Category: History of Russell Library

• Russell Library Celebrates Its History

  & Looks Ahead to the Next Chapter by Ramona Burkey, Director Middletown’s Russell Library was bustling on the morning of Saturday, April 5th, as hundreds of patrons of all ages gathered to commemorate the library’s 149th birthday. With a giant birthday cake, a children’s dance party with costumed character “Bingo” from the hit children’s cartoon…

  Amy S.

  April 21, 2025

  Events, History of Russell Library, Inside Stories, Libraries, Library Services, Middletown, CT

  Bingo, Bluey, BookMobile, ChildrensActivityRoom, FirstFederalSavingsAndLoan, FrancesRussell, Future, HubbardRoom, LocalHistory, MayorBenFlorsheim, MemoryBox, ReadingRoom, RulesOfRussellLibrary, RussellLibraryBoardOfTrustees, SamuelRussell, sesquicentennial

• New & Fun at the Library

  Spring is a time for re-invention. At Russell Library, we love to keep things fresh and fun — especially in the Youth & Family Learning Department. Like kids and families, we’re always changing. The following are some of the new services and activities available in the kids’ wing and (The Space). The Gaming PC Like…

  Amy S.

  March 17, 2025

  Contests, Events, Giveaways, History of Russell Library, Inside Stories, Kids and Teens, Library Services, Technology

  149thBirthday, ARPA, BallLabyrinth, Bingo, Bluey, BuilcingBlockWall, BuildYourOwnCoaster, ChickCam, Chromebooks, GamingPC, GearFactory, HangWithTheChicks, NameTheChicks, STEM, TheSpace, YMCA

• ‘Twas the Night Before Lobby Refreshment

  by Lil’ Deb ‘Twas the night before Lobby refreshmentwhen all through Russell Librarynot a creature was stirring, not even on the balcony.The bats all hung from the attic eaves with care,in hope that more ghost hunters soon would be there. The Tonies were nestled all snug in their bedswith visions of children dancing in their…

  Amy S.

  December 16, 2024

  History of Russell Library, Inside Stories, Kids and Teens, Library Services, Middletown, CT, Secrets of Russell Library

  AVisitFromSt.Nicholas, Bats, Bronte, Byron, ClementClarkeMoore, Courtyard, Dickens, Dickinson, DirectorLaura, EasternConnecticutParanormalSociety, ECPS, Gaskell, GhostHunters, ghosts, HubbardRoom, Ivy, LauraPhilbrook, LilDeb, Lobby, LobbyRefreshment, ScavengerHunt, SecretsOfRussellLibrary, Shelley, SkidSteer, Tonies, TwasTheNightBeforeChristmas, Unshelved, VictoriaHatchRoom, Victorian, Wollstonecraft, Wordsworth

• Thank You For Being a Friend!

  by Ramona Burkey October 20-26, 2024 is National Friends of Libraries Week. Have you ever attended a free concert at the Russell Library?  Have you checked out a pass for free or reduced admission to one of Connecticut’s fantastic museums?  Have you logged on to one of our popular online author talks with best-selling authors…

  Amy S.

  October 14, 2024

  History of Russell Library, Inside Stories, Library Services

  BeaArthur, CityOfMiddletown, FriendsOfRussellLibrary, FriendsoftheLibrary, HeroesInDeed, JoinTheFriends, MiddletownStrong, MuseumPasses, NationalFriendsOfLibrariesWeek, RosemarieVecchitto, SecretsOfRussellLibrary, TheGoldenGirls

• Discover the Secrets of Russell Library

  Are you brave enough to visit the most haunted library in Connecticut? To be honest, it’s not really very spooky here. Russell was labeled “the most haunted library in Connecticut” by the Eastern Connecticut Paranormal Society when they were giving a presentation about the findings of their two investigations here at Russell. They gave the…

  Mary

  October 7, 2024

  Events, History of Russell Library, Inside Stories, Libraries, Library Services, Middletown, CT, Secrets of Russell Library

  CDDrawersOpening, EasternConnecticutParanormalSociety, ECPS, ghosts, HalloweenTours, Haunting, SecretsOfRussellLibrary, SpiritsOfRussellLibrary