News (Page 3)

by Kim Brawn

Imagine if your favorite movie characters were replaced by Peeps (the marshmallow candy, not your BFFs!). The shark from “Jaws,” R2D2, Brando in “The Godfather.” Think Field of Peeps, Top Peep Maverick, Every Peep Everywhere All at Once. Or books: Moby Peep, All the President’s Peeps (ok, that works both ways!), or even Colleen Hoover’s unforgettable, It Ends with Peeps. Peep dioramas are the theme of this year’s spring art show. But there’s much more on tap. April’s lineup at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft is like the eclectic morning show you never knew you needed.

It’s almost time to plan your gardens which means it’s time for the return of TFL’s popular Free Seed Library. Soon you’ll be able to browse through dozens of seeds packets (vegetables, flowers, & more) — pick up an old favorite or try something new. Later, feel free to help replenish our stock with seeds of your own.

Now for the peep de résistance (you just know this would be Mo Rocca’s segment). Get ready for TFL’s Easter Peep Diorama Art Show. Pick up a pack of Peep bunnies at the library April 4-8 to create your own diorama from a favorite book or movie. Add more Peeps if you’d like, use any materials and art formats you’d like, but make it no bigger than the size of a large shoebox. Your designs are due back to us by Friday, April 21. We’ll put them on display just like last year’s tiny art show. For ideas, google peep dioramas or stop by and look at some examples Michelle Fagan, our youth services librarian, has put together. Open to all ages.

On the existential front, have you ever asked yourself “is immortality desirable?” thought about cryogenics, or pondered life after death? Whatever your feelings or beliefs, join TFL’s Philosophy Circle to discuss “Immortality” on Friday, April 7 at 3:30 p.m.

Look out Martha and Rachael, Gale Robinson kicks off TFL’s 101 Series with “Quick & Easy Jewelry Making” on Thursday, April 13 at 1:30 p.m. Learn to make a lovely piece of jewelry as Gale (from Leaves & Blooms Greenhouse & Dover Cove Farmers’ Market) takes us step by step through this fast & fun process. Learn the terms for the various components & where to get all the supplies you’ll need to make your own wonderful creations! There will be many designs to choose from and supplies will be provided.

Before “Caste: The Origin of Our Discontent” by Isabel Wilkerson was chosen as our reading group’s April selection, Oprah Winfrey on her website, called it her “most vital Book Club selection yet” and went on to say, “It explains why we are where we are in terms of racial injustice, and it shows us how to rebuild a world in which all are truly free and equal.” Share your own review on April 13 at 6 p.m. Copies available at the library.

Time to call in the experts to help us sort through, “Animals in the Garden: Yay or Nay.” Wildlife can be a major pest in a home garden causing considerable damage. At the same time, many home gardeners want to attract some wildlife to their gardens for enjoyment. UMaine Cooperative Extension will offer an informative talk on animals in the garden on Thursday, April 20 at 10 a.m.

Let’s turn our eyes to the cosmos. The night sky is a magical wonderland made more incredible when we know what to look for or what we’re looking at. As the days become longer and warmer, star gazing is a fun family activity that is still possible in much of Maine. TFL is pleased to be hosting Northern Stars Planetarium at Central Hall Commons for two sessions on Thursday, April 20 at 4 and 5:30 p.m. Their presentation “Our Night Sky” will focus on what planets, stars, and constellations you can see this time of year. Contact the library to sign up, space is limited. Open to all ages.

Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District and Maine Audubon are teaming up for “Stream Smart: A Road Crossing Workshop” on Tuesday, April 25 at 8:30 a.m. at TFL. This workshop is designed for professionals responsible for road-stream crossings and highlights connecting fish and wildlife habitat while protecting roads and public safety. Presenters hail from federal and state agencies as well as Maine nonprofits. Participants may receive recertification credit. For details and to register, visit https://piscataquisswcd.org.

Author talks can be surprising and unpredictable. Like a Hoda & Jenna interview, you never know where they will lead. Maine author and law enforcement veteran David Wilson stops by on Thursday, April 27 at 6 p.m. (rescheduled from March) to talk about his latest book, “Peanut Butter Memoirs.” He describes the book as “a sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, but always true reflection of my career in law enforcement.” While Bill Bushnell in the Kennebec Journal called it “a gritty, unvarnished view of a cop’s profession, its rewards and disappointments, successes and set-backs.”

This time of year, everyone has pent up energy to release. Fortunately, we have the peeps and the Peeps to help you channel your creativity, learn and grow, and have fun. From the garden to the stars to infinity, tune in for all the information and resources to make your April an adventure to remember!

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. 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.

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!