Richards Free Library

Engage, Enrich, Entertain

Events

RFL January Calendar

To download the calendar, scroll to the bottom of this post!

1/1 Closed for New Years Day

1/5 Friends of the RFL meeting 10am. Monthly business and taking down holiday decorations!

1/6 LEGO Day (Kids and families),Drop in 1-5pm. Let your imagination loose to build anything at all with the library’s LEGOs! This month’s challenge is a balloon-powered car!

1/7 Needle Felt an Evergreen Tree, (Kids age 6-11) Drop in between 1 and 4. Make a lovely evergreen tree that stands on its own and learn very basic needle felting skills along the way!

1/8 Mystery Book Club (adults) 6pm. Join us for a cup of tea and a chat about Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen mystery Jane and the Year Without a Summer.  adults

1/8 Writer’s Workshop (adults) 6pm. Writers of any genre, interest area, and experience level. We meet virtually, so for info email mchurchill@newport.lib.nh.us

1/9 Board Games (Teens grades 6-12) 3pm. Play board games from our collection with your friends!

1/12 Snowflake Cardboard Lacing Craft, (Kids and families), Drop in all week, while supplies last. Littles practice their hand-eye coordination lacing string through these cardboard snowflakes, + big kids create a snowflake masterpiece!

1/14 Faux Stained Glass Bookmarks, (Teens Grades 6-12), 3pm. Come make a bookmark with a “faux stained glass” look, and bring your friends!

1/15 Adult Craft Night: 2026 Vision Boards (adults) 6pm. Help manifest the year you desire by creating 2026 Vision Boards. 

1/19 Board Games, (Teens grades 6-12) 3pm. Play board games from our collection with your friends!

1/20 Salt Crystal Snowflake Painting activity, (Kids and teens), 3:30pm. Science meets art in this neat activity to make a salt-crystal snowflake craft and use a pipet to add color to your creation!

1/21 Bead Bracelets Craft Drop In: (Kids and families) Stop by today to make beaded bracelets– we’ll keep supplies out the rest of the week so long as we don’t run out.

1/23 “Exquisite Corpse” Drawing Game (Teens Grades 6-12) 3pm. Play a drawing game created by the Surrealist artists, to come up with the wackiest artistic creations with your friends.

1/26 Needle Felting Drop in (Kids age 6-11) Drop-in between 1 and 4pm.  Learn how to needle felt! Make a melting snowman or invent your own project!

1/27 Brown Bags Book Club (adults)12pm. This month the group is meeting to discuss Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt! Interested participants welcome.

1/29 LEGO Day (Kids and Families) Drop-in 1-5pm. Let your imagination loose to build anything at all with the library’s LEGOs!

Cal January 2026 Official (1)Download

RFL December Calendar

To download the calendar, scroll to the bottom of this post!

12/1 Friends of the RFL meeting 10am. Monthly business and decorating for the Holidays!

12/3 Temporary Tattoo Drawing (Kids and teens), 3pm. Come use our stencils and skin safe markers or make your own designs!

12/4 Teen Hangout (Teens grades 6-12), 2:30-4pm. Join a librarian in the Elaine Frank room on the third floor to hang out, draw, write, color, read, do a simple activity, or just chat.

12/6 Holiday Photo Taking Event (All ages), 10am. Take your holiday photos in our historic Lowell Room. Antique furniture and Christmas decorations make the perfect backdrop for your family’s 2025 holiday cards!

12/8 DIY Shiny Button Magnets (Kids and Teens), Drop-in all week. Drop in at the library this week to make your own shiny or iridescent magnet or button pin!

12/9 Learn To Play Gloomhaven (Teens and Adults), 2:30pm. Teens and adults are invited to come learn one of the coolest games at the library. Defeat monsters and clear a dungeon with strategy!

12/10 Free Winter Holiday Picture Book Giveaway (Kids), Drop-in all day. Stop by to pick out a free winter or holiday themed picture book from our donated books. One book per child, child need not be present!

12/11 Teen Hangout (Teens grades 6-12), 2:30-4pm. Join a librarian in the Elaine Frank room on the third floor to hang out, draw, write, color, read, do a simple activity, or just chat.

12/11 Writer’s Workshop (Adult) 6pm. Writers of any genre, interest area, and experience level. We meet virtually, so for info email mchurchill@newport.lib.nh.us

12/12 Reindeer Light-Up Ornament (Kids), 3:30pm. Kids 6-11 can come in to make a Reindeer decoration with a real light-up nose!

12/15 Board Game Day (Teens), 2:30pm. play board games from our collection with your friends! Grades 6-12.

12/16 Brown Bags Book Club 12pm. This month we’ll meet for a potluck and select the next year of reading! Interested participants welcome.

12/17 Needle Felting (Kids and Teens), 1pm. Learn how to needle felt! Make a holiday ornament out of wool, or try your own project! Drop in between 1 and 4 to learn or practice your skills!

12/18 Adult Craft Club: Scherenschnitte Paper Snowflakes 6pm. Make a beautiful cut-paper 6-pointed snowflake to take home or to decorate the library!

12/22 Drop-In Snowflake Ornament Center (Kids), Drop-in all week. Drop-In Snowflake Ornament Center opens on the 22nd! Make a beautiful, beaded snowflake ornament all winter break while supplies last.

12/23 LEGO Day (Kids), 1pm. Let your imagination loose to build anything at all with the library’s LEGOs; Or build an ornament to decorate the tree in the children’s room.

12/29 Design a 3D Ornament (Kids and Teens), 2:30pm. Design your own ornament to print on the 3D printer, for kids and teens ages 6-18. We’ll print your ornament for you, but you will have to come back to pick it up in the new year as they will take time to print.

December 2025 Official (3)Download

RFL November Calendar

To download the calendar, scroll to the bottom of this post!

11/3-11/7 Baby’s Keepsake Handprint Drop In (families), Drop in to make a special Keepsake of Baby’s Handprint this week, while librarians are available.

11/4 Temporary Tattoos (Teens), 3pm. Come use our stencils and skin safe markers or make your own designs. Grades 6-12

11/6 LEGO Day Drop In (Kids and families) 1-5 pm. Let your imagination loose to build anything at all with the library’s LEGOs.

11/6 Teen Hang Out (Teens) 2:30-4pm. Hang out upstairs in the Elaine Frank Teen Program Room with a librarian; color, work on homework, or just vibe with your friends.

11/6 Crafter’s Movie Night (adult) 5-7pm. Have some compassion for your poor nerves and watch Pride and Prejudice (2015) with a bunch of like-minded crafters!

11/7 Scarf Assembly for “Keep Sarah Warm” 3pm. Assemble any scarf contributions as we prepare to wrap up the Sarah statue on the 21st!

11/8 Wags and Wiggles’ Doggies 101 (all ages)10am. Newport’s own Wags and Wiggles will be at the library to provide info on spay and neuter clinics, safe temperature for dogs, and what to expect when adopting. Some furry friends may also join us!

11/10 Board Games (Teens) 3pm. Play board games from our collection with your friends! Grades 6-12

11/10 How to Crochet 2pm. Learn how to start, make a chain, turn your work, and how to finish! Bring your own materials or use ours!

11/11 Closed for Veteran’s Day

11/13 Needle Felting (Kids age 6-11) 1-4pm. Learn how to needle felt! Make a fall decoration out of wool, or try your own project! Drop in between 1 and 4 to learn or practice your skills!

11/13 Writer’s Workshop (adult) 6pm. Writers of any genre, interest area, and experience level. We meet virtually, so for info email mchurchill@newport.lib.nh.us

11/14 LaValley Community Center Kidzone Story Visit (Kids 0-5) 10-11am. We’ll be hanging out and reading stories at the Rec’s play group! Stop in and play and listen.

11/17 LEGO Day Drop In, (Kids and Families)2-4pm. Let your imagination loose to build anything at all with the library’s LEGOs.

11/18 Brown Bags and Books Book Club (adult) 12pm. This month we’ll discuss The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

11/18 Stitch-for-a-bit 1pm. Circle up and get to work on your craft in a social circle!

11/19 After School Hot Cocoa Party (Kids and teens) 2:30-4pm. Stop by while you’re here after school for some tasty hot cocoa to warm you up!

11/20 Adult Arts and Craft: Make Your Own Masterpiece! 6pm. Make your own interpretation of famous works of art using any medium you wish.

11/20 Teen Hang Out (Teens) 2:30-4pm. Hang out upstairs in the Elaine Frank Teen Program Room with a librarian; color, work on homework, or just vibe with your friends.

11/21 Keep Sarah Warm: Final Assemble (3:30) and WRAP UP! (4:00). After the final assembly, we will hear some facts about Sarah and the scarf will be installed on the Sarah statue. Join the finale and enjoy some cider!

11/24-11/26th Turkey Table Decoration Craft (Kids and teens) Drop in to make a colorful turkey craft to decorate your Thanksgiving table!

November 2025 Official (2)Download

Hale Award 2025 – Author Peter Heller

As summer comes to a close, we head straight into fall and the annual Hale Award Ceremony! For those of you unfamiliar with this award, it is an honor bestowed upon an accomplished author who has ties to New England. It was first awarded to the poet, Robert Frost, in 1956. Previous recipients include well-known authors such as May Sarton, David McCullough, Arthur Miller, Anita Shreve, Tomie dePaola, Jodi Picoult, and Chris Bohjalian.

This year’s recipient of the Sarah Josepha Hale Award is the bestselling author, Peter Heller! Peter has written 4 non-fiction books relating his outdoor adventures and 8 fiction thrillers! His latest novel, Burn, set in Maine, tells the story of two men who emerge from a week-long hunting trip in the Allagash, to discover that Maine has seceded from the nation.

The 2025 Hale Award Ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 4th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Newport Opera House. Peter will be awarded the Sarah Josepha Hale Medal, will speak to the attending audience for approximately 45 minutes, and will then be available to sign his books. Morgan Hill Books will have a representative on site to sell copies of Peter’s works before and after the event. As usual, this fabulous Hale Award Ceremony is free and open to the public! Also on Saturday, October 4th, prior to the ceremony itself, there will be a ticketed dinner at the Old Courthouse Restaurant at 5:00 p.m. Tickets for the dinner will be available for purchase at the Richards Free Library circulation desk, beginning Monday, September 15th.

The Sarah Josepha Hale Award Judges, Richards Free Library Board of Trustees, and Richards Free Library Staff look forward to hosting Peter Heller, and his wife Kim, at the Sarah Josepha Hale Award Dinner and Ceremony on Saturday, October 4th!

We hope to see you there!

Sally Bernier,

Library Director

RFL September Calendar of Events

September

To download the calendar, scroll to the bottom of this post!

9/2 Temporary Tattoos (grades 6-12), 3 PM.

9/3 After School Coloring Party! Join us when you get out of school today to color with friends and get to know the Children’s Librarian.

9/4 Teen Hang-Out (grades 6-12), 2:30-4 PM.

9/8 LEGO Day Drop in, 2-4pm. Let your imagination loose to build anything at all with the library’s LEGOs.

9/9 My First Book Group, 3:30. Read a beginning reader book together. We’ll have a snack, read, and discuss. Grownups are asked to stay. BOOK: Dot the Ladybug: Dot Day

9/9 Chapter Chats, 4pm. We’ll start a chapter book together and discuss it! This is intended for grades 2-5, depending on children’s reading level. BOOK: Amber Brown is Not a Crayon

9/10 Needle Felting (Kids age 6-11), 1-4pm. learn how to needle felt or practice your skills! Make your favorite animal out of wool or try a simpler project!

9/11 Teen Hang-Out (grades 6-12), 2:30-4 PM.

9/16 Beaded Necklace (Kids 6-11 and their families), 3:30 pm. String a necklace or bracelet to take home!

9/16 Knitting group (adult), 6-8PM.

9/17 Craft Club: Paper Jewelry (adult), 5:30-7PM. Want to make a new accessory? We will make paper beads and quilled paper pendants! We’ll provide the supplies!

9/17 Teen Advisory Board (grades 6-12), 3 PM.

9/18 Kids’ Window Painting, 3:30pm-4:30pm. Help us decorate the Children’s Room with a fresh fall mural on the big window!

9/18 Legends and Truths About New England’s Wolves Presented by Susie Spikol (adults), 6 – 7PM. Discover how wolves survived, what forces lead to its extinction from the New England landscape, and how the stories and myths we tell about this creature continue to influence our perception of it today.

9/18 Teen Hang-Out (grades 6-12), 2:30-4 PM.

9/19 Newport Rec Building Play Group story time: 10-11am. We’ll be hanging out and reading stories at the Rec’s play group! Stop in and play and listen.

9/22 Bingo for Books (Kids 6-11 and their families), 3:30pm. Play Bingo for a chance to win free books!

9/22 Library Board of Trustees Meeting (open to the public), 6:30PM.

9/23 Writing Games (grades 6-12), 3 PM .

9/24 LEGO Day Drop in 1-5pm. Let your imagination loose to build anything at all with the library’s LEGOs.

9/24 Movie Night: West Side Story (2021), 5PM – 7:30PM. Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. An adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.

9/25 Poetry group (adult), 6-8PM.

9/25 Teen Hang-Out (grades 6-12), 2:30-4 PM.

9/29 Board Games (grades 6-12), 3 PM

9/30 Kids Stomp Rockets (Kids 6-11 and their families), 3:30. Weather permitting! Make a paper rocket and launch it with a stomp.

September 2025 Official (1)Download