It’s warm inside: February programs at the Waterbury Public Library

January 26, 2026  |  By Judi Byron

Due to low staffing, the library will continue to close at 5 p.m. on Mondays until further notice. The library remains open Tuesdays and Wednesdays until 8 p.m. Check the library’s website waterburypubliclibrary.com for any schedule updates as well as for complete listings of programs for children, teens and adults.

Here are highlights from adult programs coming up and continuing in February. 

Ongoing on Saturdays: Gentle Yoga

Gentle Yoga with Erica Antell continues on Saturday mornings through April from 10:30 to 11:45, with the exception of Feb. 21, due to another event scheduled at that time. 

This slow-paced and accessible practice offers gentle movement through foundational and restorative poses. Meditation and breathwork to encourage mind-body awareness and stress reduction will also be included. Drop-ins and all levels are welcome, from those brand-new to yoga to seasoned practitioners. Please bring your own yoga mat; additional props such as yoga blocks or thin blankets are encouraged. Most classes are in the Steele Community Room; Feb. 28 will be at the library.

Check the library event information for the most up-to-date details.

Feb. 3: Final Winter Qi Gong

Winter Qi Gong led by Judi Byron ends on Feb. 3, the start of spring according to the Chinese Calendar. All levels are welcome, whether you are new to Qi Gong or practiced. This particular series focused on the winter element of water and is specific to strengthening the kidneys, lower back and waist.  It also warms the system and is nourishing to Yin energy. The group meets on Tuesdays, 1-1:45 p.m. outdoors in the library’s garden. Dress appropriately and sign up with judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com. All are welcome, and each practice stands on its own.

Stone's Throw pizza on Stowe Street hosts the February Silent Reading Party. Photo by Gordon Miller

Feb. 10: Silent Reading Party at Stone’s Throw 

The February Silent Reading Party takes place at Stone’s Throw on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 5:30 p.m. Meet at the artisanal pizza restaurant for an hour of reading and share your book at the end if you like. No registration necessary – just show up with your book of choice and enjoy an hour with like-minded bibliophiles. Organized along with Bridgeside Books.  

Feb. 14: Reset your Nervous System workshop

Feeling heavy, stressed or mentally cluttered?  The library is offering a nervous system reset workshop with Danra Kazenski. This high vibrational vocal transmission acts as a deep cleanse for your energy field. These “light languages” can soothe the nervous system and clear the noise of daily living. If you are in chronic fight or flight, if you feel others’ energy and want to lift that, or perhaps you have mental fog – all this can be cleared. Danra channels four light languages to help calm the system, lighten your load and help find clarity in an overstimulating world. Saturday, Feb. 14, from 11 a.m. to noon at the library. Email judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com for more information and to register. 

Feb. 16: Hand Stitching group meets

Hand Stitching meets on the third Monday of the month, Feb. 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. This drop-in class is for all who do any type of hand stitching, whether embroidery, cross-stitch or other needlework. Bring your own supplies and any pieces or ideas you’re working on, or ones that you’ve completed and want to share. Although the library has been closing at 5 on Mondays, Judi will be at the library to welcome the hand stitchers for their monthly gathering.

Feb. 19: No Pressure Book Group

The No Pressure Book Group has resumed meeting on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 8 p.m. The next meeting is Thursday, Feb. 19. This group meets online via Zoom. Visit the library website at the group’s listing for the Zoom link. Judi Byron will facilitate.

Feb. 21: Writers Wertfrei hosts ‘Dr. O’

What is your next great read?  Uncover a powerful truth with Dr. Opeyemi Parham’s new book “Spirit of my Ancestors: A Black Woman Doctor’s Truth.”  

Dr. O, as she is called, is a 68-year-old elder learning how to thrive in this last phase of a very dramatic life. She spent 22 years as an allopathic family doctor, very much a Woman In Tune with Conscious Healing (W.I.T.C.H.) but still “in the broom closet.” In her next 15 years, she catered her healing talents to working “the four Ss,” minimized by conventional medicine: “our sensual experiences, our sexuality, our spirituality and our relationship to suicide/homicide in our sadly toxic American culture.”  

As part of Black Herstory month, Dr. O will be speaking at the Writers’ Wertfrei gathering on Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon. She will read from sections of her book and there will be time for Q&A. All are welcome, whether you attend the writers’ group or not. The library has copies of her book to borrow. Learn more at her website opeyemiparham.com.

Feb. 28: 5NP Acupuncture clinic

The library will host a free drop-in Auricular Acupuncture Clinic with licensed Acupuncturist Travis Beto on Saturday, Feb. 28, in the Steele Community Room from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This clinic goes by various names, including 5NP (five needle points) and the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association protocol, acudetox or acureset. 

The technique involves stimulating five points on the outer ear using needles and is intended to help people dealing with trauma, addiction, mental and emotional issues, general stress and anxiety, to name a few conditions. Read more here. 

This state-approved technique has been studied by both the National Institute of Health and the National Library of Medicine. In Vermont this technique can be applied by anyone with a certification, including licensed acupuncturists. In this  free clinic, treatments will be delivered by people completing their final steps in their certifications in use of 5NP under the supervision of Beto, owner and operator of Open Community Acupuncture in Waterbury.

The public is invited to come in any time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. 

Judi Byron is the library’s Adult Program Coordinator. Reach her at 802-244-7036 or judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com.