July 2026 Newsletter

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Announcements


We hope that you and yours had a wonderful 4th!


Our apologies for getting this month's newsletter out late. With the holidays and staffing, we couldn't quite meet our July 1st target.


Just a note that Christina Baker Kline will be here this Wednesday at 5:30 to present a multi-media presentation, author talk, and 30 minutes of questions at the Nasson Little Theatre.


Please join us for this amazing and engaging presentation.


From the Director

Dear Friends,


The Springvale Library is a Library Beyond Books. We not only have wonderful books, DVDs, audiobooks, downloadable audio, and e-books, but we have so much more.


We offer innovative and engaging programming such as our E-cycling event, where over 100 people dropped off used technology for recycling and hard-drive destruction. We also are holding Junk in the Trunk, which is a yard sale without the hassle (July 18), author talks, crafts, special events, as well as afternoon and evening concerts. Miss Sheila entertains, educates, and engages with our youth with her Baby Rhyme Time, Sensory Storytime, weekly and monthly crafts, and summer and winter reading programs.


We also have a Library of Things. Borrow anything from our Spice Library to yard games, a power washer, carpet cleaner, and lawn equipment such as a lawn mower, weed trimmer, leaf blower, and so much more. We’re a library with heart and a vision.


I am always very interested in your thoughts, ideas, and feedback. It’s how we become a better and more responsive library — your library!


Lesley Unger

Library Director


Children's Programs


Weekly Programs


Mondays

Baby Rhyme Time at 10am & 11am. Babies under 3 and their grown-ups meet together with Miss Sheila for 20 minutes of rhymes, fingerplays, songs, movement, and board books.


Lego Builders Club at 3:30pm in the Children’s Room. We provide the Legos and the challenge. Your creations will be on display for the whole week!


Thursdays

Sensory Story Time at 10am for ages 3-6 and their caregivers incorporates a visual schedule and sensory activities to support neurodiversity.


Monthly Programs


Make-it/Take-it Craft on Wednesday, July 15th come by the Children's Room any time between 2-5pm to make a special craft!


Special Programs


Plant a Seed, Read has begun! There are two ways to play: you can count books or count minutes. Read books from the library or from home. When you earn 5 stickers on your gameboard, you can pick up your prize book and a planting kit. The children’s program is for ages 2-12.


Meet a Mermaid on Thursday, July 17th at 2pm. Mermaid Lavinia will be reading ocean stories and sharing special ocean treasures. Suggested ages 3-6 and families.


Author Cassie Sano on Thursday, July 23rd at 2pm. Cassie Sano, children’s book author and illustrator, will be reading her latest book and leading everyone in a fun art activity (even the adults!).


Teen Programs


Monster Flowers Teen Summer Reading Program for grades 6-12. Track the time you read to earn books, raffle tickets, and Monster Flower cards! Volunteer opportunities are available!


Monster Flower Card Showdown at 2pm on Wednesday, July 22! Bring your cards and prepare to bloom! 

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Adult Programs


Weekly Programs


Knit Lits meets on Tuesdays from 3:00-4:30pm in the Williams Reading Room. All fiber artists are welcome.


Cribbage meets on Tuesdays from 1:00-3:00pm in the Williams Reading Room. Everyone who wants to play is invited to join!


The Springvale Dulcimers are on summer break until August 25.


Music on the Patio is every Friday at 12:00pm. We have new artists every week and a few new musicians on the roster for this year.


Monthly Programs


Cook the Book meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30. The group will take the summer off and meet again in September. (This program is currently full. Please call or visit the library to be added to the waitlist.)


Sam’s Book Club meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 5:30pm in the community room. On July 8th we will be attending the author talk with Christina Baker Kline who will be discussing her new book The Foursome.


The Writers Group meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at 11am. Join us in the William’s Reading Room for an hour of creative writing. The newly formed group is welcoming new members. Bring along some of your writing to get feedback and find inspiration.


Special Programs


Adult Summer Reading Program - Plant a Seed, Read has begun! The adults are playing BINGO this year and it's not too late to sign up! 


Music After Hours with The High Spirits Duo - Friday, July 10th 6:30-8:30

Come relax on the patio with us to celebrate the end of the week with live music and we'll open the bar so you can purchase wine & beer and even San Pellegrino. It's also the evening of the Sanford Art Walk.


Our July installment of our Music After Hours features The High Spirits Duo. Anna & Dave Patterson will take us through an evening of American music through the decades. Here's a link to their website to hear some of their music. I heard them play an Adele song and it was great!


Thank you to Partners Bank for sponsoring this our musicians!


Junk in the Trunk - Saturday, July 18th 9-1pm in the back parking lot.

Join us for our very first Junk in the Trunk event. Is having your own yard sale too much of a hassle? Host one from your trunk at the Library. Everyone, come shop the sale!



Composting 101 with ecomaine on Wednesday, July 22nd @ 5:30 -6:30pm

Got food scraps? Don't throw them away! Composting helps prevent greenhouse gas emissions from landfills and circulates valuable nutrients back into soils. At ecomaine, keeping food out of the trash also reduces the strain on our waste-to-energy process. In this workshop, learn about the dos, don'ts, whys, and how's of backyard composting. We will cover why composting is good for the planet, the basic science of the composting process, how to troubleshoot common problems, and types of composting setups.

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Staff Picks


Sam's Picks


  • The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
  • Upward Bound by Woody Brown
  • Wreck by Catherine Newman
  • The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett


Dawn's Picks


  • The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
  • The Whistler by Ann Patchett
  • Nothing Tastes As Good by Luke Dumas
  • This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum


Sheila's Pick


  • The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives by Elizabeth Arnott


Kaity's Picks


  • The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
  • The Jellyfish Problem by Tessa Yang
  • The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston
  • Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke


Paula's Picks


  • The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline
  • Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
  • Culpability by Bruce Holsinger


Lesley's Pick


  • Whistler by Ann Patchett
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Spice of the Month


The July Spice of the Month is... smoked paprika! Paprika is made from dried, ground red peppers, ranging from sweet to spicy. The spice adds both color and flavor to dishes and is used in cuisines worldwide. There are many types of paprika: smoked, sweet, and Spanish, to name a few. Paprika is full of vitamins and minerals. Check out this month’s recipe online or at the main desk: Homemade BBQ Sauce. Either way, stop by the Library and pick up some from our Spice Library. Enjoy!

Save the Date


8/5 Book Group

8/13 Pool Noodle Olympics Kids Summer Reading Celebration

8/14 Art Walk and Music After Hours

8/19 Author Ethan Whitaker Visit

Some New Fiction Titles


  • Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams
  • The Devil’s Bible by Steve Berry
  • Laws of Love and Logic by Debra Curtis
  • Damned by Genevieve Cogman
  • A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourne
  • The Final Score by Don Winslow
  • Some Bright Nowhere by Ann Packer
  • Once and Again by Rebecca Serle
  • Judge Stone by James Patterson
  • Vanished in the Crowd by Rhys Bowen
  • Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson
  • The Secret Lives of Murderer’s Wives by Elizabeth Arnott
  • Westward Women by Alice Martin
  • Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg
  • Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
  • Blood Lust by Sandra Brown
  • Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips
  • Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
  • Whidby by T. Kira Madden
  • The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez
  • A Day of Judgement by Charles Todd
  • The Keeper by Tana French
  • Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones

Some New Non-Fiction Titles


  • End of Days: Ruby Ridge, the Apocalypse, and the Unmaking of America by Chris Jennings
  • A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael Pollan
  • Lost: Amelia Earhart’s Three Mysterious Deaths and One Extraordinary Life by Rachel Hartigan
  • Judy Blume: A Life by Mark Oppenheimer
  • How to be Okay When Nothing is Okay by Jenny Lawson
  • Liberty’s Prison: The Inmate’s Son Who Radically Reformed an American Prison by Randall Liberty
  • The Anatomy of Awakening: The 5 Hidden Codes to Activate Self-Healing, Unlock your Higher Consciousness and Live Your Divine Destiny by Dr. Sue Morter

A New CloudLibrary Audiobook Title


  • Storm Tide by Paul Doiron
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