.

Brad Lepper is the Senior Archaeologist for the Ohio History Connection’s World Heritage Program and an occasional Visiting Assistant Professor at Denison University.  Dr. Lepper earned his PhD from the Ohio State University. His areas of specialization include the earliest ancestors of America’s Indigenous people who first entered this continent sometime before 16,000 years ago and the American Indian Hopewell culture  who, 2,000 years ago, created the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks UNESCO World Heritage Site. He has published numerous scholarly papers on these topics as well as  articles intended for a general audience on a variety of subjects relating to North American archaeology. He is the principal author of Ohio Archaeology: an illustrated chronicle of Ohio’s ancient American Indian cultures, published in 2005 by Orange Frazer Press and now out of print. This book received the Society for American Archaeology’s Public Audience Book Award in 2007. Register here

Completed programs:

March 7  – The History of Archaeology in CT with Emphasis on Native Americans, presented by Nicholas Bellantoni, serves as the emeritus state archaeologist with the UCONN State Museum of Natural History and is adjunct associate research professor in the Department of Anthropology. He will take the audience through the history of archaeology in CT bringing it up to present day with new discoveries and the process during the work at the BDJ Site.   Watch the recording here

April 11  – Bioarchaeology in North America: Ethics, Issues and Where the Field Stands in 2024, presented by Alex Garcia-Putnam, PhD, University of New Hampshire.  He will talk about the field, basics of bioarchaeology, the lack of skeletal remains found in the United States and some of the reasons for, and implications of, that lack of data.  Watch the recording here

May 9  – Foraging in the Paleoindian Period: A Macrobotanical Analysis (tentative title), presented Katharine Reinhart, Project Archaeologist/Botanical Analyst, Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc, Storrs, CT. She will focus on the analysis of plant evidence from different sites to learn what they ate and where they found it.   Register here

September 19 –– Use and Sources Of Ohio Hopewell Fossil Shark Teeth, presented by Katherine Sterner, Ph.D., RPA; Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Criminal Justice; Director, Baltimore Community Archaeology Lab.  Learn more about Katherine here.  

Fossil shark teeth recovered from Ohio Hopewell sites represent a quintessential example of an exotic good representative of the Hopewell Interaction Sphere. As with most artifacts, the primary questions asked of fossil shark teeth in archaeological contexts are (1) what were they used for and (2) where did they come from? View the recording here.

 

Questions? Email Terri Wilson, President Avon Historical Society, president@avonhistoricalsociety.org

Friends of the Avon Library BOOK SALE

Posted on by Patricia Valsecchi

Friends of the Avon Library Used Book Sale weekend.  October 18-20, 2024.  This three-day fall sale will include adult fiction and nonfiction books, plus a selection of A/V materials only.  (A separate children’s & teen book sale will be held on October 26.)

Friday, October 18:   4 to 8 PM – Preview Sale  ($10 admission, free for Friends members)

Saturday, October 19:   9 AM to 4 PM  – No admission fee

Sunday, October 20:   12 to 3 PM – Bag sale  ($10 per bag of books)

Please no strollers in the Community Room.

Unearthing History: 2023 Virtual Lecture Series

Posted on by Avon Adult Reference

Unearthing History: The discovery of a 12,500 year old Paleo-Indian site along the Farmington River in Avon. Join us for a virtual series of lectures, sponsored by a grant from the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee that will cover the many aspects of archaeology, with a focus on the Brian D. Jones Paleo-Indian discovery in Avon, Connecticut. All events begin at 7:00pm EST on Zoom.

This 2023 VIRTUAL HISTORY SERIES is sponsored by Avon Historical Society, Avon Free Public Library and Avon Senior Center, in partnership with the Avon Land Trust, Farmington River Watershed Association, and the Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington, CT.

Times are EST: Eastern Standard Time.  Events are free to attend. Webinars will be recorded; links appear at the end of this post and are available on the Avon Library’s YouTube Channel.

View the full 2023 series flyer here

Completed 2023 webinars:

March 23 – The LIDAR Revolution in Earth Surface Mapping, presented by Will Ouimet, Assoc. Professor, Departments of Geosciences and Geography, Univ. of Connecticut.  Prof. Ouimet participated in the discovery of the Brian D. Jones (BDJ) site and has since produced LIDAR images of the dig site and extending out farther to show where the potential whole site is located. He also will explain the techniques used by LIDAR for locating historic human settlements and land use patterns. LIDAR = Light Detection and Ranging using lasers for 3D scanning. View the recording here  Two handouts are available: CT LiDAR and Geology ArcGIS Online Web Viewer Instructions

CT LIDAR Point Clouds in ArcGIS – WebApp Instructions

April 20 – Hunting Techniques of the Paleoindian, presented by Richard Boisvert, retired New Hampshire state archeologist, who is very familiar with the discovery and analysis of the BDJ site and other Paleoindian sites in northern New England. View the recording here. 

May 11 – The Big Importance of Small Things:  Microscopic and Blood Residue Analysis of Ancient Stone Tools, presented by Heather M. Rockwell, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Cultural and Historic Preservation, Noreen Stonor Drexel Cultural and Historic Preservation Program, Salve Regina University. This presentation will examine the process and limitations of blood residue and use-wear analysis, and how they have contributed to our understanding of ancient people. View the recording here. 

September 21 –– Paleoindian Sites, Site Patterning and Travel Corridors along the Southern Arm of the Champlain Sea, presented by Jess Robinson, Vermont State Archaeologist, Vermont Archaeology Heritage Center, Barre, VT. The Champlain Sea was an inland arm of the Atlantic Ocean that existed in portions of the St. Lawrence valley, Ontario lowlands, and Champlain Valley from approximately 13,000 – 9,500 years ago. Robinson will first summarize the emergence, tenure, and important aspects of this waterbody. Thereafter, he will discuss the locations of documented Champlain Valley Paleoindian sites relative to the former margins of the Champlain Sea. Finally, he will explore some of the implications of the site patterning for subsistence, settlement, and travel and how the Champlain Sea may have facilitated it. View the recording here

October 12 – Update on the Brian D. Jones site in Avon, CT since discovery in 2019 presented by Eric Heffter, Senior Prehistoric Archaeologist, Archaeological and Historical Services, Storrs, CT.  October is Archaeology Month in Connecticut, so his presentation will be 90 minutes with time after for Q&A. View the recording here.

Questions? Email Terri Wilson, President Avon Historical Society, president@avonhistoricalsociety.org

A Real Giving Tree Story!

Posted on by Glenn Grube

During the 2021 replacement of the geothermal heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at Avon Free Public Library, several trees had to be cut down on the library grounds, including the beautiful maple tree pictured here.

photo of maple tree

Now in 2022, that tree has returned to the library in the form of two benches and a conference table.  Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of Avon Library who funded this project, and the talent of Ted Esselstyn and the team at City Bench, the wood from two maple trees was milled, dried, and used to create this beautiful furniture!

A “live edge” bench in the library’s Gallery

An eight foot long table in the first floor conference room

A “waterfall” bench in the library’s Gallery (since relocated to the Children’s & Teen Services floor)

The Stages of a Business: From Start-Up to Succession – presented by the Avon/Canton Chamber of Commerce

Posted on by Glenn Grube

The Avon/Canton Chamber of Commerce and the Avon Free Public Library are pleased to offer business-oriented presentations free for interested area professionals.

What stage is your business currently — Start-Up? Established? Approaching Retirement? At each stage there are new challenges along with new opportunities to grow and improve, but many never take the time to look at where they are and take action. Please enjoy this panel discussion to learn more about, and an honest assessment of, each phase of a business.

Presented by Gena Hamilton from Exact Digital Media, Michael Mezheritskiy from Milestone Asset Management Group, and Vic Bible from IFFS Eldercare Consultants

Moderated by David Olchowski from Acadia ActionCOACH

Stream the presentation here.

Visit the Avon/Canton Chamber of Commerce website.

Online test preparation resources from Avon Library

Posted on by Glenn Grube

Avon Library is excited to announce a new online test preparation resource available with your Avon Library card.  Mometrix e-Library has the largest catalog of any test preparation publisher, now offering over 3,500 products covering over 1,500 different standardized exams.  With your Avon Library card, you can access a curated collection of 50 different online test preparation resources for college admissions and placement, graduate and professional schools, occupational licenses, and career advancement.

Test prep tips, digital flashcards, and sample exams area available for a variety of standardized tests including the ACT, AP, and SAT college entrance exams, the GRE, LSAT, and MCAT graduate school exams, and various professional exams for careers in fields such as public safety, social work, teaching, and transportation.  Mometrix e-Library also has employment resources including interview and resume tips.  Your Avon Library barcode from your library card is required to login to Mometrix e-Library from outside of Avon Library’s network.

See all of Avon Library’s online job and career resources by clicking here, or go to the Research tab of our website to browse all of our online databases and learning platforms.

 

 

New collection in our digital archives: the William J. Huebner, Jr. papers

Posted on by Tina Panik

The Avon Free Public Library is pleased to announce a new donation to its digital archives: the letters, articles, and photos of veteran William (Bill)  J. Huebner, Jr., as curated by his daughter, Holly Huebner Ryan. The Avon Library will retain the digital scans of this collection, as Bill’s original typed onion skin and handwritten letters from Korea along with pictures will become part of the Library of Congress collections. This Huebner digital collection, including a full biography, joins over 20,000 items of Avon’s history that are available on the CT Digital Archive. The Huebner collection can be viewed at https://ctdigitalarchive.org/islandora/object/150002%3A23288

Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) interviewed Bill as part of the Library of Congress/American Folklife Center/Veterans History Project. The interview and transcript can be viewed at https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.18710. His letters are also on the Korean War Educator website, http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/memoirs/huebner_william/index.htm In addition to his letters home, some stories were taken from this oral interview and others were documented in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3372, Avon, CT Military Service History, which is available at the Avon Free Public Library.

William (Bill) J. Huebner, Jr. was proud a veteran of World War II (WWII) and the Korean War (Conflict).  In WWII he was member of the 595th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion in the South Pacific.  During the Korean War he was in the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division as the Training, Information & Education (TI&E), Public Information Officer. He soon became the US Army Correspondent reporting on the operations of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division. His articles were published in the Stars and Stripes, the Army Frontline newspaper, The Providence Journal (Rhode Island), The Publishers’ Auxiliary, and other local newspapers.

After the war Bill worked for the Hartford Times (a Connecticut newspaper) as a reporter and editor for 24 years. As a reporter he covered the development of the Apollo Project and rocket development in California and other states.  He covered the advent of commercial and military jet aviation in the U.S. and Europe.  He received several writing awards as a reporter.  He then took a position as the Director of Public Affairs for the Connecticut Construction Industries Association for 18 years before retiring.

Bill’s love of writing continued after retirement as a Ghost Writer for several organizations.  Bill left more typed fascinating stories of his experiences in WWII and Korea but due to the secrecy of some of his missions and his work with Psyops and Intelligence they cannot be fully verified by his family as all names were in code.  Bill and “His Honey”, Janice, had two daughters and two grandchildren.  They divorced after 25 years of marriage.  Bill remarried several years later.  Bill passed away on January 18, 2010 in Avon, CT.

Questions about this collection can be directed to Tina Panik, c/o Avon Free Public Library, 860-673-9712 ext 7235, tpanik@avonctlibrary.info or Holly Ryan, 860-205-9855, h.ryan@comcast.net.

Unearthing History: 2022 Virtual Lecture Series

Posted on by Avon Adult Reference

Unearthing History: The discovery of a 12,500 year old Paleo-Indian site along the Farmington River in Avon. Join us for a virtual series of lectures, sponsored by a grant from the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee that will cover the archaeology, genetics, ice age mammals, trade routes and food ways of early life along the Farmington River, with a focus on the Brian D. Jones Paleo-Indian discovery in Avon, Connecticut.

This 2022 VIRTUAL HISTORY SERIES is sponsored by Avon Historical Society, Avon Free Public Library and Avon Senior Center, in partnership with the Avon Land Trust, Farmington River Watershed Association, and the Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington, CT. 

Times are EST: Eastern Standard Time.  Events are free to attend. Webinars will be recorded; links appear at the end of this post and are available on the Avon Library’s YouTube Channel.

Questions? Email Terri Wilson, President Avon Historical Society, president@avonhistoricalsociety.org

View the full Paleo 2022 FLYER

Completed 2022 programs:

Thursday, April 7, 2022, 7:00 pm. Ice Age Animals of New England presented by Dr. Sarah Sportman, CT State Archaeologist & Dr. Nathaniel Kitchel, Dept. of Anthropology, Dartmouth College.  They will present the Pope Mastodon (found in Farmington, CT on the grounds of Hill-Stead Museum) and the Mount Holly (VT) Mammoth, among other animals of the Ice Age. Watch the recording here

Thursday, March 10, 2022, 7:00 pm. What Genetics Teaches Us About the Peopling of North America  by Dr. Jennifer Raff, anthropological geneticist at the University of Kansas.  Presentation is based on her May 2021 Scientific American cover story “Journey into the Americas” and her new book, Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas being released Feb. 2022. Watch the recording here

Thursday, May 12, 2022, 7:00 pm. Paleo-Indian Peoples in the Northeast: Survival in the Ice Age and After, presented by Dr. Jonathan Lothrop, Curator of Archaeology, The New York State Museum. His focus is on the Pleistocene (Ice Age) into the Holocene period where Natives colonized 11,000-8,000BC. His research is on their technology, settlement and subsistence. He is a consultant on the Brian D. Jones site analysis.

According to Dr. Lothrop, the earliest indigenous peoples of the glaciated Northeast migrated  into the region shortly after 13,000 years ago, while this landscape remained in the grip of the last Ice  Age. Today, their ancient campsites are marked by small scatters of fluted points and other flaked  stone artifacts. This scant material record of these first peoples – known to archaeologists as  Paleoindians – testifies to an amazing story of ingenuity and perseverance in the face of daunting  challenges as they spread across the eastern Great Lakes and New England-Maritimes. How and when  did that peopling process happen? How did these people survive on this late glacial landscape? And  how did they interact with each other across these subarctic regions? In this presentation, we’ll review current evidence from recent and ongoing archaeological research that helps to answer some  of these questions. Finally, with the end of the Ice Age roughly 11,600 years ago, we’ll examine tentative indicators for how this abrupt climate change event may have affected these early peoples. Watch the recording here

Saturday, June 25, 2022, 1:00-4:00 pm. In-Person Event: Artifact Identification Day. Bring your artifacts for identification! Free event, open to the public. Presented by staff and volunteers of the Institute of American Indian Studies, Washington, CT. Paul Wegner, Co-Director; Craig Nelson, Member and Secretary of the Board of Trustees; Nancy Najarian, Collections Volunteer. The Institute will have selected items, from various time periods, on display for viewing. Event held at the Avon Senior Center, 635 West Avon Rd., Avon, CT 06001.

Thursday, September 15, 2022, 7:00 pm. Looking into the Past with Ancient DNA. Presented by Christina Balentine and Samantha Archer, PhD candidates and research scholars at the UConn Dept. of Anthropology. They will present a broad overview of ancient DNA (aDNA) research past and present, discuss the ethical considerations of working with priceless aDNA samples, and highlight their own dissertation research using aDNA. View the recording here

Thursday, October 13, 2022, 7:00 pm. Update on the scientific analysis of the Brian D. Jones site in Avon, CT since its discovery in 2019. Presented by David Leslie, Dir. of Archaeological Research, Heritage Consultants, Berlin, CT & Eric Heffter, Senior Archaeologist, Archaeological and Historic Services, Storrs, CT.  They will present will present new findings based on artifacts and new analysis techniques. October is Connecticut Archaeology Month! Register here