Bring on the May flowers and those plentiful gardens! Thanks to a generous donation from UNH, the library is now bursting with seeds for our community and pollinator garden projects! But before we get to those, let’s take a look back at what April brought us…
Between the showers, we saw the first buds of a Friends of the Library group with an informational meeting in mid-April. We are so thankful for the many people willing to support the library through a Friends group. It’s not too late to join. If you are interested, please call the library at (603) 242-7743 and let us know.
We were also honored to host a POW/MIA display from Rolling Thunder, which is still set up in our library to honor The Missing Man. This display reminds us of our brave lost soldiers and prisoners of war with solemn symbolism. It is a great educational tool for all. If you’re interested, there’s still a limited amount of time to stop by and learn more.
The Missing Man table isn’t the only new display you’ll see if you visit. We’ve recently made the most of our spring cleaning and created a new reading nook meant to encourage more young adult visitors and readers at Gay-Kimball Library. We’ve also changed the way we catalogue our movie collection to make it easier for our movie-loving patrons to find their favorite titles! Stop by and check out the changes and let us know what you think!
Also in April, we set up a program with Author Veronica Francis for our New Hampshire Humanities Civic Life and Belonging grant. This program, “What’s YOUR Story?” is slated for Thursday, July 30 at 6 pm. It is a storytelling presentation and workshop that highlights how stories connect us all. Presented by Francis, this presentation and workshop will demonstrate connections neighbors might not realize they have, despite living close by.
Veronica is a New Hampshire storyteller, keynote speaker, and technology coach who helps people navigate change with clarity, confidence, and a sense of humor. Known for her warm presence and relatable storytelling, Veronica blends real-life experience with practical insight – reminding audiences that adaptability matters more than perfection, especially when the plan falls apart.
New Hampshire Humanities’ Civic Life and Belonging Grants fund events that improve civic life by bringing together community members and supporting meaningful discussion and perspective sharing through a cultural or humanities lens.
New Hampshire Humanities connects people and ideas by funding and supporting statewide programs that inspire curiosity, foster civil dialogue, and explore big questions. Learn more at www.nhhumanities.org. This event is made possible by New Hampshire Humanities, with support from New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
Back to those highly anticipated community gardens: In early April, we had our county site visit, applied to a master gardener program, and collected the names of people interested in helping with this project. There is a lot of work to be done! We will be holding community-wide volunteer meetings soon. Please watch our social media pages and website for details of when we will meet and the kind of help we are looking for. In the meantime, please call, drop by, or message the library if you are interested in joining the gardening club! We would love all the help we can get and would especially welcome assistance from anyone with special skills in gardening, soil, farming, wildlife, and pollinators. The more help, the better!
Springing ahead, this month, our students at Troy Elementary School will get a special visit on May 14 from Author Marek Bennet, thanks to our Children’s Literacy Foundation Rural Libraries (CLiF) grant! NH-based cartoonist, musician, and educator Marek Bennett leads discovery-based Comics Workshops for all ages throughout New England and the world beyond. His comics work includes the graphic novel series, The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby, as well as drawing, translating, & editing for The Most Costly Journey (2021) with the bilingual El Viaje Project. In September 2022, both books were featured at the National Book Festival in Washington DC. Marek is the recipient of the New Hampshire Governor’s Arts Award for Art Education. His website is: www.MarekBennett.com
As always, we are thankful for our patrons, who help make the library not only a resource but a community hub for so many in town. Give us a call if you have ideas on ways we can better serve Troy and its residents!
***
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!