The library is currently open Monday through Friday from 10:00am-5:30pm and Saturday 9:30am-12:30pm. The Children's Room and Archives are open by appointment. Please call for details: 207-582-3312.

Events

Treats In The Library!

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We have had a very busy month here in the library!

When I sat down to write this blog post, my plan was to only mention the various programs and events that happened in the Hazzard Reading Room.  Believe me there were several well attended events, but I would have missed several more, and the more included over 600 people!!!
During the month of October there were at least 20 programs that the library sponsored or participated in, 18 of them were here at the library.  What types of programs you ask . . .
We participated in the Harlow Gallery’s Art In Home event.  This event happened the first weekend in October.  We had a chance to show off some of our collection.  The stage curtain in the Children’s Room was down for viewing, several Carol Bates paintings were displayed, the Ice Man sculpture by local artist Nicolas Genovese, as well as several items from our Archives collection.

 

We held two separate author events.  Local author Paul Betit was here discussing his three books – Phu Bai, The Man in the Canal and Kagnew Station.  We also hosted a publication party in honor of Gay Grant’s new book – Destination Unknown.
We benefitted from the help of a dozen Gardiner Area High School students as they participated in the Day of Sharing.  This wonderful project helps area locations in many ways, and we are lucky to have these students join us, doing things like raking leaves, washing windows, moving books, and many more!
The library hosted two Local Candidate Forums.  These two events took place at Gardiner City Hall, and were well attended!
The Children’s Room hosted a Pre-K visit from one of the local schools.  This is a great way to introduce the littler ones to what we do!
We hosted a lovely wedding ceremony in the Hazzard Reading Room.  What a pretty space for a small intimate wedding.
 Close to 400 Trick or Treaters visited us as part of Gardiner Main Street’s Halloween Event.  WOW – 400 costumed folks entered the library!
We also had our usual monthly programs which included four Story Hours in the Children’s Room, four Thursday afternoon Teen Times and three different book discussions.
Whew!  That’s 20 programs in a 31 day month.  We are closed on Sundays, so 20 programs in 27 days!  Almost one per day, sounds like we are a busy, hub of activity here in Gardiner, Maine!

Gay Grant Publication Launch Party!

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Please plan on joining the staff of the Gardiner Public Library as they celebrate the publication of a new book by Gardiner author Gay Grant on Tuesday, October 28that 7PM at the Gardiner Public Library. 

 

Destination Unknown: An Evacuee’s Story is the story of a young girl just coming of age when war breaks out.  The Second World War was declared on the day Patricia Phillips turned seven years old. A year later she and her older brother John became “evacuees” when their parents made a life or death choice to send them to live with strangers in order to escape the Nazi bombs. Like millions of other British children, the government’s wartime evacuation scheme helped ensure Pat’s safety, but left deep emotional scars. It took an unlikely friendship with an American writer a generation her junior for Pat to bring back the traumatic memories and heal the wounds of a life forever changed by war. This inspiring memoir is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the healing power of friendship.
Join Ms. Grant as she explains the process of writing this story and the inspiration behind this unique perspective of the bombing of England during World War II.  Copies of the book will be for sale and all proceeds from the event will be used towards the renovation of the library’s Community Archives Room.  Refreshments catered by students of the Capital Area Technical Center Culinary Arts program lead by Chef Charles Izzy.
Gay M. Grant owns and operates The Write Way consulting service, through which she has secured millions of dollars in grants for Maine non-profits, and helped clients tell their own stories. She is the author of Along the Kennebec: The Herman Bryant Collection (Arcadia Publishers) and her articles have appeared in local newspapers and historical publications. Inspired by her participation in the University of Southern Maine’s exchange program with King Alfred’s College in England in 1979, she has travelled frequently to that country to visit friends and to research this book. Grant is serving her first term in the Maine House of Representatives and lives with her husband Ron in South Gardiner, Maine.
The Gardiner Public Library is located at 152 Water Street, Gardiner.  This event is free and opened to the public and for more information call 207-582-3312.

Teen Time at the Library

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We had a wonderful group of students visit Thursday, Sept. 18th.  This was the first day of our new after school program geared toward the middle and high school students of MSAD # 11. The bus will drop them off every Thursday, we’ll feed them a snack, give them time for homework and socializing. Sometimes there will be a small program like an author visit or an inside scavenger hunt.

 

Students read books, used computers and gotused to what we have to offer. Everyone seemed to have a great time and enjoyed themselves.

 

 

We are looking forward to having the students every Thursday after school.