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PARIS in April
- April 6: Paris Was a Woman
- April 13: Paris 36
- April 20: The Last Time I Saw Paris
- Midnight in Paris: Midnight in Paris
All films are shown in Room 200 and begin at 6:30 PM
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- Family Storytime: Thursdays, 11 am
- Knit Happens: Tuesdays, 9:30 - 11 am
- Qi Gong: Saturdays, 11 am
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New Assistant Head Librarian
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We are delighted to announce that Caroline Ward-Nesbit has been named as Assistant Head Librarian. Her enthusiasm, diligence, and LOVE of all things library have made this decision an easy one. We are thrilled with our staff and excited to have Missy Harjula and Hillary Johansen on board as we forge ahead with the many projects now planned.
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The Friends of Thomaston Public Library are grateful to have received two generous grants in March. The Rose and Samuel Rudman Library Trust Grant awarded us $1000 to purchase more books!!!! The focus will be on sci-fi, fantasy, foreign mystery authors and graphic novels. Caroline has already purchased many that were on our list and you can check out the video on our website, Facebook, or on our NEW YouTube channel to see the "unboxing" of our first shipment of these books!
The second grant we received is from the STK Foundation (Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation) for $7000 will be used to purchase some cozy furniture for our quiet area, to assist with programming in our fifth year of 40 Days of Summer and other projects. STK Foundation has been a generous contributor to the Friends of Thomaston Public Library on numerous occasions. We appreciate their dedication to this small library and are grateful for their largess.
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We are pleased to announce that our new kitchenette was inaugurated on Friday, March 16th for our Communi-TEA. What joy to have a dedicated space to prepare platters of food and to clean up after! We are grateful to the Friends of Thomaston Public Library for their generosity in facilitating this much needed space. Thanks to Amanda Austin of 2A Architects LLC of Rockport for the design; to Herman and Dakota Summers of The American Dream Builders for contracting, building and painting; to Mishka Plumbing for making our plumbing work and to Scott Michaud (son of our own Paula Michaud) for his electrical wizardry.
This space will allow us to offer hospitality, enhancing our "community living room". Delight!
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Saudi Women: Change and Challenge
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Join us on Tuesday, April 24 at 2:30 PM for a talk and book signing with Middle East specialist and author Kay Hardy Campbell!
Kay has a BA in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Minnesota and a Master's Degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard. She lived in Saudi Arabia for several years and has returned several times since on assignment as a journalist, and also researches and writes about Arabic music, and the music and folk dances of the Arabian Peninsula. Her debut novel, A Caravan of Brides, received a starred review from Kirkus:
"Campbell's masterful debut novel delivers a story that matches up flawlessly with real-life aspects of Middle Eastern Culture, geography, and history. The characters are deeply developed, and their stories intertwine with true events...The storytelling transports the audience to a foreign place and time with vivid details and timeless themes...A mesmerizing Middle Eastern Tale to be savored from beginning to end."
Kay will discuss life for women in Saudi Arabia (which recently announced a landmark policy change - they will finally allow women to legally drive starting this June) and Arabic culture as well as her novel. This event might be of particular interest to anyone who participated in discussion in January at the Intergenerational Book Club of Manal al-Sharif's Daring to Drive!
Refreshments will be served.
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April is National Poetry Month!
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Celebrate with us!
Friday, April 13, 4 - 5:30 PM: Artists in Conversation
Ever been curious about what inspired a poem? How long it took to write? Why a poet chose one word over another? Local poets Margery Kivel, Jackie Ascrizzi, Michelle Faith, Hadassa Wisch, and Laura Bonazzol will read a selection of poetry and discuss them with the audience, so come with all of your burning questions about creative process and imagery! Refreshments will be served.
Saturday, April 28, 11 AM - 12 PM: Word Tossing
Interactive poetry in action! Margery Kivel, Sherry Albado, and Marjorie Arnett will respond to prompts from each other and the audience to create spontaneous poems. Light refreshments will be served.
We will also have poetry books on display in our main reading room. Come discover something new!
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April 9: Family Movie & Pizza Night
Join us for our monthly family movie & pizza night! On Monday, April 9 in our main reading room we will serve pizza and show the award-winning Disney film Moana featuring music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina, and Opetaia Foa'i.
In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) reaches Moana's island, she (voiced by Auli'i Cravalho) answers the Ocean's call to seek out the Demigod to set things right. Together, they voyage across the open ocean on an action-packed adventure, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills her quest and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.
Free and open to all, and pajamas are welcome!
April 10: Let's Talk About It Book Club
Funded by a grant from the Maine Humanities Council and facilitated by author and mentor Lee Heffner, the Let's Talk About It book group will meet on Tuesday, April 10 at 11 am. March's meeting was cancelled due to snow, so we will be discussing March's selection, The Rise of Silas Lapham. Copies of the book are available to borrow at the library.
From the publisher: "William Dean Howells' richly humorous characterization of a self-made millionaire in Boston society provides a paradigm of American culture in the Gilded Age. After establishing a fortune in the paint business, Silas Lapham moves his family from their Vermont farm to the city of Boston, where they awkwardly attempt to break into Brahmin society. Silas, greedy for wealth as well as prestige, brings his company to the brink of bankruptcy, and the family is forced to return to Vermont, financially ruined but morally renewed."
These discussions are always thought-provoking and lively, and we welcome anyone to join for one book or the whole series! Refreshments are served.
The next book in the series for discussion in May will be Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. For questions or additional information call the library at 354-2453 or check on our social media sites.
April 16: Library Closed for Patriot's Day
April 17: Intergenerational Book Club
On Tuesday, April 17th, at 2:30 PM, the Thomaston Intergenerational Book Club will discuss The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. Copies of the book are available to borrow at the library.
Narrated by the Housekeeper, the characters are known only as the Professor and Root, the Housekeeper’s 10-year-old son, nicknamed by the Professor because the shape of his hair and head remind the Professor of the square root symbol. A brilliant mathematician, the Professor was seriously injured in a car accident and his short-term memory only lasts for 80 minutes. He can remember his theorems and favorite baseball players, but the Housekeeper must reintroduce herself every morning, sometimes several times a day. The Professor, who adores Root, is able to connect with the child through baseball, and the Housekeeper learns how to work with him through the memory lapses until they can come together on common ground, at least for 80 minutes. In this gorgeous tale, Ogawa lifts the window shade to allow readers to observe the characters for a short while, then closes the shade.
On the third Tuesday of every month, the Intergenerational Book Club, a group of men and women of all ages, comes together at the library to share their opinions and ideas about the selected book. All are welcome at the Thomaston Library on April 17th at 2:30 p.m. If you live in Thomaston and would like to attend but need a ride, please call the library at 354-2453 a week before the discussion date. In May, the group will be discussing Unearthed: Love, Acceptance, and Other Lessons from an Abandoned Garden by Alexandra Risen.
April 20: Communi-TEA!
Join us for afternoon tea on April 20 from 3 to 4:30 PM! Delicious treats and hot tea will be served, and all are welcome in the community living room at Thomaston Public Library.
We would also like to encourage folks to support their neighbors by bringing to Communi-TEA a non-perishable food, pet care, or personal care item to donate to the food pantry!
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School Vacation Program: Legos & Water Science!
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Join us for a Lego challenge, a showing of The Lego Movie, and fun water science activities from the Cornerstones of Science! Delicious snacks will be served each day, and we will have lunch on Tuesday before we show the film.
Tuesday, April 17
11 - 12 PM: Lego Day!
12 - 12:30 PM: Lunch - Make-Your-Own Sandwiches
12:30 - 2:30 PM: Film - The Lego Movie
Wednesday, April 18, 1 - 2 PM: Water Science
Thursday, April 19, 1 - 2 PM: Water Science
Friday, April 20, 1 - 2 PM: Water Science
*These activities are designed for kids ages 6 and up. Children younger than 6 may participate, but a parent or guardian must be present to guide them through the activities.
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Bookmobile Home Delivery Service
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Some folks may be aware that we offer a Bookmobile Home Delivery Service, but many are not... We have obtained a grant to fund this service for people in Thomaston and some of the surrounding communities who are unable to come to the library due to disability (short- or long-term) or age. We have a new brochure to advertise the Bookmobile available at the library, or we would be happy to email it to anyone who would like a copy. Help us spread the word if you or someone you know is unable to visit us at the library and could benefit from a visit from our Bookmobile!
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New Titles Added
Adult Collection: 61
Children's Collection: 28
DVD Collection: 4
Total: 93
Circulation Statistics
Items Circulated (in and out): 1,974
Average Daily Circulation (20 days open): 99
Audiobooks: 92
Ebooks: 19
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New Patrons Added
Adults: 5
Children: 1
Total: 6
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