SUPPORT | VOLUNTEER | CONTACT | VISIT | CATALOG | FRIENDS

Greetings!

Happy New (fiscal) Year!

As a public library, Patten Free uses a municipal year for our budgeting and accounting needs, and so July 1 is our new year; a time to look at the year past and prepare for the year ahead. 

In the past twelve months, the library has been busier than ever. With more than 150,000 visitors, we've exceeded last year's door count by 21%! We ran 791 programs, which were attended by just over 12,000 people. We've added 4,237 new items to our shelves and have moved close to 25,000 items through inter-library loan. 1,149 people have reserved quiet work space in a pod or small study space. And, by adding The Chocolate Church, Bath Skate Park, and Maine's First Ship to an already robust Museums & Parks pass program, we've more than doubled the number of visitors to beloved local cultural institutions. 

It's been a great year, and we look forward to more of the same with you in FY 2027!

Patten Free Library Staff

Special Events

Repair Café

Saturday, July 11 from 10am-12:30pm

All Ages

Off-Site at Merrymeeting Community and Adult Education

Why replace when you can repair? Our expert volunteers will help repair your electronics, lamps, furniture, jewelry and small appliances; mend clothing, and sharpen tools. Presented in partnership with the Curtis Memorial Library, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and Merrymeeting Community and Adult Education. Repair Café rotates between locations and will be back at PFL on August 8.

Ahab's Rolling Sea: A Summer Classics Talk with Richard King

Wednesday, July 15 at 4pm

Adults

Richard King compares Ahab's and Ishmael's worldviews to how we see the ocean today: an expanse still immortal and sublime, but also in crisis. Although the concept of stewardship of the sea would have been entirely foreign, if not absurd, to Melville, King argues that Melville's narrator Ishmael reveals his own tendencies toward what we would now call environmentalism. 

Looking Closely: Art Exhibit and Reception

Reception Friday, July 17 at 5pm

Art on Display July 6-August 28

Drawings by Robin A. S. Haynes on display in the Community Room during library open hours.

Read to a Dog

Greta: 1st Wednesdays at 3pm

Ruby: 2nd Fridays at 3pm **New**

Leila: 4th Thursdays at 3:30pm

Zorba: 4th Saturday at 12pm

All Ages

Registration Required

Dogs are non-judgmental listeners and help foster confidence in readers who may need a little extra encouragement. Four fifteen minute slots are available each month for signup. Reluctant readers of all ages are welcome!

Summer Reading Events

Spirit Harmonies: Music and Stories of the Native American Flute with Scott "Smoking Bear" Edwards

Wednesday, July 15 at 1pm

All Ages

Experience an afternoon of soul-stirring music and stories with renowned musician Scott "Smoking Bear" Edwards as he brings the rich heritage of the Native American Flute to life. 

Lindsay and her Puppet Pals

Friday, July 17 at 1pm

Kids and Families

Using all homemade puppets, Lindsay Aucella tells jokes and stories, sings songs and performs cooking shows with all her silly voices and puppets.

Dungeons & Dragons

Wednesdays

Ages 8-11: July 1-August 5 at 3:30pm Waitlist Only

Ages 12-14: July 1-August 5 at 3:30pm

Ages 14-18: July 22-August 12 at 3pm

Adults: June 24-July 15 at 5pm Waitlist Only

Registration Required

Create characters and work together to build a rich story as you explore a fantasy world and embark on an exciting quest where chaos and hijinks will inevitably ensue. 

Nutrition and Cooking Class

Wednesdays at 2pm: July 1-August 5

Teens entering grades 6-12

Registration Recommended

Join UMaine Extension to talk about making healthy choices, added sugars, why whole grains are important, and learn cooking skills. We will prepare a dish and eat together each week!

Looking Closely

Drawings by Robin A. S. Haynes

On display in the Community Room July 6-August 28

Reception: Friday, July 17 from 5-7pm

Artist's Statement:

Sometimes I worry that we float through life without every really lookin closely at our surroundings, be it the sun making flickering shadows on the wall, the remarkable geometry found in a flower, or the forest with its multitude of unique trees. There is so much beauty to observe in t he curve of a petal, a twisted root, or a loved one's cheekbones. To me those various details and so many more are important parts of the richness of life. It sems almost criminal to miss them through inattention. You never know when you'll get to see them again, if ever. Art for me is about looking, looking closely to see that richness -- found int he fragile and fleeting details, sometimes complex and sometimes quite simple -- and then trying to capture them. Perhaps through the resulting drawings, someone else will think later to look closely at the richness in their everyday environment.

Image: Detail from "Hydrangea."

Libraries We Love

It's no secret that our staff love the Patten Free Library- but there are other libraries that are important to us too! Get to know our staff a little better and learn about some of the best libraries from all over and what makes them so special.

Patten Free Library | 33 Summer Street | 207-443-5141 | pattenfreelibrary.org

Patten Free Library is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We receive some municipal support and we rely heavily on the generosity of our communities to support our work.

STAY CONNECTED