Stonington Public Library

The summer of 2018 was a barn burner for the Stonington Public Library. In July we welcomed 1,229 visitors, greeting more people and loaning more items than in any month in the past 10 years. In addition, 577 people—newborns to octogenarians—enjoyed our 21 summer programs.

With fall, we embark on a new adventure—the first two phases of our three-part All Aboard renovation project. Once completed, Stonington Public Library will be more accessible, comfortable and secure for all.

Beginning Monday, Oct. 15, the library will be closed until Tuesday, Nov. 13. The planned work includes:

• dismantlement of the crumbling, hazardous chimney;
• installation of a more efficient heating system on the second floor;
• reconfiguration of the first floor for ease of use;
• construction of a handicap accessible public restroom.

These improvements are fully funded by three grants totaling $65,000 from the Davis Family Foundation ($30,000), the Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust ($10,000) and the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation ($25,000). B.K. Burgess, Inc. will do the construction work.

For safety reasons, patrons will not be allowed in the building during the construction. In addition, interlibrary loans will be suspended. However, regular programs such as story hours and Tech Tuesday will be held at the Island Community Center.

How to Stock Up on Books…

Most importantly, we encourage our patrons who need a steady infusion of books to stock up before we close. There are no quantity limits! Items cannot be returned and overdue fines are waived during this four-week interruption of service. For more details and project updates, check this site and like us on Facebook.

We are happy to start this long-awaited project and can’t wait to reopen on Nov. 13 when we can share the improvements with you.

 

Mark  your calendars now; join your friends and neighbors at the library! For more details, check the Events page.

 

Thursday, August 2, 4:30 PM	At Peace:  Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life with author Dr. Sam Harrington
Saturday, August 4, 10:00 AM	Party in the Park to celebrate summer reading. Michael Menes, juggler, will entertain and delight, at 11. Join us for stories, snacks, games and more!
Saturday, August 11, 10:00 AM	Fabulous fairy fun with author Liza Gardner Walsh…listen to enchanting fairy stories and make  your own fairy house.

 

Mark your calendars now; join your friends and neighbors at the library! For more details, check the Events page.

 

Friday, July 6, 4:00 PM	Panel Discussion: History of the French Camp
Saturday, July 7, 9 AM	Maine Lighthouse ABC Story Hour with authors Connie & Peter Roop
Saturday, July 7, 1 – 4 PM	3rd Annual Tour: Greenwood Cemetery, Oceanville
Tuesday, July 17, 4:30 PM	Name Your Poison: Authors Katherine Hall Page and Brooke Dojny discuss why mystery and food are such a delectable combo.
Saturday, July 21, 9 AM	Globe T-Readers Book Group
Saturday, July 21, 4 PM	Book Discussion of The Giver
Tuesday, July 24, 4 PM	Book Discussion of Number the Stars
Friday, July 27, 4 PM	A Conversation with Lois Lowry at Stonington Town Hall
Monday, July 30, 4 PM	I Have Seen Horizons: Ruth Moore’s Stories from Maine Book Club
Tuesday, July 31, 11 AM	Urban Herb Walk with Brighid Doherty

 

Unsure of what to do next this summer? Come borrow one of three explorer packs from the library. Complete with a map, (courtesy of the Island Heritage Trust), binocs, loupe and wildlife/nature guides, these handy little packs may change how you view the island!

 

The Greenwood Cemetery in Oceanville, home to many leading lights of the Stonington and Deer Isle communities, will be the site of the Stonington Public Library’s third annual “Gone But Not Forgotten” cemetery tour.

Featured this year are Gordon MacKay, founding editor and publisher of the “Island Ad-vantages;” D. Jewett Noyes, owner and operator of Noyes Pharmacy in Stonington; Helma N. Bush, who founded the renowned Les Chalets Francais summer camp for girls with her sister, Elsa; Vernon Gotwals, organist and professor of music; Vesta Webb, a postmistress and telephone operator in Oceanville; George “Med” Dunham, an electrician, town leader, and longtime Opera House projectionist; Reginald “Reggie” Greenlaw, an entrepreneur best known as the founder of R.L. Greenlaw & Son oil company and owner and skipper of the Palmer Day charter boats; and Henry Freedman, who was co-owner of Freedman’s Department Store along with his brother Izzie.

The tour will take place Saturday, July 7, from 1-4 p.m. at the cemetery, rain or shine. Light refreshments will be available at the site. Volunteer “gravediggers” will accompany attendees through the cemetery and provide additional information.

Tickets are $20 and may be purchased at the Stonington Public Library in advance or on the day of the event. Tickets will also be available at the Turtle Gallery in Deer Isle and at Dockside Books in Stonington.

In conjunction with the cemetery tour, the SPL will host a panel discussion on the history of the “French Camp,” which will include former campers, counselors, and family members of the founding sisters, Friday, July 6 from 4-6 p.m. at the library.

The “Gone But Not Forgotten” tour received special acclaim this year as the Community Advisory Board of the Stonington Opera House staged a version of our first two tours in March as part of its winter programming lineup.

The cemetery tour is the SPL’s main fundraising event for the year.  We are grateful for your continued support as we rely on donations and grants for the majority of our funding.  Please help us make this year’s tour the best yet.

Opera House Arts and the Stonington Public Library are thrilled to offer theatre lovers and book aficionados alike two special opportunities to dive deep into the texts and stories of this summer’s theatre programming at the Opera House! Attendees will also be given the opportunity to attend select performances of the event at a discounted rate.

Each event, hosted at the Stonington Public Library, will be moderated by an Opera House artist embedded within the production, who will lead the audience in reading selections from the text, talking about the process of putting that text on stage, and sharing some peeks into the rehearsal room.

Book Club meetings last approximately 90 minutes, and light refreshments will be provided.

The Tempest Book Club will meet on Monday, June 11 at 4 pm, moderated by Peter Richards (director) and Julia Sears (associate director).

I Have Seen Horizons: Ruth Moore’s Stories from Maine Book Club will meet on Monday, July 30 at 4 pm, moderated by Meg Taintor (adaptor) and Natalya Baldyga (director).