Patten Free Library Weekly News and Updates


October 25, 2024

SUPPORT | VOLUNTEER | CONTACT | VISIT | CATALOG | FRIENDS

Hello Patten Free,


We invite all kids and families to join us on Wednesday, October 13 at 1pm for our second annual Halloween Kids Costume Parade!


Dress your kiddos in their cutest Halloween costumes, listen to a spooooky story in the storytime room then parade with us around the public desks for your treats or tricks! Kids will travel through Wonderland and trick or treat from Alice, the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat, and other beloved Lewis Carrol characters.


Happy Halloween!


Patten Free Library Staff

Construction has resumed and work will be ongoing installing AC and heat pumps, and should be completed over the next few weeks. You can expect some noise and disruption throughout the process. Thank you for your patience during this exciting time!


Check this spot for weekly updates and visit our website to learn more about the project.

Development


Bath Savings Institution has proudly stepped up as a Champion level supporter of Patten Free Library, contributing to our goal this year of being More than Books. Their generous support helps us foster connections, inspire growth, and enrich lives in our community. Together, we’re building a brighter future for all who rely on the library’s programs, resources, and welcoming spaces. Thank you, Bath Savings Institution, for championing learning, connection, and opportunity at Patten Free Library!

Special Events

Printable October Calendar
Printable November Calendar

Share and Share Alike

Friday, October 25 at 6:30pm

All Ages

An evening of mini-Ted talk like “lightning-round” presentations from a variety of speakers.

Read to a Dog: Greta

Saturday, October 26 at 1pm

All Ages

Registration Required

Read out loud to Greta the goldendoodle! Dogs are non-judgmental listeners and help foster confidence in readers.

PFL Design Contest

Closes October 27 Deadline Extended!

All Ages

Show your library love and have your design featured on a t-shirt, bag, or water bottle! All styles welcome.

Midcoast Family Fitness Class

Tuesday, October 29 at 10:15am

Kids and Families

Fitness class including fun exercises, movement games, and dancing; encouraging physical activity and fostering strong family connections.

PFL Book Group: Birding While Indian and Night of the Living Rez

Wednesday, October 30 at 3pm

Adults

Discuss a paired reading of fiction and nonfiction books.

Halloween Kids Costume Parade

Thursday, October 31 at 1pm

Kids and Families

Dress your kiddos in their cutest Halloween costumes, listen to a spooooky story in the storytime room then parade with us around the public desks for your treats or tricks!

First Coffee Friday

Friday, November 1 while supplies last

Adults

Free coffee in the Café Corner while supplies last, courtesy of Morning Moose Coffee.

Grab and Go Kits

Friday, November 1 while supplies last

All Ages

Kids: Leaf-Maned Lion

Teens: Beaded Corn

Adults: Spice Kit

The Secrets of Supper: The Dinner Table is a Medicine Cabinet

Friday, November 1 at 3pm

Adults

A tasteful series of talks about what food really means, served by The Savvy Palates. Presented in person and streamed live on YouTube.

History Room Highlight: October


It's back-to-school season and for the History Room that means school visits. We were delighted to host the Brightfield School several times last month as a group of 6th and 7th graders came in to work on some local genealogy projects. We walked students through the process of making a family tree, explaining concepts like chronology and exactly what "vital records" really are (for those playing along at home, if you said "vital records" are births, marriages, and deaths--you were right!). Each student took on a prominent Bath family--with names including Sewalls, Morses, Pattens, and Sampsons--and went to work filling in dates and names of children and spouses alike. After a week of work and lots of scotch-taped scrap paper we had a veritable grove of family trees.


On their return the following week, the students dove into biographies. They picked a member of their family tree who interested them and set about describing their often rather eventful lives. One student worked on Civil War nurse Sarah Sampson whose war work and decades of later advocacy led to her being one of the earliest women interred at Arlington. Another examined a Charles W. Morse of ferry-operating renown, not to be confused with his more infamous, ice-monopolizing relation of the same name. We were extremely impressed with the work these students were able to do, parsing through very dense and often confusing records with professional aplomb. It's our hope that these biographies may form the basis for some more accessible resources for future young learners or novitiate genealogists alike.

What to Read Next

Staff Picks


Bunny by Mona Awad


The creepy atmosphere of a New England campus in fall, crumbling leaves, and black clad mysterious feathery characters makes this an absolute (and absolutely bonkers) seasonal delight.


-Hannah, Program and Outreach Manager

Read the Review
Read More Staff Picks

Children's Room Shout Out: Meredith


Is Your Mama A Llama? Written by Deborah Guarino and Illustrated by Stephen Kellogg


The rhyming text encourages children to solve riddles, practice rhyming, and participate in the storytelling. In addition, it’s a fun way to learn about animal babies and their moms!

Read the Review
Read More Shout Outs
Did you know?

There are only a few days for the PFL Design Contest! Be sure to submit your library-centric designs by Sunday for a chance to have it featured on a t-shirt, tote bag, or another piece of merchandise. Click here for the full contest guidelines and submission information.

Digital Resources

Patten Free Library | 33 Summer Street | 207-443-5141 | www.patten.lib.me.us

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