The Norfolk Library: Night Owl - November 4, 2022

The Library of Muyinga (BC architects, 2012)
Burundi, East Africa

Muyinga’s first library was community-constructed out of locally sourced earthen blocks, clay tiles, and eucalyptus beams. The walls are shaded from the sun by the protruding eaves and perforated for cross ventilation inside. Drawing inspiration from the traditional houses of Burundi, the building has two wings: the first one serves as a semi-outdoor shaded "hallway porch" and the second one contains the actual library.

The hallway porch is a space often encountered within Burundian traditional housing as it provides a shelter from heavy rains and harsh sun. Life happens mostly in this hallway porch; encounters, resting, conversation, waiting - it is a truly social space. In the Muyinga Library, glass doors open up towards the adjacent square with views over Burundi’s “milles collines” (1000 hills), and the children’s reading room offers a wide, sisal-rope-hammock draped between the first and second story (see photo below). The Library will eventually be linked to a planned boarding school for deaf children.

The Norfolk Library will be closed on Friday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day.

French New Wave Film Series with Diego Ongaro
A Summer's Tale  (Eric Rohmer, 1996)
Thursday, November 10, 7:00 p.m.

Please join us for a screening of A Summer's Tale. The film will be introduced by French writer/director/editor Diego Ongaro. Thirty-five years after the French New Wave was born, Rohmer, one of the movement's founding members, continues to use the same filmmaking techniques and poetry to tell the story of a young man at a French beach town whose heart balances between three potential lovers. A delightful romantic comedy. French wine and cheese will be served. Please register for this program here.

A resident of Norfolk, Ongaro wrote and directed four acclaimed short films and two feature films. He was short-listed for the Someone to Watch Award at the 2016 and 2022 Independent Spirit Awards for both feature films. Ongaro's second film, Down With the King, premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival (ACID section). It won the Grand Prix at the Deauville American Film Festival in France and was recently acquired by Sony Pictures Worldwide for distribution.

Enchanted Forest Walk in Great Mountain Forest
Saturday, November 12, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
[Rain date: Saturday, November 19]

Please join the Firefly Fairy from the Sova Dance and Puppet Theater to celebrate the changing of the seasons in the Great Mountain Forest. Miss Eileen, the Norfolk Library, and Great Mountain Forest invite folks of all ages to wander through the woods and find cozy nooks to build faerie huts. A pleasant fire and warming cider will be offered at the end of our stroll by GMF staff Matt Gallagher. Magical costumes are welcome. Meet at the east entrance to GMF at the end of Windrow Road.

Please register for this program here or by calling the Norfolk Library front desk circulation 860-542-5075 ext. 2. This program is supported by an Artists Grant to Adelka Polak of Sova Dance and Puppet Theater from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts which also receives support from the Federal ARPA.

Drawing: Erika Crofut
The Norfolk Library is pleased to launch Music Among Neighbors, a performance series featuring local musicians.

Performance: Jeremy Koch & Rob Segal
Saturday, November 19, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

First up in our series is the duo Jeremy Koch and Rob Segal. Koch, a resident of Norfolk, plays fingerstyle guitar and has been an instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter for sixty years. Segal is also a lifelong musician, playing guitar, banjo, and dobro. He now focuses on pedal steel guitar and has performed with a variety of musical groups in and around NYC. Koch and Segal have been collaborating musically for five years. Their repertoire is a combination of traditional American folk music, contemporary Americana, and original compositions. Please register here and join us for an evening of music among neighbors.

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