Category Archives: Troy Communicator

Thankful for our Patrons and Community!

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Gay-Kimball Library Troy Communicator – November 2026
By Erin George, Director

We have so much to be thankful for! October was busier than ever at GKL! From a fantastic presentation with Judith Black as Lucy Stone, thanks to a humanities grant, to a visit from Author Peter M. Harahan, who talked with us about his book Dead Man’s Ridge, we’ve heard your requests for more adult programming at the library. We are thrilled to see such enthusiastic participation. Thank you! You are what helps us to make our library a community hub we can be proud of.
On a personal note, I attended two conferences with the support of our board of trustees. Many have asked about the biggest of these – the ARSL Conference. My trip to Montgomery for this conference proved to be extremely fruitful for our rural library. I was able to meet in person with our latest grant provider – WETA! The same can be said for my more recent experience at the NELA conference in Burlington; a success that brings with it many new programming ideas for our library. As a speaker at both conferences, I was not only able to learn from other participants, but to share some of our library’s own methodologies with librarians from all over the country. When an unexpected turn of events meant no PowerPoint technology, my audience and I played a game of “human card catalog,” which turned out to be something we’ll turn into a statewide workshop and may even play with our patrons! That experience certainly makes for a good story…
But that’s only the beginning. We are super excited to officially announce receipt of a mini grant aimed at 250th programming through WETA. This $750 grant will allow us to put on two events: 1. A screening of Ken Burns’ Revolutionary War PBS ‘Under the Stars’ movie series, and 2. A special interactive event for adults and teens: Powder Road. This event will run somewhat like a murder mystery but with many plot twists – think Escape Room meets Murder Mystery all while adding in a touch of education, connection, and community! This event will begin at 5 pm on November 19, is free to the public, and does not require registration. Light refreshments will be provided.

Event details: Step into the unsettled world of 1776, when the area that would become Troy, New Hampshire, was still a rural settlement—not yet a town.
Participants will take on the roles of real local residents, examine historical documents, follow clues across an old regional road, and debate a central question: Who supported the Patriot cause, who may have favored the Crown, and who was simply trying to protect family and livelihood?
This interactive historical mystery combines local history, Revolutionary-era records, maps, rumors, and role-play. No prior knowledge of history is required.
The Story
In 1776, residents in the area were asked to declare their loyalty to the American cause. Most signed. Several refused.
At the same time, men from the settlement were leaving to fight at places such as Lexington, Bunker Hill, and Bennington. An old road through the region may also have carried troops and supplies toward Vermont.
Participants must determine:
● Who fought for the Patriot cause?
● Who refused to sign the loyalty declaration?
● Why might someone have refused?
● Who stayed home, and why?
● What may have traveled along the Powder Road?
As for the screening, we are waiting on details that will be announced shortly.
With all the adult programming in the works, we haven’t forgotten about our kids. As we come off the sugar highs from a spooky Trunk or Treat, we’re also watching the paint dry on a beautiful mural the Storytime kids painted in our children’s room with the help of the Children’s Literacy Foundation. CLiF not only supported our efforts to bring literacy to life, but they also brought a film crew for a documentary they are making on children’s literacy. Thank you to all who were patient about our filming day, we can’t wait to show you how that turns out!
Last month, we held a Jabberwocky Tea with Miss Mary Lee, who has the whole poem memorized! And finally, we Cooked the Book farm-to-table style with families. Some used parts of our harvest from our community garden to create delicious recipes.
We just added forty VOX books to our library for kids and young adults. These books come thanks to our ALA grant and are great for long trips where parents would rather their younger children were reading than on a tablet. Ask us about how these audiobooks could make long car rides to Grandma’s house easier and even educational during the holiday season.
Going forward, we are working on setting up a Grinchmas for the kids in December. And, as always, we love suggestions for events! Please don’t be shy about talking with us.
The next time you visit the library, you will likely notice new technology, including patron computers, keyboards, and screens that help to eliminate accessibility issues. Thanks to our ALA grant, we are working to help people with vision and hearing challenges, and we want our technology to reflect that. We have also purchased a 75-inch screen and equipment to make screenings and presentations more accessible in our conference room. Thank you for bearing with us as we get these up and running! We want the library to be a place where everyone is included and has their needs met.
As this season of thankfulness is upon us, we would like to give a special thanks to those who have stepped up to volunteer to help with our increasing number of patrons; particularly the children. We could not continue to serve the public as well without your help and it’s heart-warming to see the generations working together and making those new connections.

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!

Tumbling into fall!!!

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Gay-Kimball Library Troy Communicator – October

By Erin George, Director

From gazing at the Harvest Moon, a trip to Alabama, a salsa contest, and a fantastic visit with Author Peter M. Hanrahan, we’ve “fall-en” quickly into the new season! Fall won’t slow us down! This month, we will be welcoming a videographer to the library to be part of a CLiF movie on why literacy is important for all ages. We will also be slowly shelving more than 20 new audio titles for kids and adults as part of our ALA grant for accessibility!

That said, we have substantial grant funding for computer literacy programs. We don’t want to commit to a particular program until we hear more from you. If you are interested in brushing up on your computer skills, have specific skills you would like to learn, or have ideas around the types of computer literacy we could offer, please let us know! We will do what we can to meet YOUR needs.

We are pleased to announce that we recently had a BARD application approved for GKL! This means we will be able to serve patrons with vision impairments through programs that read Braille and more. We will soon receive software access through the Library of Congress and be able to implement it on our library computers and other devices.

We are in need of donations of candy for our upcoming Trunk or Treat event. Please drop bags of candy off at the library during open hours if you are interested in helping out! We are also taking reservations from anyone looking to host a trunk this year! Are you someone who doesn’t get a lot of visitors on Halloween but would like to join in on the fun? This would be a great way to do it, and the library can provide you with candy to pass out! Give the library a call if you would like to host a trunk!

After the final summer reading tallies, we want to offer a huge congratulations to Tristan Chasse, our top reader, whose goal was 150 books and who managed to read 167!!! That’s a record breaker! Fantastic job!

Upcoming October events:

·        October 8 at 5 pm – Judith Black Program – Humanities-to-Go through NH Humanities: Meet Lucy Stone: Enter the Antebellum World of the Abolition and Women’s Rights Movements

In this first-person interpretive program, Judith Black introduces American Lucy Stone, the first woman hired by the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society as a public speaker and the “Shining Star” of the Abolition and Women’s Rights Movements. The presenter dispels well-worn platitudes about the antebellum North by interjecting historic and personal truths about these social reform movements. Her presentation also paints a dynamic and detailed picture of what it takes to change the world you are born into. Follow Lucy as she makes her case for tax resistance, her challenges to marriage laws and motherhood, and her pro-Emancipation response to the Civil War. Go with her to The American Equal Rights Association Convention in May 1869, where she eloquently supports the 15th Amendment, which gave African-American men the vote. 

  • Thursday, October 15 at 4 pm – Jabberwocky Tea with Miss MaryLee!

This event will include a snack and craft and is open to all ages. “Jabberwocky” is a famous nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll featuring a classic heroic quest, a triumph of good over evil, and a playful subversion of language. Published in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass, it tells the story of a young boy who listens to his father’s warning, takes his sword, hunts and kills a scary monster called the Jabberwock, and returns home victorious. MaryLee has it memorized!

  • Cook the Book, Thursday, October 22 at 5 pm – There’s plenty of time to sign up! We are cooking from Garden to Table by Kayla Butts. Families are welcome to join and participate! We will be using at least one ingredient from our community garden when possible. Come down to the library to pick your recipe and join us for a fun, community meal!
  • Trunk or Treat – Held in the Gay-Kimball Library parking lot during Trick or Treat hours for Troy.

We are currently working on scheduling more events for the remainder of 2026 such as Under the Stars Ken Burns moving screening and Grinchmas! Follow our Facebook page to learn more and stay up to date with GKL activities and programming.  Have a fantastic, colorful fall!

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!

Wrapping up Summer Reading and Opening a New Chapter!

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From science fairs and storytellers to mud kitchen harvests and toad teas, summertime at Gay-Kimball Library has had no shortage of good times, memories, and laughs. As a community, we’ve managed to pull together two fruitful container gardens, a traditional garden, and a pollinator garden. Troy’s kids now confidently know the difference between pollinator-friendly plants and those that aren’t as friendly. They understand why pollinators are important to our local habitat, and so much more. Thanks to our CCCD grant, we have not only been able to implement these gardens but are now using the food from the gardens to help feed people fresh produce.
Whether you don’t feel like driving to Keene, or need fresh vegetables, we put our garden veggies in our front lobby as they are available. They are free for anyone to take with no questions asked! Please do take them as we don’t want them to go to waste, and this is for everyone in the community!
While we are so proud of the gardens and the teamwork they’ve produced, we’re also thrilled at how much reading was done over the summer! Our kids and adults did a great job with summer reading once again this year. Congratulations to all who participated!

Here is a look at just a few of our summer reading stats as of August 4:

-CHILDREN’S SUMMER READING STATS-
Total children who participated: 44 children
Total books read: 1,959 books
Main age that occurs (Mode): 9 years old (appears 7 times)
Highest goal: 200 books (set by Addison Morash)
Lowest goal: 4 books (set by James Dewing-Baird)
Highest number of books read: 159 books (tied between Abigail, James, and Joseph MacDonald)
-ADULT SUMMER READING STATS-
• Total participants: 19 people
• Total books read: 84 books
• Highest goal: 20 books (tied between Tara Chasse and Kathy Stanton)
• Lowest goal: 3 books (tied between Crystal Lerio and Kristen Tilton)
• Highest number of books read: 15 books (tied between Hailey Dewing-Baird and Tara Chasse)
TOTAL BOOKS READ
· Total participants: 63 people (44 children + 19 adults/older participants)
· Total books read: 2,043 books (1,959 from chart one + 84 from chart two)
· Highest goal: 200 books (Set by Addison Morash in chart one)
· Lowest goal: 3 books (Set by Crystal Lerio and Kristen Tilton in chart two)
· Highest number of books read: 159 books (Tied between Abigail, James, and Joseph MacDonald)

Now, with school back in session and the leaves ready to change color, we’re looking forward to fall programming. By request, we are bringing back our Cook the Book program! We will be cooking recipes from Garden to Table Cookbook by Kayla Butts. If you are interested in selecting a recipe to prepare and share with the group, please stop by the library to sign up! We picked this book as part of our Plant a Seed: Read and Farm to Table themes at the library this year. We’re hoping to use ingredients from our very own vegetable gardens as part of the recipes! Call or stop by the library to learn more about our plan for Cook the Book – Family-friendly Farm to Table edition!
I will be heading to Montgomery, Alabama this month to attend and present at a national conference for the Association for Rural and Small Libraries. Not only will this be a great opportunity to put our special town on the map and show off the hard work we’ve done with our gardens, but it will mean the ability to network with librarians and library staff from all over the country.
I will be hosting a national workshop on creating safe spaces in libraries that will serve as a model for other libraries around the country. I also hope to bring back new ideas and resources to Troy, as well as provide resources that go beyond books in small towns like ours to others. Please bear with our staff and hours during the week of September 14 through 20th as we will do our best to serve you but may need to move to limited hours while I am away.

Author Peter M. Hanrahan will be joining us at the Gay-Kimball Library at noon on Saturday, September 26, and will be making a presentation regarding his book, Dean Man’s Ridge: The Bravery of American Paratroopers at the Battle of the Bulge.
The principal character in the book, Niilo Liimatainen grew up in the Troy area and, after World War II, made the Monadnock Region his home until his passing in 2005. Following his presentation, Mr. Hanrahan will also hold a question-and-answer session and will then be available to sign books for attendees. Author and Filmmaker Dayton Duncan worked for 32 years in partnership with Ken Burns to produce historical documentaries for PBS. After reading the manuscript, Mr. Duncan provided the following advance praise for the book.
“Peter M. Hanrahan talked for hours with his wife’s uncle about the old veteran’s experience in World War II, when his untested platoon was virtually wiped out in the Battle of the Bulge. This led Hanrahan on a deeper search for other personal accounts of soldiers from the 17th Airborne Division, whose first action came in that bloody and decisive campaign. And what a treasure trove he discovered. Through their letters and reminiscences, Dead Man’s Ridge brings the reader to the bitterly cold days in Belgium when young American men were introduced to the horrors and heroism, the chaos and camaraderie of desperate combat against a seasoned enemy. Day-by-day accounts of major figures, from Patton to Eisenhower and even Hitler, provide the larger context of the epic battle, but it is the granular testimony of the men who did the fighting and dying that gives this book its power–– and its heart.”
Also on September 26, I will be joining the Troy Conservation Commission at the ballfield on Marlborough Road for a moon stargazing event at around six (more specific times to follow). We’ll read about the harvest moon and make a craft before dark. For more details on this event, keep your eyes on our Facebook page and website.

Moving forward, many are asking if we will be holding a Trunk or Treat again this year. The answer is “yes.” With that said, we are in need of candy donations as soon as possible. Last year, we had well over 300 visitors to our Trunk or Treat and we want to be sure we don’t run out of candy! If you want to help out, but don’t want to host a trunk, please consider donating candy to the library any time during September and October. We use this candy to help out those who do volunteer trunks! Anyone interested in hosting a trunk can sign up by calling the library to reserve a spot!

Upcoming October events:

• October 8 at 5 pm – Judith Black Program – Humanities-to-Go through NH Humanities: Meet Lucy Stone: Enter the Antebellum World of the Abolition and Women’s Rights Movements
In this first-person interpretive program, Judith Black introduces American Lucy Stone, the first woman hired by the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society as a public speaker and the “Shining Star” of the Abolition and Women’s Rights Movements. The presenter dispels well-worn platitudes about the antebellum North by interjecting historic and personal truths about these social reform movements. Her presentation also paints a dynamic and detailed picture of what it takes to change the world you are born into. Follow Lucy as she makes her case for tax resistance, her challenges to marriage laws and motherhood, and her pro-Emancipation response to the Civil War. Go with her to The American Equal Rights Association Convention in May 1869, where she eloquently supports the 15th Amendment, which gave African-American men the vote.
• October 15 at 4 pm – Jabberwocky Tea with Miss MaryLee!
This event will include a snack and craft and is open to all ages. “Jabberwocky” is a famous nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll featuring a classic heroic quest, a triumph of good over evil, and a playful subversion of language. Published in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass, it tells the story of a young boy who listens to his father’s warning, takes his sword, hunts and kills a scary monster called the Jabberwock, and returns home victorious. MaryLee has it memorized!
• Trunk or Treat – Held in the Gay-Kimball Library parking lot during Trick or Treat hours for Troy.

We are currently working on scheduling more events for the remainder of 2026. Follow our Facebook page to learn more and stay up to date with GKL activities and programming. Our goal is to continue to do what we can to make the library a welcoming, helpful place in town as we grow.

Springing into the Next Chapter!

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It’s hard to believe winter’s finally behind us! As we spring into a new season, we look back on a productive winter at the Gay-Kimball Library. From a successful book sale and plenty of cozy reads and programming opportunities like Chess Club to a hot chocolate bar and tracking event, we made our share of memories! We also had great luck with yet another grant season! It’s almost overwhelming how generous our community has been in helping to support our small, rural library this year. We are so thankful!

In March, we were fortunate to receive a $2,000 Civic Life and Belonging grant from New Hampshire Humanities! This grant will go toward adult programming aimed at the importance of storytelling and how our unique stories unite us. Between ongoing workshops and community events, this grant will help make our community stronger just in time for the nation’s 250th celebration. Stay tuned for details on a special summer event coming to Troy as a result of this generous grant. 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 is all made possible by New Hampshire Humanities, with support from New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

Plans are also now underway for how we will use our Science Across America grant to participate in the nation’s 2.5 Million Acts of Science program as part of our nation’s 250th celebration. If you have any ideas for science programming you would like to see brought to the library, please let us know! One of the programs we will bring to the library this summer will be a bio blitz, as well as a community garden.

We are currently looking to form a gardening group thanks to a $1500 grant from the Cheshire County Conservation District. Our Conservation Opportunity Fund Grant will allow us to create a Gay-Kimball Library Community Garden in time for this year’s summer reading Plant a Seed: Read theme. This project will be for all ages, with the gardening club meant for adults, and some educational projects planned for kids. The gardening will be for all, with families and anyone in town encouraged to participate in the community garden on an ongoing basis.

With spring here, garden plans are moving fast, and we have already been approved for a large bulk donation through the Free Seeds for Education program through the UNH Cooperative Extension Program. 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 help from anyone with special skills in gardening, soil, farming, wildlife, and pollinators. The more help, the better!

While it’s still a bit off, 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 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!

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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!

Marching On: A Look Back at February and What’s Next for March at GKL

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Troy Communicator

March Issue

By Erin L George, Director

Feeling lucky? We sure are! Winter brought the library a fantastic presentation on tracking by our very own Dan Bisaccio, a friendly Superbowl raffle won by the lucky Heather B, Cupid’s touch with a hot chocolate bar Valentine social, a generous, bulk no-water flower donation by a patron, and a week-long book sale. It also brought us a SCIENCE ACROSS AMERICA Grant that will mean library programming for all ages as part of the nation’s 250th celebration.

As America celebrates its 250-year anniversary, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and STAR Net have launched a new campaign to help libraries highlight the history of scientific achievement in our country and the local connections to science in our communities. SCIENCE ACROSS AMERICA, the newest campaign from Spark of Science@ My Library, offered this grant to encourage libraries to showcase local scientific advances and scientists, engage our communities with focused Community Dialogues, and host educational and inspirational activities that shine a light on the past, present, and future of science in our lives. We are excited to move forward with this programming, particularly with this year’s reading programming theme of Plant a Seed.

In February, we also introduced Kanopy streaming to our services! Thanks to another recent grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, patrons with active library cards can stream free movies from the Kanopy app. How lucky is that?

Last month, we had record numbers with our popular Tuesday Storytime and many requests to start a Toddler Time at the library. If you are interested in a second Storytime day or a new Toddler Time program, please let us know. We have also had interest in a tween homeschooling program at Gay-Kimball. Please give us a call if this is something you might be interested in so we can learn more about your students’ particular needs.

Up next, we will host a Lucky Leprechaun Tea with Miss MaryLee on Tuesday, March 10 at 4 pm. This program is open to kids of all ages and free of charge. We encourage attendees to dress in green for this event. A craft and a story will be included along with Kimball the snake’s lucky charm spirit.

While it’s still a bit off, 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 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

We are currently seeking patrons interested in joining a Friends of the Library group. The commitment for this group is regular meetings about once a month and a willingness to help out in ways YOU enjoy. If you are interested in this group, contact the library, and we’ll add you to the list! The formation of a Friends group is important to the library as it expands our ability to apply for more grants, something that is working well to keep our costs to the town minimal without hurting services to our patrons.

We are thrilled that we’ve had an uptick in groups using our conference room for a variety of purposes. As of the new year, we kindly request that groups complete new forms to ensure proper use of the space. Please check in with us if you haven’t filled out the new form yet so we can give you new information and reserve those spots for you. Groups who have already filled out the new form won’t need to do it again. 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!

Fall in Love with Books!

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Troy Communicator

February Issue

By Erin L George, Director

Cupid’s calling at Gay-Kimball! As we fall in love with books all over again, we’re happy to announce great news for the library and its patrons, thanks to the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation: Gay-Kimball Library recently received a two-year, $20,000 grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The grant will help further the Gay-Kimball Library’s mission of providing education, resources, and support for its patrons in the town of Troy, NH.

The Gay-Kimball Library’s Mission is to meet the community’s recreational and Informational needs in a creative, professional, and welcoming manner. It offers diverse resources and provides a community meeting place for people of all ages.

The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, New Hampshire’s statewide community foundation, is dedicated to making New Hampshire a more just, sustainable, and vibrant community where everyone can thrive. NHCF is the place where generosity meets the dedication and ingenuity of nonprofits and the potential of New Hampshire students. For six decades, thousands of people have entrusted their charitable resources to the Foundation, creating a perpetual source of philanthropic capital and making it possible for the Foundation to award more than $70 million in grants and scholarships every year.

In January, we had a fantastic tracking program at our library where patrons learned how to identify the wildlife visitors to their yards! We will now be fortunate enough to conduct our own mini tracking studies at home thanks to Dan Bisaccio!

Our library also received a mini-grant from the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF) that enabled us to purchase a puppet theater and puppet-making supplies for our children’s room. Our Storytime kids had fun using their imaginations to create their own puppets and meet Pete the Cat in puppet form! If you haven’t brought your kids to the library lately, now is the time to check out all the new books and resources in our children’s room!

In other positive news, and based on patron requests, we will be holding a week-long Winter Book Sale in the library’s conference room. The sale will begin on Friday, February 20 from 6 to 8 pm and run through 2 pm on Saturday, February 28. Load up all the books your heart desires in a bag for only $5!

We are currently seeking patrons interested in joining a Friends of the Library group. The commitment for this group is regular meetings about once a month and a willingness to help out in ways YOU enjoy. If you are interested in this group, contact the library, and we’ll add you to the list!

We’ve had an uptick in groups using our conference room for a variety of purposes. As of the new year, we kindly request that all groups complete new forms to ensure the proper use of the space. Please check in with us if you haven’t filled out the new form yet so that we can give you new information and reserve those spots for you. Groups who have already filled out the new form won’t need to do it again.

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!

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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!

Wrapping up 2025 at Gay-Kimball Library

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As our Storytime crew would say, “Spit, spat, spout, this tale’s told out!”

It’s crazy to think that we’ve said goodbye to 2025! We had a fantastic year with many successes to include the addition of a new chess club, a hat trick of grants, including a most recent $20,000 Community Programs Grant from New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, two author visits, accepted an extremely generous $15,000 donation from the Wentworth Family to help grow our trust fund, building repairs, food drives, the incorporation of a Little Food Library program at GKL and so much more.

Most recently, we hosted an author visit by Michael J. Caduto who read from his latest release “Enchanted Night Before Christmas,” held a Holiday Teddy Bear Tea with Miss MaryLee, and had a blast at our very own ugly Christmas sweater party.

With increased patron numbers and programming, one of our goals for 2026 is to reach out to our friends for help in keeping the momentum going! We are currently seeking patrons who would be interested in joining a Friends of the Library group. The commitment for this group is regular meetings about once a month and a willingness to help out in the ways YOU enjoy. If you are interested in being a part of this group, please contact the library, and we’ll add you to the list!

We are still working to bring back our book club, but we haven’t had enough interest to open that first chapter yet. Please don’t be shy about reaching out if you are interested. We would love to bring this club back.

In 2026, we will introduce a newsletter, host another CLiF author visit in conjunction with Troy Elementary School, offer new literacy packs, host a traveling Ukrainian Art Exhibit, and collaborate with special local educational resources like the Harris Center. This winter, we will also offer metal detector check-outs thanks to a coming-soon donation from Minelabs and Streeter’s Treasure Hunting in Marlborough.

Due to patron request, and simply because we can’t make trees out of all the older books, we will also be holding a winter book sale. The date for this sale will be set at our next trustee meeting and announced on social media. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram or check out our website to stay apprised of all the latest happenings at Gay-Kimball Library!

Lastly, we’ve had an uptick in groups using our conference room for a variety of purposes. As of Jan. 1, we are asking that all groups fill out new forms to ensure use of the space. Please check in with us if you haven’t filled out the new form yet so that we can give you new information and reserve those spots for you. Groups who have already filled out the new form won’t need to do it again.

As always, we are so 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!

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SAVE THE DATE!

January 21 from 6 to 7 pm.

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.

Dashing into December at GKL

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Troy Communicator

December Issue

By Erin L George, Director

It’s hard to believe that the end of the year is already here! As the library reaches its happy ending for 2025, we look back with gratefulness for November’s events, including a new chess club, a popular Teddy Bear Tea event, the beginning of our Little Free Food Library, a condiment drive for Helping Hands, Flight Path educational programming, generous donations, and lots of laughs.

As always, our events are free and open to the public. This month, we are looking forward to the following dates:

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!

UGLY SWEATER PARTY: Saturday, Dec. 13 from 11 to 1. You bring the sweater, we’ll bring the bling! This event is great for any age and is sure to be a good time for all. A prize will go to the UGLIEST sweater, so don’t feel you have to be crafty to participate.

HOLIDAY TEA WITH MISS MARY LEE: Thursday, Dec. 18 at 4 pm. Holiday themed, wear your best holiday gear and bring a stuffie along to celebrate the season! This event is suitable for any age but geared at younger children. A snack and craft will be provided!

Moving into 2026, we are working to bring back our book club, start a newsletter, and collaborate with some special local resources like the Harris Center. Follow us on Facebook or check out our website to stay apprised of the latest happenings at Gay-Kimball Library! As always, we are so thankful for our patrons, who help to make the library not only a resource but a community hub for so many in town. Don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our staff if you have ideas on ways we can better serve Troy and its residents! We hope you have a fantastic holiday season.

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!

Thankful November at Gay-Kimball Library

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We have so much to be thankful for at the Gay-Kimball Library this month! Looking back, we had the pleasure of a visit from an incredibly curious and bright group of first graders, a successful time capsule burial, an author visit through CLiF, a Teddy Bear Tea with Miss MaryLee, and a spook-tacular Trunk or Treat Halloween! We were also blessed with our Flight Path kits, which mean birding resources and tools for the community. For example, patrons can now check out adult and children’s binoculars for three weeks at a time to enjoy these last weeks of outdoor color. 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 kindly donated to the library through our Spark of Science grant.

Thanks to the generosity of one of our favorite patrons, coming this month 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. This program is best suited for children aged eight and up.

We are also looking forward to the following dates:

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 – Wednesday, Dec. 10 – 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. 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.

As always, we are so thankful for our patrons, who help to make the library not only a resource but community hub for so many in town. Don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our staff if you have ideas on ways we can better serve Troy and its residents!

FALL in love with books at Gay-Kimball Library!

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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!