News (Page 12)

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!

By Kim Brawn

We’re swimming in the season of giving once again. Whether it’s Christmas, a birthday — or any special occasion — some variation of this quote (source unknown) comes to mind, “Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.” This holiday-heavy December, come experience what the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft has to offer.

Festive times make fodder for fun stories but so do thoughtful, in-depth discussions. We start things off with TFL’s Philosophy Circle on Friday, Dec. 2 at 3:30 p.m. as the group tackles Eastern vs. Western philosophy. They’ll compare and contrast the two philosophies and how they have shaped their respective cultures. Prior attendance is not necessary.

The Hometown Holidays elves arrive Saturday, Dec. 3 to share three wonderful activities with all ages. Ms. Michelle crafts ornaments and Christmas cards from 9:30-11:30 a.m. while Phyllis Lyford, from the Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society, creates Christmas popcorn and cranberry garland. Ms. Shannen joins the festivities from 10:30-11:30 a.m. to make pizzelles, an Italian waffle cookie. These events are free and open to the public.

Escape the holiday haze with Teen Game Night on Tuesday, Dec. 6 from 5:30-6:30. Play games, answer trivia questions, and enjoy snacks! Ages 13-18 welcome.

TFL’s 10 Cent Basement Book Sale returns Dec. 8-10 (Thursday 12-6 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.). Connect with fellow book lovers and bargain hunters while browsing table after table of incredible deals (DVDs too!). It’s the perfect place to find unique presents for family and friends that won’t break the bank.

Treat yourself to expert tips and information and reap the rewards next growing season. Donna Coffin and Laurie Bowen with UMaine Cooperative Extension will lead “New to Gardening in Piscataquis County” from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 15. Those attending this interest group will learn what grows well in the area, how much to plant, when to plant, etc. There will also be a “make-it and take-it” microgreen project so you can actually grow something this winter! Bring your vegetable and landscape gardening questions for Donna and Laurie to this free program. For more information, please contact TFL.

Lead elf Michelle Fagan recently unloaded her sleigh carrying all our Christmas and holiday books and DVDs. They’re on display as you walk into the library, an easy way to get comfy, cozy, and capture the spirit of the season. Many patrons love the experience of perusing the shelves, picking up old favorites and new releases. Even steadfast Scrooges and Grinches secretly love Michelle’s deck-the-halls festive flourishes throughout TFL.

To add an extra dash of holiday cheer, we are raffling off a $50 Barnes and Noble gift card. When patrons check out items at the library, they can fill out a raffle ticket to win the gift card.

Open to all ages. Drawing will be held Tuesday, Dec. 20 (one ticket per account, per visit).

Please plan ahead as TFL will be closed Saturday, Dec. 24 and Saturday, Dec. 31.  We wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season.

This month, may you strike a balance between things and experiences, with the scale tipped towards the latter. Books offer some of the best, most accessible experiences. At TFL, we share our diverse programming, wide-ranging collection, and helpful services year round. Libraries really are the gift that keeps on giving.

TFL hours: Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.. See holiday closures above. 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.