April at the library: Springtime, poetry, new director, and more
April 2, 2026 | By Judi ByronApril is National Poetry Month, and the Waterbury Public Library will mark it with several special events that of course include some solid gardening tips at the top of the list.
The Library Commission recently announced some important news: A new library director has been hired and will join the staff this month. The library is looking forward to welcoming Carolyn Picazio, who comes to the Waterbury Public Library after spending the past 10 years at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier as director of library services and co-director.
And a reminder in case patrons missed this other recent announcement: The library has resumed its later hours on Mondays, staying open until 8 p.m. once again, Mondays through Wednesdays.
Below are highlights from the April adult programming offerings. As always, be sure to check waterburypubliclibrary.com for complete listings of programs and events for all ages.
April 4: Planting from seeds with Master Gardener Rachel Babin
Learn why and how to grow plants from seed with local garden designer and Master Gardener Rachel Babin on Saturday, April 4, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the Steele Community Room next to the Waterbury Public Library. All are welcome, from newbies to seasoned gardeners. Rachel demystifies indoor seed-starting with practical advice and hands-on demonstration. This workshop covers topics from supplies and prep, plant varieties and timing, to germination mixes, growing conditions and transplanting.
Babin is passionate about helping solve environmental and food insecurity problems with equitable, nature-based solutions that strengthen our communities and preserve our planet for future generations.
Register with an email to judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com.
April 8: Recognizing and preventing Medicare Fraud
What is Medicare fraud and more importantly, how can you recognize and prevent it? AARP Representative Bill April will cover this topic at library on Wednesday, April 8, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
April will review some of the deceptive tactics and schemes that scammers use and he will offer tops on how you can safeguard your financial security.
Bill will share common scenarios for participants to learn to recognize red flags. For example, fear and urgency will cause you to act, so that tactic is intentional on the part of the scammer. Medicare officials will never correspond with members via phone or email, unless they are responding to a request you made. So, April advises to be highly suspicious of purported Medicare callers -- Medicare will never call you out of the blue.
Medicare fraud and scams are intentional, dishonest acts with impacts estimated at $100 billion annually. If you are a Medicare member, this informative presentation should offer some practical, helpful guidance.
April 29: Celebrating National Poetry Month
Alison Prine
On Wednesday, April 29, join three Vermont poets for “Poets by Heart” as they read from their work from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Presenters will be poets Alison Prine from Burlington, Waitsfield’s Erika Nichols-Frazer, and Waterbury’s Colleen Ovelman. Together they will explore apropos themes of spring, including birth, loss and renewal.
Alison Prine’s latest collection of poems, titled “Loss and its Antonym,” was published in 2024 by Headmistress Press. It won the Sappho’s Prize in Poetry and was a finalist for the Vermont Book Award. Her 2016 debut poetry collection, “Steel,” was also named a finalist for the Vermont Book Award. Her poems have appeared in Ploughshares, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Five Points, Harvard Review, Prairie Schooner, and more. See more about her at alisonprine.com.
Erika Nichols-Frazer
Erika Nichols-Frazer is the author of the poetry collection, “Staring Too Closely,” published in 2023, and her 2022 memoir, “Feed Me: A Story of Food, Love and Mental Illness.” She has two projects expected out this year, a poetry chapbook titled, “Can you see her, the moon?” by Finishing Line Press in June, and a collection of short stories, “No One Will Ever Hear You,” from Rootstock Publishing in September. Nichols-Frazer has an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars and has published more than 30 short stories, poems, and essays in literary journals and online. She works as the writing and humanities coordinator at Vermont State University Johnson.
Colleen Ovelman
Waterbury resident Colleen Ovelman has had her creative work appear in the Best of the Burlington Writers’ Workshop, Grand Exit podcast, Vermont Stage’s Winter Tales, Philadelphia Stories, and elsewhere. She has been awarded fellowships and residencies from the Vermont Studio Center and Hollowdeck Press's Poet Cottage. She is working on a collection of poems with the theme of a history of mending, exploring living with grief and her personal experience following the death of her teenage son Eli, who was killed in 2016 along with four of his friends from the Mad River Valley.
The gathering will include time for discussion and light refreshments. No registration needed.
UPDATE: Some changes for ongoing programs
There are several changes to ongoing programming to share:
Board Game Night has been moved from the first Tuesday to the second Tuesday of the month, which is April 14 this month. Time and place remain the same, 6-8 p.m. at the library. Bring a board game or two that requires strategy and skill, as well as your own snacks if you like.
The Hand Stitching Group returns to Monday evenings now that the library has returned to its later Monday schedule. Hand stitchers of all types are invited to bring their projects to share and work on from 6 to 8 p.m. Snacks welcome.
The No Pressure Book Group is back on the third Thursday evening of the month with Judi via Zoom from 7 to 8 p.m. Tune in to share what you are currently reading and enjoy suggestions from other readers. No pressure, no assignments.
Gentle Yoga continues on Saturdays in the Steele Community Room adjacent to the library from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. The series will end on Saturday, April 18, one week earlier than previously scheduled.
Dungeons & Dragons and Tabletop Role Playing is now happening on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. The fantasy role-playing and character-driven games are run by Evan Hoffman. Go to their platform on Discord for details.
Judi Byron is the Waterbury Public Library’s Adult Program Coordinator. Contact: 802-244-7036 or judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com.