The Goodwin Library is a public library that serves as an information center for the personal, cultural, and social growth for the community of Farmington. The Library maintains collections and implements programs that address the community’s changing informational and recreational needs for education and literacy. The collections, materials, and programs are offered in a variety of formats to ensure equitable access for all. The Library believes that free and open access to information and resources will establish the framework for an informed and involved community.
New Hours
Starting in May, we are open 1:00PM to 7:00PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our hours on all other days are the same.
Monday & Friday: 10:00-5:00
Tuesday & Thursday: 1:00-7:00
Saturday: 10:00-2:00
Wednesday & Sunday: Closed
Summer hours are in effect through the end of October.
Blue Job Book Award Voting is Open!
It’s time to vote for the Blue Job Book Award!
Have students from the 3rd-6th grade? Use the link below so they can vote for their favorite graphic novel!
Voting is open until mid-June.
Teen and Adult Summer Reading Starts June 1!
Read what you would normally read and win prizes to local stores and eateries!
Come to the library to sign up and get your packet, which has themed coloring pages, a word search, a bingo board, and bookmarks. This year’s theme is “All Together Now,” which is all about kindness and unity!
Here’s how it works: cross off an hour on your bookmark for each hour that you read. Once you cross off all 5 hours, bring it back to the library to get a free book, a raffle ticket to put towards a prize of your choosing, and another bookmark to complete!
You can also earn a raffle ticket for getting a bingo on your Summer Reading Bingo Board. Happy reading!
*The teen program is for ages 13-17, and the adult program is for ages 18+. The children’s summer reading program does not start until June 20.*
Craft & Chat – Tuesday, 6/6 at 7PM on Zoom
Would you like to talk with other crafty people?
Drop in to a virtual craft group to work on current projects and chat with other crafters.
This program is on Zoom. Please email Pam at pgroat@goodwinlibrary.org for the Zoom link.
Homeschool Meet & Greet – Friday, 6/9 at 1PM
Would you like to meet other homeschooling families?
Come to Homeschool Meet & Greet to share resources, ask questions, and socialize with other homeschool parents.
Caregiver Cafe – Friday, 6/9 at 1PM
Are you caring for someone with a disability or long-term illness?
Join cornerstone VNA at the library for an in-person support group.
Caregiver Cafe is a group that offers conversation, resources, and support to caregivers.
Paper Flowers Craft – Tuesday, 6/13 at 5:30PM
Learn how to make folded paper flowers!
This program is for adults and teens.
Trustee Meeting – Thursday, 6/15 at 6PM
Would you like to know what’s happening at the library? Feel free to attend our trustee meeting, which is open to the public.
We are searching for interested, caring people to join our board of trustees! If this is you, attend the next meeting, or reach out to Katiemae at katiemae.a.white@gmail.com.
Family Story Time – Monday, 6/19 at 10:30AM
Join us on the lawn for an all-ages story time!
The Bookies – Tuesday, 6/20 at 7PM on Zoom
This month, The Bookies are reading Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. We have multiple copies available for checkout.
New members are always welcome!
This is a virtual program. Please reach out to Joyce at jwhite@goodwinlibrary.org for the Zoom link.
Book summary: In the 15th century, an orphan named Anna lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople. She learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds what might be the last copy of a centuries-old book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. Outside the walls is Omeir, a village boy, conscripted with his beloved oxen into the army that will lay siege to the city. His path and Anna’s will cross.
In the present day, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno rehearses children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story, preserved against all odds through centuries. Tucked among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. This is another siege.
And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault, copying on scraps of sacking the story of Aethon, told to her by her father.
Anna, Omeir, Seymour, Zeno, and Konstance are dreamers and outsiders whose lives are gloriously intertwined.
Children’s Summer Reading Ice Cream Party kick-off – Tuesday, 6/20 at 5:30PM
Sign up for the Summer Reading Program and enjoy and ice cream sundae!
During the Summer Reading program, we have lots of fun programs and field trips planned!
Here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store this month:
June 22 at 3PM: Morse Code Key Chains
June 26 at 10:30AM: Yoga Story Time
June 27 at 3PM: Watercolors for Kids
June 29 at 3PM: Explore coding with Indi the robot car
June 30 at 10:30AM: Butternut Farm Field Trip!
Stay tuned for more information!
Author Talk with Mike Whaley – Thursday, 6/22 at 5PM
Join us with Mike Whaley as he discusses his book, A Pen for All Seasons.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase at this event.
Longtime local sportswriter and former Farmington resident Mike Whaley’s recently published book A Pen For All Seasons is a collection of his favorite stories/columns from over 30 years in the newspaper business. There are 65 stories with 50 photos – of those, 40-plus highlight the greater Rochester area, including Farmington, Milton and Center Strafford. He has written about sports in Seacoast NH and Maine since 1987, first for the old Rochester Courier and later for the now-defunct Rochester Times and Foster’s Daily Democrat. Whaley still occasionally writes for Foster’s and the Portsmouth Herald, as well as the New Hampshire basketball website Ball603. A two-time New Hampshire Sportswriter of the Year, he lived in Farmington for 30 years. He now makes his home in Portland, Maine, with his wife, Jill.
FREE Covid Test Kits Now Available
Looking for COVID-19 test kits? The Goodwin Library now has at-home test kits available for free!
Those interested can come and take home up to 4 kits per person.
For more information, feel free to call us at 603-755-2944.
Kits were provided by NHDHHS.
New Story Trail Book! Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
Thanks to our generous donors, the story trail will be up year-round! This month, read Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, sponsored by Hawkins Safety. This story will be up until early June.
The Story Trail is located at the McCarthy Trail, next to the Public Safety Complex, at 160 NH-153.
Thank you to our 2023 story sponsors: East Coast Energy Consultants, Hawkins Safety, Moose Mountain Regional Greenway, Farmington Preservation & Improvement Organization, Lanigan Lawncare, and the Perkins Family!
New Library Bag Colors! Choose Your Color! $12
We have new library bags! Choose whichever color speaks to you!
Do you choose the blue bag or the red bag? Or how about the teal bag? With beautiful metallic copper logo and lettering. Lots of pockets. And even a zippered top! 16 inches wide. Get yours while we still have some!
Just $12.
June Staff Pick!
How to Party Like a Snail by Naseem Hrab
Snail is a party animal. Well… kind of. He loves the quiet things about parties: confetti, making new friends (using his indoor voice, of course). But when parties get loud, Snail retreats into his shell. He’s still partying, but no one can tell he’s having a good time while he’s tucked inside. His friends don’t understand why he doesn’t love loud parties like they do, and soon Snail’s party invites begin to dry up.
In response, Snail decides to plan his own quiet party, complete with warm milk and lullaby lip-syncing. But something is missing – does Snail long for the “loud after all? That’s when Stump, a fellow introvert, chimes in with an idea. Snail isn’t missing “loud” – maybe he’s just missing a friend to share the quiet. Together, Stump and Snail turn the lullabies down low and celebrate “the shush” together.
June Staff Pick!
Wonderbook by Jeff Vandermeer
Looking for some advanced fiction writing techniques? This book has everything from worldbuilding to properly using beats. All packaged between wonky illustrations that will make you wonder if you ended up in one of Tim Burton’s stories. Written for authors by authors with all the twisted imaginings you would expect from the crazy minds of writers. Even with amazing advice from George R.R. Martin and Neil Gaiman, this book doesn’t take itself too seriously and is super fun to read.
I especially love the famous author commentary. Like Neil Gaiman on how American Gods began and was shaped. George R.R. Martin on how he tackles writing. Lauren Beukes on writing outside your experience and culture. How Lev Grossman handles revision. Or how Karen Joy Fowler creates stories that leave room for interpretation by using messiness. These snippets into the minds of successful authors give the book a warm, conversational aspect to it.
Lego Saturdays! Every Saturday 10:00AM – 1:30PM
Stop in for some Lego building fun! We have all sorts of Legos for you to see what you can create with!
We even have Duplo blocks for the little ones!
Handicap Entrance
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