In this Newsletter...
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All programs are free of charge. Events may be offered in the library, online, or hybrid. Please note the location of each event beneath the date.
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Hours
Monday – Thursday: 9 AM – 9 PM
Friday: 9 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday: 9 AM – 5 PM
Sunday: 1 PM – 5 PM
The library will be CLOSED:
- Sunday December 25
- Monday December 26
- Sunday January 1
- Monday January 2
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Cold Weather Coat Swap
No library card necessary!
November 28 – January 7
Library Café
Need a coat or winter accessory? Stop by the library’s lobby anytime November 28, 2022 – January 7, 2023, and pick something out! Thanks to the generous donations of community members, we have an assortment of cold weather clothing including coats, sweaters, scarves, hats, gloves, and mittens for all ages & sizes.
Free and open to all.
No registration required. Find out more about the Coat Swap!
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Gratitude Challenge!
No library card necessary!
December 1 – January 31
Lobby
Stop by the library to pick up a Gratitude Challenge Booklet filled with 30 ideas to show kindness or gratitude to our community helpers or anyone you appreciate!
The booklet includes ideas like "Do something kind for a stranger" or "Donate clothing you no longer need to an organization or individual in need." There are 28 more ideas, and you're welcome to come up with your own if you want to keep the gratitude going! Record your acts of gratitude on the back page of the booklet and return it to the library to earn a PPL book bag!
No registration required. Find out more about the Gratitude Challenge!
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Hive Mind Collective for Teens & Tweens
No library card necessary!
Thursdays December 1, 8, 15 & 22
3:30 – 4:30 PM
Levenson Community Room
Hive Mind is a new after school offering for middle and high school students! We’ll be setting up shop in the Levenson Meeting Room on Thursdays with a rotating selection of A/V equipment and activities. Drop in to watch and make TikToks, try new tools, and discuss online trends.
Hive Mind is a collaborative space: sit back and enjoy videos on the big screen or come prepared with your own multimedia project ideas to develop. All levels of engagement are welcome!
Questions about this program? Please send them to gsvanhanley@cityofportsmouth.com.
No registration required. Find out more about Hive Mind Collective!
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Film: Top Gun Maverick
No library card necessary!
Thursday December 1
6:30 – 8:30 PM
Levenson Community Room
2022. Rated PG-13. 130 minutes.
After thirty years, Maverick is still pushing the envelope as a top naval aviator, but must confront ghosts of his past when he leads TOP GUN's elite graduates on a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it.
Space is limited, so come early to secure your seat.
Films at the library are open to the public and FREE. All films will feature subtitles where possible.
No registration required. Find out more about Top Gun Maverick!
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Art Exhibit: Windows and Water
No library card necessary!
Paintings by Susan Bienen Johnson
December 5 – January 26
Levenson Community Room
In anticipation of Portsmouth's upcoming 400th Anniversary year, the Portsmouth Public Library will focus attention on our beautiful surroundings and local artists throughout our 2023 exhibition schedule!
The library is excited to begin this 2023 series with a two-month art exhibit featuring the work of a former resident of New Castle and Portsmouth, Susan Bienen Johnson. Her small, intimate paintings include views of the Piscataqua through New Castle windows and glimpses of the bay from windows on Martha's Vineyard. Susan Bienen Johnson has most graciously shared dozens of perspectives of our surroundings to remind us of the beauty and history of Portsmouth.
No registration is required. This is a drop-in event. Find out more about the Windows and Water Exhibit!
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Middle School Mondays
No library card necessary!
Crafts & Games for Middle School Students
Mondays (NO PROGRAM DECEMBER 26)
3:30 – 4:30 PM
Levenson Community Room
Middle schoolers are invited to join Youth Services staff after school each Monday for games, crafts and other activities! Come on over, hang out with your friends, have some fun (and maybe a snack)! Each week will feature a new activity! Past activities have included DIY sound effects, hydrodipping, friendship bracelet making and Just Dance! on the Nintendo Switch.
Have an idea for an activity? Visit the Youth Desk and let us know!
No registration required. Find out more about Middle School Mondays!
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Drop-In Device Help
No library card necessary!
First and Third Tuesdays (December 6 and 20)
2 – 3:30 PM
Hilton Garden Inn Room
How do I listen to an audiobook using Libby or Hoopla? Send a text with a picture? Pair Bluetooth headphones? What are apps?!
Get one-on-one help with these questions and more during our drop-in device help time at the library. From library digital services to Microsoft and Macs, all questions welcome!
No registration or appointment required — we will help on a first come first serve basis.
Find out more about Drop-In Device Help!
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Local History: The Convoys of the North Atlantic
No library card necessary!
Tuesday December 6
7 – 8:30 PM
Levenson Community Room
The struggle for control of the North Atlantic was the longest single campaign of the entire war. Spanning from September 1939 until May of 1945 when Germany surrendered, the Atlantic was the scene of constant clashes between the U-boats of the Kriegsmarine and the convoys with their escorts. Always looming in the background was the constant threat of storms and gales. This story has many heroes—the Flower Class corvettes, the Enigma Machine, Milch Cows, “Jeep carriers,” the Naval Armed Guard, Liberty Boats, merchant seamen, Rosie the Riveter, and shipyards, as well as the US Navy, Royal Navy, and countless aviators. The deeds of those who took part warrant telling in today’s world.
Registration is required. Find out more and register for The Convoys of the North Atlantic!
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Early Release Middle School Movie
No library card necessary!
Wednesday December 7 & Thursday December 22
1 – 3 PM
Levenson Community Room
Join us on Early Release Days for movies and snacks! We'll have a few movies to choose from and vote on, and plenty of snacks to get you through! Join us!
No registration required. Find out more about Early Release Movies!
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Lego Club
No library card necessary!
Wednesdays
3:30 – 4:30 PM
Levenson Community Room
Each week children in grades K-5 are invited to join us in the Levenson Meeting Room to try out the weekly LEGO challenge, work on individual projects and have fun with other LEGO-loving kids! Challenges may include building things that float, ziplines, and more.
Snacks will be served—please email Andrew to let him know if your child has food allergies or aversions.
No registration required. Find out more about Lego Club!
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Youth D&D
No library card necessary!
Character Creation Workshop
Friday December 9
3:30 – 5 PM
Levenson Community Room
Join us, Adventurers, for monthly games of Dungeons and Dragons!
We will slay (or befriend) dragons! We will find and hoard shiny objects! We will make an orc feel better about himself! We will spend too much time deciding which goblin in the bunch is our favorite! (I vote for Grunt.)
Sign-ups are limited to six players each session, for humans aged 8 –12.
New Character Creation Workshop on Friday December 9—create the character you'll be using in library games! This is the time to create a shiny, new character to use at future library D&D games. Please bring a pencil and your imagination.
Questions? Call the library at 603-766-1740.
Registration is required. Space is limited. Find out more and register for Youth D&D!
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Teen D&D
No library card necessary!
Tuesday December 13
5 – 7 PM
Levenson Community Room
ADVENTURE AWAITS as Teen D&D returns to the library! Players 13 – 18, join us for Teen D&D! Every two weeks we get together and roll the dice!
New to the game? No problem! Email Andrew to set up an introductory session or to chat about your experience with the game to find out if you even need one.
Even experienced players new to the club must email Andrew and touch base before jumping into the adventure. Find out more about Teen D&D!
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We Craft! 🧶 Drop-in Craft Time
No library card necessary!
Friday December 16
5 – 6:30 PM
Levenson Community Room
We craft, ewe craft, we all craft together! Join library staff Nicole and Michaela on the third Friday of the month for a relaxing end-of-week drop-in craft time. Seek help on a crafting hurdle, get advice on a tricky mending project, or share your expertise with fellow local crafters. Bring your current work in progress, stay for a few stitches or join us for the whole time. All levels of crafters welcome!
If you have extra skeins of leftover yarn or tools for a craft you’ve given up for good, feel free to bring gently used items to swap.
No registration required. Find out more about We Craft!
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Story Times
No library card necessary!
NEW SCHEDULE! Preschool Story Time
Tuesdays December 6 & 13
1 PM
Join us for stories, music, dancing and friendship. This program is specifically designed for children ages 3–5 years and we respectfully request that participants honor that age range. Please email Mollie with any questions about Preschool Story Time!
Baby Laptime Story Time
Wednesdays December 7 & 14
9:30 AM
Join us in the Levenson Community Room for Lap Time! This program is recommended for babies ages 0–18 months and will feature storytelling, singing, playing and more! Please note that registration for story time is on a weekly basis and you will need to register for EACH WEEK you plan to attend.
Toddler Story Time
Wednesdays December 7 & 14
10:30 AM
Join us in the Levenson Community Room for books, songs, and rhymes at a story time recommended for 2–3 year olds and their caregivers. Please register ONCE for your family group, and let us know how many are in your group. Registration for story time is on a weekly basis and you will need to register for EACH WEEK you plan to attend.
Waddler Story Time
Thursdays December 1, 8 & 15
10 AM
Join us for Waddler Time! This is a story time designed for our mobile young patrons ages 1–3. We will do lots of songs, rhymes and dances. Please register ONCE for your family group, and let us know how many are in your group. Please note that registration for story time is on a weekly basis and you will need to register for EACH WEEK you plan to attend.
Family Story Time
Saturdays December 3, 10 & 17
9:30 AM
Our Saturday Family Story Time is open to all ages. We offer this program so families can experience story time together as many can’t make it to our programs during the week. We plan a mix of stories, music, movement, and language play (with occasional crafts and other activities) to serve a wider spectrum of ages. The goal is to enjoy story time together at the library! No registration is required—please join us when you can.
Registration is requested for all except Family Story Time. Please register ONCE for your family group, and let us know how many are in your group. Registration is on a weekly basis, so you will need to register for EACH WEEK you plan to attend. View all Story Times!
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Adult Book Clubs
No library card necessary!
Need to talk about all these books you're checking out? Want to meet like-minded book lovers? Trust us—you need a book club. This month, Nonfiction and Fiction Book Clubs are hybrid (attend in person or online), Classics Book Club meets in person, and Speculative Fiction Book Club meets online.
Classics Book Club
The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon
Tuesday December 6 | 7 PM
Fiction Book Club
The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg
Monday December 12 | 1 PM or 7 PM
Nonfiction Book Club
The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal
Monday December 19 | 7 PM
Speculative Fiction Book Club
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Tuesday December 20 | 7 PM
No registration required. For more information, synopses, and future titles, read more about our Adult Book Clubs!
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Youth & Teen Book Clubs
No library card necessary!
Middle School Book Club
Tuesday December 6
4 PM
Middle School Book Club meets monthly on Tuesdays. As always, there will be snacks! This month's book is The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden. Registration is requested for this event and books will be available to pick up at the library ahead of time. Please email Lucia with any questions.
Book Club Grades 3 & 4
Monday December 12
4 PM
Students in grades 3 and 4 are invited to join book club! This month's title is the graphic novel Super Potato: The Epic Origin of Super Potato by Artur Laperla. Readers can pick up the book at the library ahead of time and then join us for a fun conversation about it as well as other activities and snacks! For this month we ask students to bring another superhero story they like (or don't like) to compare and contrast with Super Potato! Registration is requested and students are also invited to bring friends!
Blast Off Book Club
Tuesday December 13
3:30 PM
Blast Off Book Club is our book club for emerging readers in grades K – 2 (at all reading levels!). We will discuss our book, complete an extension activity and play some word games. This book club does not teach reading—rather the goal is to foster an early love of reading and promote literacy skills for new readers! Copies of the book are available at Youth Services on the first of each month. December's title is As an Oak Tree Grows by G. Brian Karas. Please reach out to Mollie with any questions.
Teen Book Club @ PHS
Tuesday December 20
2:30 PM
DURING FLEX BLOCK AT PORTSMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
Teen Book Club returns during Flex Block at Portsmouth High School. Book club will meet each month and teens outside of PHS are still welcome to join—just please let us know in advance! This month’s book will be Our Stories Carried Us Here, an autobiographical graphic novel anthology, written and illustrated by 10 immigrants and refugees from all over the world. Copies of the book are available from Ms. Raab or Ms. LaVallee at the high school or at the Youth Services desk in the public library. Come if you loved the book, hated the book, or landed somewhere in between! Registration is requested. Questions? Please email Andrew.
Early Chapter Book Club
Tuesday December 20
3:30 PM
The Early Chapter Book Club is designed for independently reading 1st & 2nd graders. We will discuss our early chapter book, complete an extension activity and play literacy games. This book club does not teach reading. Rather, the goal is to foster an early love of reading and promote literacy skills. December's book club title is King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats by Dori Hillestad Butler. Please send any questions to Mollie.
Registration is requested or required for all Youth & Teen Book Clubs. Use the links above to register!
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World Affairs Discussion Group
No library card necessary!
Every Monday
4 – 5 PM
Online
Are you fascinated by international affairs and the world of foreign policy? If so, please join our Library Director and a group of your peers on Mondays to discuss World Affairs topics.
If you plan on attending and would like to vote on the week's possible topics, send our director an email at ccfriese@cityofportsmouth.com, and she will send you a link to the webpage where you can vote. The list of topics is posted each Wednesday afternoon and voting concludes that Friday afternoon. At that point, the director will send out an email to the group letting them know the two selected topics, and a list of links to suggested articles.
No registration required—email the director at the link above for the Zoom link.
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Language Discussion Groups
No library card necessary!
Each of our language discussion groups is volunteer-facilitated. These are not classes, and are geared toward people who already speak or are learning the language. They will have no teachers and may have no native speakers. Some groups meet online, others meet in person, and one meets both in person and online. Groups that meet in person gather in the Hilton Garden Inn Room or the Macleod Board Room on the second floor.
Chinese
Every Thursday | 5 – 6 PM
Online
French
Every Friday | 1:30 – 2:30 PM
In Library
German
Every Monday | 2:30 – 4 PM
In Library
Italian
Every Friday | 12:30 – 1:30 PM
Online
Spanish
Every Tuesday | 10:30 – 11:30 AM
In Library or Online
No registration required. Find out more and connect to Language Discussion Groups!
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Weekly Meditation
No library card necessary!
Every Wednesday
12:15 – 1 PM
Levenson Community Room & Online
Whether you've meditated before or you'd like to start learning, this weekly drop-in is for everyone. Our volunteer instructors teach a variety of different techniques, and we provide a friendly, low-pressure environment for beginners to learn!
To read more about our instructors and get the Zoom link to connect, visit cityofportsmouth.com/library/weekly-meditation.
No registration required.
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Mah Jongg
No library card necessary!
Saturdays
10 AM – 12 PM
Hilton Garden Inn Room
MAH JONGG, the Chinese game of tiles, is back on Saturdays! It's fast, free, and fun for all ages. Held every Saturday 10 – Noon. Taught every week at 10 AM—and it only takes 15 minutes to learn.
No registration required.
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Reading Dogs
No library card necessary!
Saturdays (NO DOGS ON DECEMBER 24 or 31)
10 – 11 AM
Youth Services
Come read to a friendly golden retriever! Chloe and Tillie will be here eager to listen while you read!
No registration required.
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Death Zine
No library card necessary!
Have you read our newest publication, the Death Zine?
We are all bound together by our mortality, yet death is a topic rarely discussed in pleasant company. By embracing open and honest discussion around death, we hope you will be able to use this zine as a tool to open the door to factual and compassionate discussion around the topics of death and dying, and also find comfort in knowing just a little bit more about “the great unknown."
Pick up a print copy in the library, or read online! When you're done, visit our Resources and References page.
Find out more and read past issues of the zine!
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.... And So Much More!
Library card necessary for some services.
We tend to highlight upcoming events and new services in this newsletter, but the library is so much more. Here's a taste of our other offerings...
Services that require a Portsmouth Public Library card
Services that do not require a library card
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