News (Page 8)

By Jon Knepp, Director, Thompson Free Library

Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft is proud to announce that all Piscataquis and Penobscot County residents will now be able to receive free library cards thanks to a sizable donation left by Paula Willoughby. She grew up in Mexico, Maine and earned a degree in Home Economics from the University of Maine at Orono in 1961, where she became the first woman graduate to be commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. In her professional life, she lived in various parts of the country, working in food research and development, as a caterer, and an interior decorator before retiring to make and sell jewelry, ultimately settling in Arizona. 

Paula kept her connection to Maine with visits to her family members and by eating blueberry pie and lobster rolls wherever she could find them. She was a generous, fun-loving lady who enjoyed new things; making her an interesting person to know and with whom to share time. That caring for family and her love of books has led to her generous gift to Thompson Free Library. 

Library cards have always been free for residents of Dover and Foxcroft, who have generously supported the library financially. Since 2019, students and staff at Foxcroft Academy and Sedomocha have also qualified for free cards. Non-residents have paid $20/family/year in order to receive a card, but the amount received is a small part of the library’s revenue, more a barrier to entry than a crucial income stream. Any non-residents choosing to continue paying the $20 annual fee will see that money reinvested in the fund, increasing the principle and ensuring this opportunity can continue indefinitely. Likewise, any donations made to the fund will be used in the same way. Unfortunately, non-residents who have already renewed for the year cannot be reimbursed…thank you for your donation to the library! Patrons without a local address (in Piscataquis or Penobscot County) will still have to pay a one-time deposit of $20, which will be returned if the account is closed in good standing. 

By investing Paula Willoughby’s donation and collecting the interest, we will be able to offset (and hopefully soon, surpass) the lost revenue from non-resident fees, while allowing more people in our region to access the library. This is increasingly important to us, as fewer small towns have their own library. Dover-Foxcroft is the shiretown of Piscataquis County and the heart of the region. The things we aim to foster, as written in our vision statement, “the spirit of exploration, the joy of reading, the pursuit of knowledge, and the preservation of the community’s history,” are not just essential to Dover-Foxcroft, they’re needed throughout our region and our world and we are happy to extend this to our neighbors both near and far.

Thompson Free Library, located at 186 E. Main Street in Dover-Foxcroft, is open Tues & Thurs 9-7, Weds & Fri 9-5, & Sat 9-1. Visit our website: thompsonfreelibrary.org, or on Facebook and Instagram or contact us at thompsonfreelibrary@gmail.com or (207)564-3350.

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

April 2024 [pdf]

Contents: Eclipsing All Expectations | Highlighting Our Literary And Natural Resources | A Creek Runs Through It | Outward Bound | Wishin’ & Hopin’ & Plantin’ & Growin’ | Not Your Grandparents’ 4H | Starting Spring Early | Locally Sourced | Raising Readers | Work in Progress | Screen Shots |

To sign up for our mailing list and receive updates, newsletters, and more, click here: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/401590/85992968195933587/share

By Kim Brawn, Thompson Free Library

April is shaping up to be a series of very fortunate events at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft. From science to poetry, celestial to earthly and everything in between, we have a riveting lineup that will engage all ages — especially because of our very special guest:

Known for Maine and Mike

We welcome him soon

That’s right, we are very happy to announce that Paul Doiron will be at TFL on Tuesday, April 30 at 6 p.m. He is the author of the enormously successful Maine-based Mike Bowditch series. Locals are enthralled — we put his books on hold for our patrons all the time!) He’ll preview his new book “Pitch Dark” that comes out in June and give away one advanced reader copy.

A native of Maine, Paul attended Yale University and Emerson College. He is a former member of the Maine Arts Commission and past chair of the Maine Humanities Council, and Editor Emeritus of Down East Magazine. He is also a Registered Maine Guide specializing in fly fishing and lives on a trout stream in coastal Maine with his wife Kristen Lindquist.

Looking for a great family activity? Stop by the library at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9 for Family Fun Night featuring games, snacks, and more.

Stay up to date on the latest environmental health news by joining us on Thursday, April 11 at 1:30 p.m. for an informative 101 session on drinking water & PFAS chemicals presented by Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District and TFL.

Rob Durgen, superintendent of Dover & Foxcroft Water District will talk about our local water supply. Katie Richards from Maine Laboratories will discuss how their lab is different from others, what PFAS is and how they are dealing with it, and what resources they have available for landowners. And A&L Drinking Water’s Rebecca Labranch will give a presentation on types of wells, common contaminants, proper sampling procedures, and understanding your water test results.

Take part in fun family activities when Penquis joins Ms. Michelle for Story Time on Friday, April 12 at 10 a.m. Then Ms. Michelle travels to the Piscataquis County Ice Arena on Sunday, April 14 for Penquis Cap’s Project Play from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. “We’ll be playing with cloud dough,” says Michelle.

Keep the solar eclipse vibe going and learn more about the solar system with the Northern Stars Planetarium in their traveling inflatable planetarium at Central Hall Commons on Wednesday, April 17. There are two showings: 3 and 4:30 p.m. Sign up is required because space is limited. Choose one of the times with only one viewing per family. Show lasts 45 minutes to an hour. Contact the library to sign up.

Cheer on a bunch of young scientists at TFL’s first ever Science Fair. Drop by 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27  to see the projects, ask questions, and be impressed by these young science investigators.

Visit the library to view the incredible heirloom quilt hand-crafted by Helen Higgins to be raffled off to benefit Pine Tree Hospice. Tickets are $5 each. Winner will be drawn at the Pine Tree Hospice Variety Show on April 20. This year’s theme is a book lover’s dream come true.

For April, our display diva Shannen Rhoda highlights National Poetry Month and we’re having a Haiku contest. One winner will be chosen in each category Kids (5-12), Teens (13-19), & Adults. Like my haiku hint above, the format is three lines with 17 syllables in a 5-7-5 pattern. Submit your original poem with name and age category at TFL or email it to shannen.tflibrary@gmail.com.

It’s important to have something to look forward to, especially after this long, strange winter. It’s only fitting to have Paul Doiron, master of the Maine woods, guide us through the transition phase. Many readers have trouble pronouncing his name, but few have trouble being drawn into his ever-evolving Mike Bowditch saga. It’s no mystery, April at the Thompson Free Library will captivate you — from start to finish.

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: 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.

We at the library have been happy to provide ComicsPlus, a vast collection of free comics and graphic novels, thanks to the Maine State Library for the last several years! ComicsPlus provides access to a collection of over 20,000 comics and graphic novels, which are all available all the time, and there is no check out limit (No Hold Queues!). ComicsPlus works on the web and through an app available for Apple or Android.

Now, we are able to offer a kids-only library of ComicsPlus, providing all the great kids content, while leaving out comics and graphic novels meant for teens and adults. To access our children’s library head to this link with your library card: https://doverfoxcroftthompsonfreelibrarymecc.librarypass.com/ (if you have a four-digit card, add a t in front of it i.e. t1111)

For access to the full catalog, head to: https://doverfoxcroftthompsonfreelibraryme.librarypass.com/

As always, if you have any issues or need some help, let us know. We’re as excited to bring this resource to you as we hope you are to start reading your favorite comics and graphic novels!

By Kim Brawn

March is when we start to feel—if not see—the hazy shade of winter finally lifting. The time change means more daylight, we celebrate Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, and the first day of spring. We anxiously await what’s around the corner. So “hang on to your hopes, my friend” because the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft will help you emerge from hibernation with an inviting array of activities and programs for all ages. 

Play games and eat snacks at “Family Fun Night” on Tuesday, March 12 at 5:30 p.m. If the kids are bored and staring at their screens and you’ve run out of ideas, this may be the perfect option!

TFL’s Reading Group meets on Thursday, March 14 at 6 p.m. to talk about Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. In April, we will discuss Michael Pollan’s book This is Your Mind on Plants. Pollan does a deep dive on three plant drugs—opium, caffeine, and mescaline and the powerful human attraction to psychoactive plants. He explores why we go to such great lengths to seek these shifts in consciousness, and then why do we fence that universal desire with laws and customs and fraught feelings? It’s a unique blend of history, science, memoir, and participatory journalism. (Copies available at TFL.)

The kids can channel all their pent-up energy at “Nerf Night” on Friday, March 15 from 6-7:30 p.m. It’s open to grades 5 and up. Participants need to bring all their own Nerf equipment and label it with the name or initials of the player. Safety glasses required but not supplied. Parents can stay or drop off but need to come in to pick kids up at the end of the program. 

TFL’s Family Book Club will discuss their current read, Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi, over pizza on Tuesday, March 26 at 5:30 p.m. and they’ll also get a copy of the next book. 

Ms. Michelle (Youth services librarian Michelle Fagan) is getting crafty with a Wooden Egg Decoupage design on Thursday, March 28 from 4-5:30 p.m. She’ll guide you through this easy spring & Easter-themed décor project. (Open to all ages.)

A welcome sign of spring is the return of our Seed Library. We offer donated seeds from our community and various other donors. If you have extra seeds from previous years that you don’t need, please bring them in to share with your neighbors. If you’re interested in trying a new type of plant or flower in your garden this year, stop in and check out what we have to offer.

Just in time to celebrate Maine Maple Syrup Sunday (March 23 & 24) our March Patron Giveaway is a $25.00 gift card to Bob’s Sugarhouse (252 E. Main St. Dover-Foxcroft). (Pass the pancakes & ployes, please!) One entry per account, per visit.

The big day—the Total Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8—is fast approaching and Dover-Foxcroft is in the path of totality! It will be an incredible cosmic event to behold but safety is priority one. At the library, we have 400 eclipse glasses to hand out free from the Maine State Library and the Maine Department of Tourism. Families can pick up to five free pairs of eclipse glasses. All glasses are first-come, first-serve, but please only take what you and those close to you need, as we’d like to give as many people as possible the chance to see the eclipse.

Time to put on the lab coats and get those brain cells firing as we edge closer to TFL’s first “Science Fair Showcase” on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m.-12:00 p.m. We are looking for youth grades K-12 to do a science fair project and show off what they learned to the public. Participants need to sign up before April 19—the date the project form is due. (To sign up & get more info, please contact Michelle at 207-564-3350 or email mfagan534@gmail.com.)

Past, present and future happily collide at the library—with comings and goings, new adventures and old favorites. Join us for an engaging program, stop by to check out a new book or DVD—or pop in to grab a free tax form. As we (hopefully) wave goodbye to winter and welcome March, an Irish blessing seems in order: May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures, and may all life’s passing seasons bring the best to you and yours. 

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.