Richards Free Library

digital edition is now available at the library.

On December 6th, the Richards Free Library presented the 17th annual Pamela Gay Award for Volunteerism to Sandra Sonnichsen at the annual Volunteer Tea.  

Sandy volunteers with our archivist collecting, arranging and cataloging the library’s collection of Newport history and was involved in digitizing the Newport lantern slides.  She has studied Sarah Hale in order to write the definitive defense of Sarah’s authorship of the poem Mary’s Lamb, submitted Sarah Hale’s application to the Women’s Hall of Fame, and she was recently interviewed on NHPR’s Word of Mouth about Sarah’s role in the Thanksgiving holiday. The staff and trustees are grateful for all she does for the library.

The Award is named in memory of Pamela Gay, who volunteered countless hours at the library and exemplified the true spirit of volunteerism not only at the library but several other area organizations.

The Trustees of the Richards Free Library would like you to join us on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 4:00 PM in the Oval Room of the library for a reception to honor all library volunteers as well as the presentation of the Pamela Gay Award for Volunteerism. 

Listen to Word of Mouth on New Hampshire Public Radio this Saturday, November 18^th at 11:00 a.m. and learn how a Newport woman is known for being the mother of Thanksgiving.

NHPR’s Virgina Prescott traveled to the Richards Free Library last week and interviewed Mary Lou McGuire, archivist, and Sandy Sonnichsen, volunteer archivist, about the life of Sarah Josepha Hale and her campaign to create a national day of thanksgiving.

NHPR broadcasts Word of Mouth on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. and rebroadcasts the show on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. http://nhpr.org/programs/word-mouth#stream/0

When you drive by the library, notice our new look. This summer we added 18 more spaces to the library’s parking lot. Last week, we finished the landscaping between the library and the Sarah Josepha Hale Memorial Park. The clump of scraggly maple trees that were overshadowing the trees in the park were replaced with new maple and flowering crabapple trees beautifully spaced on the side lawn. In addition, the hedge of hydrangeas was continued to Main Street so the Park is now completed. Everything was planted just in time to take advantage of all the rain!

This Halloween you can trick or treat for books here at the library! Just wear your costume to the library between 10 am and 8 pm on Halloween and you can choose a free book from a special book cart!

We read Ragtime this past Tuesday.  Next Tuesday, October 10th at 12:00 we are going to watch the movie. Is it true the book is always better than the movie? Join us next Tuesday at noon.

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers — in shared support of the freedom to seek and express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

We are now able to accept debit and credit cards for payment of fines, lost materials, copies and the purchase of non-resident library cards.