Upcoming Events
"Perspectives" Book Discussions sponsored by New Hampshire Humanities. This book discussion series offers opportunities to explore diverse viewpoints through literature, focusing on the immigrant experience.
On Feb. 13 at 7 p.m., NH Poet Laureate Alice Fogel will lead a book discussion on "Exit West" by Mohsin Hamid. Free copies of the book are available at the library. Join us in person or via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85999159520
March 11th at 1 p.m. we will have another Perspectives Book Discussion, led by scholar Mary C. Kelly. March's book will be "The Coffin Ship: Life and Death at Sea during the Great Irish Famine" by Cian T. McMahon. Pick up a free copy of the book at the library. Join us in person or via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81647473069
African Library Project Update
We have more pictures from the African Library Project! The Malawian Ministry of Education held a formal Handover ceremony to accept the books that Wilmot Library and other book drive partners sent to the schools. 
Representatives of schools and libraries, including some students (blue uniforms) accepted thousands of books to augment their collections. A study in nearby Tanzania found that students from schools with libraries consistently performed eight to ten percent better on standardized tests than their counterparts without libraries. Although English is not the first language for most students, many Malawians feel that learning English gives their children access to global culture and sets them up for success.
Senior Lunches
The next Kearsarge Area Senior Lunch will be held in the First Congregational Church of Wilmot,19 North Wilmot Road, Feb. 16 at noon. The Wilmot Historical Society will give a genealogy presentation following the meal. Door prizes, free books and puzzles, and CAP’s frozen dinners to go will be available.
To sign up, call 603 526-4236 by Thursday, February 9. Please leave your name, town, and phone number to reserve your place. Suggested donation: $2 for CAP, $3 for sponsors/supplies. All are welcome!
Additional lunches are scheduled for Thursday, March 16 and Thursday, April 20 – both at noon at the First Congregational Church of Wilmot.
Cancellation policy: The lunches do not follow the school closings. Every effort will be made to hold the lunches even in inclement weather. Should the lunch be cancelled for any reason, guests with reservations will be notified by phone with as much advance notice as possible. Guests are urged to use their best judgment about venturing out in bad weather, as safety always comes first!
Spanish Conversation
Quieres hablar Espanol? Drop by the library for informal Spanish conversation nights, 6-7 p.m. on the first and third Fridays of the month. Whether you know poco or mucho, speak fluently or not at all, Bienvenidos! Group leader Mary Ayers is a retired elementary school Spanish teacher.
Parlez-vous Francais?
Several patrons have expressed interest in a French conversation group, and the library is actively looking for someone to lead the group. Please contact the library director to recommend someone, including yourself!
FOWPL
The Friends of the Wilmot Public Library support the library in many ways! Not only do their projects raise money for buying books and supplies, FOWPL is a visible, positive presence in the community on behalf of the library. You can serve your community by volunteering to be on the board of FOWPL. The board meets quarterly. Look for their newsletter in your mailbox. It also includes a membership form.
DONATIONS
Due to the need to make space for construction on the Town Hall next door, the library is not accepting book donations at this time.
From the Director's Desk
One day last week, three people called, separately, wanting to donate lots of books to the library. Two others came in person, and one anonymous "donor" filled our Book Return Box with old paperbacks. Whether people are cleaning out their own storage or someone else's, it seems this is the time of year to clear out unwanted books. Unfortunately, we can't accept them all.
We have shelves full of free, donated or weeded books in the back of the library, and I'm afraid we'll have to move them all to make way for the renovations on the Town Hall. The renovations will affect the Creativity Lab and the bathrooms, as well as the furnace room and the ramp along the back wall. At the moment, the only place I know that takes used books in bulk is Goodwill in Concord -- I try to remember to bring a few boxes in the car when I drive down there.
With so many books trying to get in the door, I wondered if the supply of books is exceeding demand. Have the internet and digital entertainment made books obsolete? Not at all. "According to industry tracker NPD Bookscan, printed book sales have increased 13.2 percent from 2020 to 2021, and 21 percent from 2019 to 2021." (Vox.com) Grand View Research gives these figures: "The (global) books market size was estimated at $138.5 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $142.33 billion in 2022." In other words, there are more books being printed and sold than ever, largely due to "increasing consumer spending supported by increasing income and increasing innovation in the market, which is anticipated to enhance the reading experience." (Grand View Research)
To a librarian, this is comforting news. Slightly over half of all book sales are by independent bookstores, and the lion's share of book sales in the world is taken by North Americans. Consumers, including young consumers, continue to prefer printed books to digital ones; they're easier on the eyes, portable, and they don't turn off when your internet goes down. Supply chain issues affect books like anything else, but since publishers usually plan their sales months in advance, the only books you might have a problem getting are the surprise bestsellers. (Who knew Colleen Hoover would take off like she did? If you had to wait for one of her books, you're not alone.)
And so, it's not that people are giving up books for digital entertainment -- demand for printed books has increased along with demand for streaming movies, video games, and other forms of media. One way or another, people are making time to read.
Hurrah!
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