You are invited to participate in the Voices from HOME Oral History Project. Join us for a recording event on the theme “Roots” at the Thompson Free Library on Friday, April 12. Drop in anytime between 9 and 5 to conduct a brief oral history interview with a family member, friend, or neighbor. We will provide recording equipment and suggested questions to help guide your interview. We will also provide scanning equipment for your family photos and other documents. With permission, your recording and images will be become part of the Voices from HOME oral history archive.

Voices from HOME is a community-based oral history project coordinated by the Thompson Free Library and funded by a grant from the Maine Community Foundation. Our project partners include The Commons at Central Hall, the Dover-Foxcroft Historical Society, and other participating organizations and community members. Each month, Voices from HOME will host a recording event on a different theme at locations around the Heart of Maine region.

Project goals: 1) Connect community members across generations and experiences through the act of sharing and listening to stories. 2) Explore the past, present, and future of life in the Heart of Maine (Piscataquis County and neighboring communities). 3) Create an online archive to preserve our region’s history for use by students and other community members.

Please contact the library if you have any questions about this project.

Maine history buffs take note: Warden Jeffrey Merrill Sr. will give us a look behind prison walls on Tuesday, March 26 at 5:30 pm. Join us as Merrill shares a documentary about the Maine State Prison and discusses his book “Maine State Prison: 1824-2002.” He will answer questions and share stories from his research and his own experiences as the last warden of the Thomaston facility.

Join us for two new story times!

Start your Saturday with stories and songs at Good Morning Story Time. This 9:30 am program starts on March 16 and will repeat the 3rd Saturday of every month. It will feature reading, music, and finger plays, with coloring & puzzles at the end.

Children are invited to bring blankets and teddy bears and wear their PJs to snuggle in for a cozy, quiet Bedtime Stories. This 6:00 pm program starts on March 19 and will repeat every other Tuesday evening.

Mark your calendars for the next Friends of the Library Ten Cent Book Sale–coming up March 21-23 at the Thompson Free Library! Proceeds from this sale benefit children’s programs. Everything is just ten cents, including weeded and donated paperbacks, hardcovers, cookbooks, children’s books, young adult titles, mysteries, audio books, puzzles, and more!

Book Sale hours: Thursday, March 21 from 2-7pm, Friday, March 22 from 9am-5pm, and Saturday, March 23 from 9am-1pm.

Interested in helping with the Book Sale? Contact the library at 207-564-3350.

Students in grades 6-12 are invited to join the new TFL Teen Advisory Board. Are you interested in gaining leadership experience and making a difference in your community? We’re looking for your input and ideas to make the library a better place for teens!

The first meeting is Wednesday, February 27 at 3:30 pm. Earn community service hours, have fun, and eat snacks!