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Hello Patten Free,

April is Poetry Month, and that means it's time for our annual Poetry Walk!

Each year we install twenty or so poems on yard signs along the pathways of Library Park and invite the public to read the poems as they walk their dogs, play with their kids, and breathe in the spring air after a long winter. We include poets of all ages, genders, and races, and select poems with a spring or hopeful theme. What began as a social distancing program in 2021 has become an annual tradition looked forward to by the community and staff alike. 

The Poetry Walk will be on display throughout the month of April. Poets include local favorites, poetry from the History Room, and some bigger names viewers are certain to recognize. Can you find all 14 poems?

Patten Free Library Staff

Development News and Updates

Join us for a night of fun, friendly competition, and community spirit at the 3rd Annual Spelling Bee Fundraiser! Cheer on teams as they spell their way to victory—all while supporting the Patten Free Library. Enjoy light refreshments, a silent auction, and plenty of laughs. Buy your tickets today!

Heat pump installation has begun! The work will take place after hours. You’ll soon notice heat pump cassettes in the drop ceiling, and the ceiling tiles may look a bit like Swiss cheese for a while. Once the installation is complete, the ceiling tiles will be replaced. Questions? Email us!

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

Special Events

Knitting Circle

New Day! Tuesdays at 3pm

All Ages

Drop in every Tuesday for crafts and conversation. Open to all ages and abilities.

Friends of Patten Free Library Meeting

Tuesday, April 15 at 4pm

Adults

Bring the public into a closer relationship with the library and strengthen the library’s operating budget. 

Head Start Art Show

Tuesday, April 15 at 3:30m

Kids and Families

View head start artists' pieces on display in the Children's Department. Refreshments and music provided.

Banned Book Club: The Handmaid's Tale

Wednesday, April 16 at 5:30pm

Adults and Teens

Discuss a pre-selected banned book, the dangers and realities of censorship, and the importance of defending everyone's right to read! Presented in partnership with Bath Pride and Mockingbird Bookshop.

American Girl Doll Social Club

Friday, April 18 at 3:30 pm

Ages 6-12

Registration Required

Socialize with dolls and snacks based on the theme or character of the month.

The Anxious Generation: A Three-Part Deep Dive in the Ideas of the Book (Zoom)

Thursday, April 3 at 6:30pm

Thursday, April 10 at 6:30pm

Thursday, April 17 at 6:30pm

Adults

Registration Required

Join author and clinical psychologist Joe Moldover for a deep dive into the ideas in the latest big parenting book. This program is part of MECollab, a sharing partnership between libraries throughout the state.

Poetry Walk

April 1-30 in Library Park

All Ages

Celebrate National Poetry Month with poems in the park!

Read to a Dog

Greta: 1st Wednesdays at 3pm

Harper: 2nd Wednesdays at 5pm

Leila: 4th Thursdays at 3:30pm

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!

History Room Highlight: April

Whether you're a fan of Emerson or were raised on Schoolhouse Rock (or both!) you've probably heard of "the shot heard round the world", but did you know it's turning 250 years old this month? That's right, the 19th of April will mark the sesquicentennial of the start of the American Revolution. The fields of Lexington and Concord may be down in Massachusetts but at image credit: Schoolhouse Rock

the time Maine (then a "district" rather than a

"state") was part of Massachusetts too. Still, this area has plenty of its own Revolutionary connections. Did you know that John Adams was a frequent visitor to Portland (then called "Falmouth") when he was a practicing lawyer? He even made it all the way up to the Pownalborough Courthouse in Dresden for one case and would most certainly have passed through the area.

That's not all though. You may have heard of the Arnold Expedition, which was Benedict Arnold's--yes, the infamous turncoat himself--plan to launch an invasion of Canada by traveling up the Kennebec River valley.

Bath also had its own dramatic episode during the war, commonly known as the "Mast Landing Incident." All of the lovely, tall pine trees in the area made ideal masts for ships in the Royal Navy and the British king had an agent in town whose job was to ensure that the best timber was reserved for the crown. When the revolution broke out, an assemblage of Bath citizenry stormed the agent's office, tied him up, and made sure that no more mast timber would leave Bath for British warships.

If the big anniversary has whet your appetite for some Revolutionary history, stop into the History Room and checkout some of our resources on it--they pair really well with some historical fiction from downstairs! (And if you now have the Schoolhouse Rock song stuck in your head, then we're very sorry...)

Friends of PFL News and Updates

the library bookstore has puzzles, lots and lots of puzzles! Reasonably priced at $2 for 500 pieces and $4 for 1000 pieces. All proceeds benefit the Patten Free Library.

In celebration of National Library Week this week we are starting a seed library! Come browse our offerings and take what you need.

How does the seed library work?

• “Borrow” up to 5 seed packets
• Plant, water, and wait!
• Enjoy your harvest
• Donate any leftover or collected seeds back to the Seed Library
• Repeat next year!

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