News (Page 2)

By Kim Brawn

“There is no greater education than one that is self-driven.” These words from astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson paint only part of the picture. Being self-driven requires a spark and a safe space. The Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft can be that space—one that fosters curiosity in kids and rekindles it in adults. Whether you’re one of our regulars or have never set foot inside the library, we hope you’ll stop by Saturday, February 3 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. for “Take Your Child to the Library Day.” Youth services librarian Michelle Fagan will read a library story, serve up snacks, and have a self-led craft for families to do.

TFL’s Reading Group is taking a cosmic perspective on Thursday, February 8 at 6 p.m. with Neil deGrasse Tyson’s bestseller, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. Neil knows everyone is busy and many of us have the attention span of gnat, so this seems like the perfect way to learn about the nature of time and space, how we fit in the universe, and how the universe fits within us. Amazon Reviewer Terry L. Price’s description caught my eye: “Tyson’s “Astrophysics” is a journey through the stars for the curious mind. He has condensed the cosmos into manageable chapters, sprinkling in wit along with knowledge.” (Copies are available at the library.)

Let the good times roll with “Family Fun Night” on Tuesday, February 13 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Celebrate Valentine’s Eve with snacks, a game, and a special activity!

At this point in winter, we may find ourselves fast forwarding in our brains to warmer, sunnier days ahead. Here’s a great way to jump start your gardening and make real-life spring even better. The “Starting Seeds Indoors Workshop” on Thursday, February 15 from 10-11:30 a.m. is a UMaine Cooperative Extension (in-person) program led by Horticulture professional Kate Garland. You’ll learn best practices for growing seedlings indoors, develop a personalized seed starting calendar, check out various supplies and tools, and sow a pot of seeds to take home. (Space is limited to 25 participants. Pre-registration is required. Contact the library re: how to register.)

On a quest to help her ailing human, an indoor cat leaves home and teams up with a wilderness-savvy fox on what becomes a perilous journey that tests the feline’s strength and spirit. That’s the plot of Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure and it’s what TFL’s Family Book Club is currently reading. You’re invited to join the club at their next meeting on Tuesday, February 27 from 5:30-6: 30 p.m. Ms. Michelle says, “This book club is geared towards families with elementary students, but all family ages are welcome. We’ll eat pizza, talk about books and get next month’s book—a fantasy—to read.” (Contact Michelle at TFL to register for the book club.)

When you check out items at TFL be sure to enter for a chance to win our February Giveaway—a $25.00 gift card to Raven’s Attic East, a popular vintage store in Dover-Foxcroft that features antiques, arts and crafts, jewelry, furniture, restored and repurposed pieces, and more. (One entry per account and visit, please.)

As that famously enduring New Jersey poet once wrote, “You can’t start a fire without a spark.” Here’s an open secret: libraries are the best places to spark imaginations and fuel curiosity—especially children’s. They encourage exploration and help create life-long explorers, so come join us on this month’s exciting expedition!

Please note: The library will be closing at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27. Sorry for any inconvenience.

TFL hours: Tues & Thurs 9-7, Weds & Fri 9-5, & Sat 9-1. Visit our website: thompsonfreelibrary.org, our Facebook page, Instagram @tf_library, or contact us at thompsonfreelibrary@gmail.com or 207/564-3350. All programs are free & open to the public.

Our latest newsletter is out now! Click the link below to see it!

January 2024 [pdf]

Contents: Happy Holidaze! | Still Caring After All These Years | It’s Not Goodbye, It’s See You Later | A Warm Welcome | Calling All Remote Workers | Every Breath You Take | Birds of a Feather | Who’s the Boss? | A Hero’s Welcome | Trick or Treat . . . Give Me Something Good to Read! | Screen Shots |

By Kim Brawn

There is something daunting about the pressure of a new year. Beyond the cheers and best wishes lurks a resolution-happy culture filled with fresh starts and goals that are more aspirational than achievable. While creating a mental January (and beyond) to do list, I happened upon this C.S. Lewis quote: “You can’t go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending.” That strikes a more hopeful and kinder tone. As we slide into 2024, the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft is planted in the present but can help you, in big and small ways, shape a better future.

We hit the ground running with Bangor-born author Dee Dauphinee on Thursday, January 4 at 6 p.m. He has written novels, biographies, and essays and lived in Europe and South America. Dee has also been a farmer, a photographer, and a fishing and mountaineering guide. He wrote the best-seller When You Find My Body that tells the story of Geraldine Largay who vanished in July 2013 while hiking the Appalachian Trail in Maine. He describes what caused her to go astray and the massive search and rescue operation that followed.

His latest work, The Sage of Dibbin Creek, is an engrossing account of a fatherless twelve-year-old boy with learning challenges who finds solace in nature and meets a wise and kind man who changes the course of his life. (The program will include a trivia contest to win copies of the book.)

Family Fun Night returns Tuesday, January 9 at 5:30 p.m. with games, crafts, trivia, and snacks. The planning and prepping are all taken care of, you just have to show up. As Ina Garten likes to say, “How easy is that?!”

TFL’s Reading Group convenes on Thursday, January 11 at 6 p.m. to discuss Weather by Jenny Offill. You can get a feel for this intriguing book from Kirkus Reviews: “An ever growing list of worries, from a brother with drug problems to a climate change apocalypse, dances through the lively mind of a university librarian. . . The tension between mundane daily concerns and looming apocalypse, the ‘weather’ of our days both real and metaphorical, is perfectly captured in Offill’s brief, elegant paragraphs, filled with insight and humor.” (Copies available at the library.)

If you build it, they will come. Or, in this case, just say Legos and kids will come running. Lego Build Time returns to TFL on Thursday, January 18 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. This once-monthly program will run through May. (Dates announced monthly.)

Youth services librarian Michelle Fagan is starting a Family Book Club that’s sure to beat the winter doldrums. Families will read a book together at home and then come to the club for pizza and book chat, with an occasional craft or other activity. The first session is Tuesday, January 23 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and will feature a short book, pizza, and a conversation about what the group will read this winter. This club is geared towards 2nd through 5th grade families, but younger and older child households are welcome. (The club will meet on the 4th Tuesday of each month through May. Registration required. Please contact the library.)

Did you know that Maine now has semi-open primaries? With the presidential primary around the corner on March 5, it’s important to know that unenrolled voters can now vote in the primary of their choice. To learn more stop by the library on Tuesday, January 30 at 6 p.m. for a presentation by the Highlands Regional chapter of the League of Women Voters of Maine. They will cover how primaries will work in 2024, what this means for voters, and how you can cast your ballot and they’ll answer any questions about voting. (LWV is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government.)

The new year can be a fresh start, a fresh middle, or a fresh ending. Wherever you are in your own personal narrative, TFL has the programs, collection and services to help you along the way or give you a break when you need one. Chapter one is done, but you can still write that fun, twisty ending that no one saw coming.

Holiday schedule reminders: we will be closed Tuesday, December 26 and Tuesday, January 2.

TFL hours: Tues & Thurs 9-7, Weds & Fri 9-5, & Sat 9-1. Visit our website: thompsonfreelibrary.org, our Facebook page, Instagram @tf_library, or contact us at thompsonfreelibrary@gmail.com or 207/564-3350. All programs are free & open to the public. When possible, we livestream them via Facebook and upload to our YouTube channel.

Alex is heading off on a new adventure, and we are all very happy and excited for him. Unfortunately, that means we are looking to fill his very big shoes at Thompson Free Library!

We are looking for a part-time (25-30 hours per week) Technical Services Librarian. The successful candidate will be cooperative, self-motivated, detail-oriented, and comfortable with technology, very preferably with previous cataloguing experience. If this sounds like you, read the entire job posting at: www.thompsonfreelibrary.org/employment.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for professional references to Thompson Free Library: thompsonfreelibrary@gmail.com or 186 East Main St, Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426. For more information, please reach out at thompsonfreelibrary@gmail.com or (207)564-3350.