News (Page 12)

by Kim Brawn

It’s fleeting and precious and “of the essence” in climactic movie scenes. While I’m skeptical that it heals all wounds or is always on my side, I am happy that “springing forward” will give us more of the daylight kind. Yes, I’m biased, but time at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft is definitely well spent.

Maine author and law enforcement veteran David Wilson, who has lived and worked in Piscataquis County, visits TFL on Thursday, March 2 at 6 p.m. to discuss his latest work “Peanut Butter Memoirs,” which he describes as “a sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, but always true reflection of my career in law enforcement.” Bill Bushnell in the Kennebec Journal called the book “a gritty, unvarnished view of a cop’s profession, its rewards and disappointments, successes and set-backs.”

If you have some free time on Friday, March 3 at 3:30 p.m. why not join TFL’s Philosophy Circle to discuss the perception of (you guessed it!) “Time” and how it affects our lives. A quick trip to Wikipedia shows that time is often referred to as the fourth dimension, a paradox, the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession, or my favorite, in physics, it’s operationally defined as “what a clock reads.”

Speaking of which, TFL’s Reading Group meets Thursday, March 9 at 6 p.m. to focus on “Writers & Lovers” by Portland resident Lily King. In a New York Times piece on books that give comfort, author Ann Patchett wrote, “Writers & Lovers made me happy. Even as the narrator grieves the loss of her mother and struggles to create art and keep a roof over her head, the novel is suffused with hopefulness and kindness. Lily King writes with a great generosity of spirit.” Copies available at the library.

From the timing-is-everything files, Kris and Joe, mid-life characters from Guilford resident Wendy Denney’s new book “Gold Dust on the Highway” connect up on a cross country road trip. Their lives converge and are forever changed. Sound intriguing? Come listen to Wendy (who runs the Guilford Bed and Breakfast with her husband) spill the beans on her latest romance-humor-drama-filled novella on Thursday, March 23 at 6 p.m.

Learn to “Be Red Cross Ready” on Thursday, March 30 at 12 p.m. as representatives from the Northern New England Red Cross show you simple steps you can take to help prepare and protect yourself and your loved ones in case of home fires, floods, and other disasters or emergencies. There will also be an opportunity to sign up for free in-home smoke alarm installations and to create fire escape plans.

Mark your calendars, set reminders, write notes, whatever it takes, to make TFL’s Story Time — Fridays at 10 a.m. — part of your weekly routine! Michelle Fagan, our youth services librarian, says, “It’s a great way for the little ones to listen to stories, interact with peers, and play.” What a fun way to help your child get to know sounds, words and language while sparking their imagination and curiosity.

Let’s fast forward to Saturday, April 1 from 10 a.m. to noon for “Pysanky Easter Egg Making.” Pysanky are easter eggs decorated using beeswax and dyes. This ancient Ukrainian traditional folk art takes on a special meaning of hope, resilience, and community after the invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war. This program is for ages 10 and up because an open flame is used. Please contact TFL to register.

It’s about time or, in library parlance, it’s long overdue. We want to give a warm shoutout and big thank you to the incredible interlibrary loan team at Bangor Public Library for all their help and great work over the years in getting books and DVDs for our patrons. The materials come from libraries all across Maine as well as around the country. If TFL doesn’t have something you want (and neither does BALSAM ILL, which you can search in our catalog), chances are that BPL’s ILL department will track it down!

Isn’t it strange how time can drag on when we’re young and fly as we get older? And the last three years have thrown our inner clocks for a loop and out the window. While we can’t stop time or stretch it, the Thompson Free Library can help you make the most of it — with diverse programming, an ever-evolving collection, and essential services.

TFL hours: Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sat 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visit our website https://www.thompsonfreelibrary.org, our Facebook page, Instagram @tf_library, or contact us at thompsonfreelibrary@gmail.com or 207-564-3350. All programs are free and open to the public.

We are excited to offer Biblio+, a free streaming video stream service for our patrons.

Sign up with your library card at https://biblioplus.com/library/thompsonfreelibrary.org to start streaming their selection of films and TV series today! The biblio+ app is available for download on almost any device: Apple (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV), Android phone and tablet, Amazon devices, Fire TV, Roku, and others or stream directly from www.biblioplus.com. You’ll just need your library card number (contact us if you forget it!) and your email. We can also assist patrons in setting up Biblio+ on their devices.

Thompson Free Library is thrilled to announce that the new streaming service Biblio+ is now available for free with unlimited access and no ads to our library patrons! With the rise of paid streaming services, DVD and Blu-ray usage has declined sharply. Unfortunately, so have the costs of streaming. After examining multiple streaming video services, we feel Biblio+ provides great free content for our patrons in a pricing model that is sustainable for our library while continuing to expand our collection of DVDs and Blu-rays.

Biblio+ provides popular and award-winning shows, movies, and documentaries with more being added every month. The service isn’t meant to compete with the giants spending billions to offer seemingly endless options in the streaming space, like Netflix or HBO Max. Instead, it is a highly-curated service hoping to provide what you want to watch, rather than everything you could ever watch. Recently, a large collection of BBC offerings were added, including the original British version of The Office, Call the Midwife, The Young Doctor’s Notebook, Wallander, and more. Other content such as literary adaptations, documentaries, and independent award winners are constantly refreshing the options available.

Sign up with your library card at https://biblioplus.com/library/thompsonfreelibrary.org to start streaming their selection of films and TV series today! The biblio+ app is available for download on almost any device: Apple (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV), Android phone and tablet, Amazon devices, Fire TV, Roku, and others or stream directly from www.biblioplus.com. You’ll just need your library card number (contact us if you forget it!) and your email. We can also assist patrons in setting up Biblio+ on their devices.

Thompson Free Library is open Tuesday and Thursday 9-7, Wednesday and Friday 9-5, and Saturday 9-1. Stop in, call us at 564-3350, check our website (thompsonfreelibrary.org), or follow us on Facebook or Instagram to learn more about our programming, wide-ranging collection, and helpful services.

By Kim Brawn

While nothing can be all things to all people, libraries come pretty close. They’ve become shapeshifters, changing to meet community needs yet still mindfully tending their collections. Sometimes you need a spa day for your brain. Sometimes you need to print something. Maybe you want to feel comfortable and connected. Maybe you just want to read a good book while waiting for your car to be fixed. Whatever the reason, this February’s offerings at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft will meet you where you are or where you’d like to be.

“Baby and Me Time” debuts Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 9 a.m. (and will continue weekly in that time slot). Caretakers and babies can come to the library to socialize. Age-appropriate toys and books will be available in a comfortable setting.

The only thing constant is change. As British author Virginia Woolf wrote, “A self that goes on changing, is a self that goes on living.” Is embracing change the key to a good life? Is change synonymous with growth? You guessed it, “Change” is the topic for TFL’s Philosophy Circle on Friday, Feb. 3 at 3:30 p.m. (prior attendance is not required).

Celebrate national “Bring your Child to the Library Day” on Saturday, Feb. 4. There will be a 10:00 a.m. story time and bookmark-making supplies will be available while the library is open.

Get ready for another Ten Cent Basement Book Sale Feb. 8-11 (Wednesday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.). Even groundhogs will leave their burrows for these deals!

It’s never too early to think about gardening. Have you always wanted to start your own vegetable seeds in the spring? Then you’ll want to attend “Seed Starting for Maine” on Thursday, Feb. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon. Join UMaine Cooperative Extension for an informative talk on how to choose seeds from seed catalogs as well as when to plant, how to plant, where to start them, and how to care for them until they are in the garden. Participants will receive a bag of seed starting medium.

Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. make Valentine’s Day cards for local nursing homes. What a wonderful way to brighten someone’s day! Supplies available to make 125 cards.

The trailer for “Eyes from the Pines: The Pine Ape Project” gives off eerie Blair Witch Project vibes. What is that noise? Is something watching us?. This documentary follows the filmmaker Nathaniel Brislin and a group of fellow researchers on their expedition to a cabin deep in the woods of central Maine where sasquatch activity has been reported. It features noted Bigfoot researchers Loren Coleman of the International Cryptozoology Museum and author Michelle Souliere of Green Hand Books. The showing is Sunday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. at Center Theatre. Admission is $5.

Popular author Cathie Pelletier was born and raised in the Aroostook County town of Allagash and knows a thing or two about harsh weather, so it seems fitting that her new book “Northeaster, Detailing an Epic 1952 Maine Snowstorm” is a gripping and vivid story partially set in nearby Brownville.

Cathie visits TFL on Monday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. to discuss her book. From the publisher’s description: “Northeaster weaves together a rich cast of characters whose lives were uprooted and endangered by the storm. Housewives and lobstermen, loggers and soldiers were all trapped as snow piled in drifts twenty feet high. The storm smothered hundreds of travelers in their cars, covered entire towns, and broke ships in half. In the midst of the blizzard’s chaos, there were remarkable acts of heroism and courageous generosities.” The library is closed on Mondays but will open for the event.

Most people know how important flowers are to bees, but what about trees? Turns out trees are an essential habitat for native bees. Learn simple ways you can have a positive impact on pollinators at “Pollinators and the Forest” with Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District at TFL on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. This program will be both virtual and in-person with presenters sharing information on why pollinators need forests and how landowners can help support them. For more information to register, visit www.piscataquisswcd.org or call 207-564-2321 ext. 3.

It’s back! “Nerf Night at the Library” is Friday, Feb. 17 from 6-7:30 p.m. for fith grade and up. Please bring your own Nerf weapons and pellets labeled with name or identifying markings. Safety glasses required. Contact the library because space is limited. Any adults interested in chaperoning, please contact Youth Services Librarian Michelle Fagan.

New year, new job? Whatever your goals or situation the Career Center can help. Tuesday, Feb. 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (and every fourth Tuesday of the month) Alyssa from Career Center will be at TFL to assist with your job search, resume writing and interviewing, apprenticeships, training and education assistance, federal bonding information, and veteran’s services. Take advantage of this incredible resource and spread the word!

Whether you’re craving alone time or family time, our lineup will inspire you to mix it up and try something new. As that catchy-pop philosopher Sheryl Crow once wrote, “…a change would do you good.” Of course, she also said, “All I Wanna Do Is Have Some fun.” Don’t worry — both are possible this month at the Thompson Free Library!

Our January newsletter is out now! Click on the image below to read it!