It’s hard to believe Fall has arrived! Looking back at September, we had a busy month. Between hosting a Roving Museum and burying a time capsule, we’re embracing the great outdoors.
We’ve also enjoyed signing up dozens of new patrons for library cards and meeting our new and new-to-us neighbors! They’ve come at the right time. Last month, we not only gave out 50 free board books to our library’s kids but also helped fill a Little Free Library on School Street with new books from the Children’s Literacy Foundation. And that’s not the last of the children’s books coming to Gay-Kimball Library! We just submitted our grant order for 120 new books and are excited to release those titles. Keep an eye on our pages to learn more about our selections and watch our fresh graphic novel section expand.
With the turn of the season, we at Gay-Kimball Library already miss our kids and summer programming! This change of pace at the library, however, does allow us to focus on adult programming and other areas of interest; something we are excited about! First up will be events, programs, and resources from our Flight Grant. While we’re ironing out the details on how we will work with local presenters and groups to teach the community about birds and bird migration patterns, you’ll soon be able to check out resources like binoculars and bird-friendly guides and materials.
We are also looking to bring in a living history presenter soon and are happy to take requests from the New Hampshire Humanities Council’s presenter list. Give us a call and let us know your interests.
Coming in November will be the start of a new chess group for pre-teen and teen kids after school. This group will meet on Wednesdays at 4, beginning Nov. 5. This friendly group (non-competitive) will learn all about the game of chess and have the opportunity to work with an adult volunteer who’s well-versed in the game. All skill levels are welcome, including those who have never played before. This is a great social event for kids looking for a positive way to spend time during those after-school hours. Call the library to sign your child up or drop by for more information. This group will meet on Wednesdays after school, with exact times to be determined based on student needs and availability.
Also coming soon will be a Flight Path screening of Wild Hope’s short films about birding, bird migration, and bird safety. Attendees will receive bird tape to help our local birds migrate safely. You’ll also get bird identification cards generously donated to the library through our Spark of Science grant.
Upcoming dates to remember:
TEDDY BEAR TEA: October 23 at 4 pm – we will be hosting our first Teddy Bear Tea with Miss Mary Lee! All children are welcome to attend this free event where we’ll dress up and bring our best stuffies for a fancy story, snack, and special surprise!
FALL CHILDREN’S AUTHOR VISIT: October (TBD) – GKL will host an author visit for children at Troy Elementary School as part of our CLiF grant!
WINTER ADULT AUTHOR VISIT: Join us at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec 6, for a reading, signing, and presentation by author Michael J Caduto. Caduto, author of Enchanted Night Before Christmas, hails from Vermont and will give a talk on a sweet holiday story he wrote about a family who understands the true meaning behind the holidays. This event is free and open to the public and will help put you in the mood for the holidays!
TRACKING PRESENTATION: Save the date for a presentation by Dan Bisaccio, a retired science professor, on the topic of wildlife tracking. Dan will teach us how to identify animals by their tracks and/or scat. You’ll be able to tell the difference between a deer and a rabbit visiting your yard. He’ll also go over how to make plaster casts of tracks you discover in snow or on raw ground. You’ll even learn a neat law enforcement trick on how police capture tracks in the snow.
Save the date – Wednesday, Dec. 10 – to check out a mountain lion track cast and more! We will also hand out tracking materials from NH Fish and Game for those interested in tracking at home. This presentation is free of charge and open to anyone ages 13 and up. It will begin at 5:30 in the Ripley Room at Gay-Kimball Library. You don’t need to register to attend, and this event is open to the public, regardless of residency status.
Thank you to everyone who has been so patient with us during these busy times. Our goal is to continue to do what we can to make the library a welcoming, helpful place in town as we grow!
Our Hours:
Tuesday – 10:00 am – 7 pm
Wednesday & Thursday – 2 pm – 7 pm
Saturday – 10 am – 2 pm
Do those hours not work for you? You can make use of our 24/7 Library Lockers!
