By Kim Brawn, Thompson Free Library
Imagine a summer without libraries. Your eyes widen like a bewildered emoji. You clench your jaw as a sense of low-key panic settles in. You can’t swim, garden and hike all the time. Will you just slip into endless online rabbit holes, ice cream comas and stare at your dwindling bank account? Thankfully that dystopian world doesn’t exist right now, instead you can thrive in July and beyond with the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft.
Why would you chat with AI when you can chat with TFL’s Michelle Fagan who begins another Read and Feed adventure, providing free books and fresh produce to area communities. Starting Wednesday, July 1, Michelle alternates routes weekly through Sept. 16, stopping at various locations. For details, visit or contact the library or follow us on social media.
Looking for a way to peel your kids off their devices? The Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers are just the ticket! This delightfully talented troupe performs the “Headless Horseman of Sleep Hollow” on Thursday, July 2 at 10:30 a.m. at Central Hall Commons.
Skip the History Channel and get an IRL history lesson that highlights the relationship between Maine Native Americans and the landscape at “Penobscot Sense of Place” with James Francis on July 2 at 6 p.m. James is the Penobscot Nation’s director of Cultural and Historic Preservation and Tribal Historian.
TFL’s Summer Kids Series (aimed at elementary ages) banishes boredom with the Wes Wonder Magic Show on Thursday, July 9 at 10:30 a.m. It’s sure to be an interactive blast!
If you’ve perfected that lying down meditation called napping, it’s time to level up and join us for “Mindfulness Meditation 101” on July 9 at 1:30 p.m. Certified teacher Ann Marquis will delve into the practice’s core elements and share secrets to creating a rewarding home routine. This meditation can be done in a chair.)
TFL’s Reading Group meets at 6 p.m. on July 9 to discuss “A Children’s Bible” by Lydia Millet. The LA Times calls the book, “Darkly funny and painfully sharp.” Contact the library for a copy.
Rik Scarce’s talk “Mainers at Gettysburg” is this year’s James Brown Memorial Lecture on Tuesday, July 14 at 6 p.m. Rik is a professional Gettysburg battlefield guide and a part time summer resident of Dover-Foxcroft.
While the fight of the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment at the Battle of Gettysburg is well known, there were other Mainers who played vital roles in the fighting. This presentation will feature vignettes and biographical highlights of some of the central Maine figures in the struggle.
Tired of the kids arguing over what to watch or listen to? Bring them to the Kind Kids Music Show on Thursday, July 16 at 10:30 a.m. The goal is to build a strong foundation for music education, support early literacy skills and cultivate kindness and creativity with audience interactions, puppets and songs!
Summer without libraries would mean more time to look around and see all the projects you should be doing. Who needs that pressure! Come hear author, reiki and yoga teacher, crystal healer and medium Molly Donlan talk about her book “Mundane Magic” on July 16 at 6 p.m. It’s a guide to transforming the mundane tasks of everyday life into intentional moments of magical self-care.
Camp Read-a-lot from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 18 captures that sleepover energy without all the hassles. Our camping space — with tents and sleeping bags — will be the perfect reading nook. There will be snacks and prizes too (for elementary ages.
If you’re playlisted out, the Sebasticook Valley Community Band Concert on Sunday, July 19 at 4:30 p.m. will be the musical vibe shift you never knew you needed.
Imaginations would wither if summers didn’t include library programs like Fairy House Making with Ms. Michelle (on the SeDoMoCha Nature Trail ) slated for Thursday, July 23 at 10:30 a.m. Kids will build houses to decorate the trail and can read the story walk too!
Celebrate our country’s 250th year by attending “Liam Riordan Maine Speaks: Does Anything from the Year 1776 Matter Today?” Liam is the history department chair at UMaine. His illustrated talk looks at the text of the Declaration of Independence and examines some of its late-18th century context, political ideals and meaning.
It’s hard to fathom a summer without animals (well, black flies and mosquitoes can get the heave ho!), that’s why Ms. Michelle invited T.R.A.C.K.S Animal Ecology to TFL to present “Friends From Away” with live animals and stories of their wild relatives on Thursday, July 30 at 10:30 a.m.
Most blogs aren’t half as interesting as Martha Ballard’s famous diary. Martha was a midwife, healer, and mortician best known for her diary detailing 18th and 19th century life in the Augusta area. “What Martha Ballard Wore” with Kelli Burnham, reference librarian at the Maine State Library, will be held on July 30 at 6 p.m. Clothing that was worn, made, and bought by Martha’s family will be the main focus.
Reminders: The library will be closed on Saturday, July 4 and don’t miss Reading with Erma, Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Stop by or sign up.
Summer months are meant for disconnecting and reconnecting not just scrolling — for keeping engaged, laughing, relaxing, and learning. It’s hard to imagine a better way to spend your family time, free time, or alone time than taking advantage of all the wide-ranging (and free!) programs that TFL has to offer. Come support us so we never have to find out what a summer without libraries would be like!
TFL hours: Tues. & Thurs. 9-7, Weds. & Fri 9-5 & Sat. 9-1. Visit our website: thompsonfreelibrary.org, our Facebook page, Instagram @tf_library, or contact us at thompsonfreelibrary@gmail.com or 207-564-3350. All programs are free & open to the public. Free Wi-Fi available 24/7 in the parking lot.