Richards Free Library

Engage, Enrich, Entertain

Calendar

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

RFL October Calendar

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

10/1 Needle Felting (Kids age 6-11) Drop-in between 1 and 4.
Learn how to needle felt or practice your skills! Make an acorn decoration out of wool or try your own project!

10/6 – 10/8 Leaf Pictures (Kids age 6-11) Drop in during typical library hours. 
Stop by the children’s room to make your own picture with a leaf-rubbing using real fall leaves.

10/7 Temporary Tattoo Creation (Grades 6-12) 3pm.
Come use our stencils and skin safe markers or make your own designs.

10/8 LEGO Day (Kids age 6-11) Drop-in 2-4pm. 
Let your imagination loose to build anything at all with the library’s LEGOs.

10/8 TAB Meeting (Teens and tweens ages 11-18) 3pm. 
We encourage those interested to join the Teen Advisory Board to help plan programs and events at the library.

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

10/14 Kid’s crafts with popsicle sticks (kids) 3:30-4:30.
Come up to the dePaola Children’s Program Room to experiment with popsicle stick crafts like Pom Pom Catapults and picture frames.

10/16 The Scam Landscape: Staying Safe! (adults) 5:30PM.
Presented by AARP NH Speakers Bureau and the Newport Police Departmen
AARP will be here for a scam presentation that talks about fraud trends, key warning signs, ways to protect ourselves. The program is open to everyone, not just people 50+!

10/16 Adult Craft: Create Your Own Book Jacket (adults) 6:00PM.
Celebrating National Book Month
Everyone has their favorite book, the one that you reread over and over.  Now’s your chance to design your very own book jacket!  Your artistic creations will cover the books and be put on display in the library for everyone to appreciate.

10/16 Sunshine Knitting Club (adults) 6:00PM.
Meets monthly on the 3rd Thursday of the month
Free to join for everyone! Bring your needles or hook and some yarn!

10/20 LEGO Day (Kids age 6-11) Drop in 2-4pm. 
Let your imagination loose to build anything at all with the library’s LEGOs.

10/21 Board Games (Grades 6-12) 3pm. 
play board games from our collection with your friends!

10/22 Notebook Decorating (kids and teens) 2:30-4pm.
Decorate a notebook with stickers, paper, coloring supplies, and more.

10/23 Spooky Movie Night: “The Witch” (2015) (adults) 5:30PM.
Celebrate Halloween with a screening of Robert Egger’s “The Witch” (2015).  A tale of one Puritan family’s experiences in the woods of colonial New England, this film is perfect to wrap up “Spooky Season” 2025!
Please note that viewer discretion is advised.

10/23 Poetry Group (adults) 7:00PM.
Meets monthly on the 4th Thursday of the month
Whether you write, read or simply enjoy listening to poetry come join us for a relaxed evening as we share poetry together. 

10/24 Keep Sarah Warm Kick off and Yarn Swap (all welcome) Drop-in 2-4pm.
We begin to accept scarf pieces (and it’s Sarah’s Birthday). Pick up and drop off yarn as crafters begin to bring in pieces for the community knit scarf!

10/27 Stitch-for-a-bit 2pm.
This is a craft meet-up group, where you can bring your work and socialize.

10/28 Historic (Haunted) Library Tour (families, small groups, and the general public) 4:30. 
Join Mo for a tour of the building featuring the history of the house, the family, and the ghosts.

10/29 Mini Pumpkin Painting (For kids and teens) 2:30-4pm. 
Decorate a tiny pumpkin to take home for Spooky week!

10/30 Ghosts of Mount Washington (adults) 6:00PM.
Presented by Marianne O’Connor
Author Marianne O’Connor will be presenting the memorials of Mount Washington, some of which are said to be haunted by supernatural beings.  Marianne will share stories related to “The Presence.”  Some believe it to be a spiritual being related to the many deaths on the infamous mountain!

10/31 Trick-or-Treat for books all day, 10-6pm. Stop by in your Halloween costume to trick or treat for children’s books.

10/31 Historic (Haunted) Library Tour (families, small groups, and the general public) 4:30. 
Join Mo for a tour of the building featuring the history of the house, the family, and the ghosts.

10/31 Scarf Put-together! 2:00.
Assembly sessions each Friday leading up to the Keep Sarah Warm wrap up, where crafters can help assemble the pieces of the scarf together and add to our “contributors” list! This will be repeated weekly until the end of this project, November 21st.

Wednesdays Family Storytime! 11am.
Everyone is welcome at this traditional Storytime with singing and stories! Babies and children up to age 5 will find something to enjoy.

Some Thursdays Teen Hang Out (Teens grades 6-12) 2:30-4pm. Teens grades 6-12 are welcome to join a librarian in the Elaine Frank room on the third floor to hang out, draw, write, color, read, or just chat.

October 2025 Official (4)Download

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

Monica Wood to Accept the 2024 Hale Award

The Richards Free Library proudly announces best-selling Maine author, Monica Wood, as the recipient of the 2024 Sarah Josepha Hale Award. 

Monica Wood is an award-winning novelist, memoirist and playwright. Originally from Mexico, Maine, her writing tells character-driven stories about life-changing events. Wood was awarded the 2019 Constance Carlson Prize for contributions to the public humanities in

Maine; and the 2018 Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance Distinguished Achievement Award for her contributions to the literary arts.

Her newest novel, “How to Read a Book,” has already secured translation rights in five countries. Her previous novel, the bestselling “The One-in-a-Million Boy,” has been translated into 20 languages in over 30 countries. She is also the author of “When We Were the Kennedys,” a New England bestseller and winner of the May Sarton Memoir Award. Her other fiction, “Any Bitter Thing,” “Ernie’s Ark,” and “My Only Story” have also won awards and made bestseller lists. Her short stories have been widely anthologized and featured

on Public Radio International. Her nonfiction and reviews have appeared in O, the New York Times, Literary Hub, Down East, the San Francisco Chronicle, Martha Stewart Living, Parade and many other publications. She has also written several books for aspiring writers and three plays including “The Half-Light,” “Saint Dad,” and “Papermaker,” that in 2015 debuted in an extended run at Maine’s Portland Stage. She lives in Portland with her husband, Dan Abbott, and their cat, Susie.

Please join us Saturday September 7, 2024 at 7pm at the Newport Opera House for the award ceremony, which will include a speech by Wood as well as book sales and signing. The award ceremony is free and open to the public.

We will once again host a dinner with the author at the Old Courthouse Restaurant on the same evening at 5pm, prior to the ceremony. Dinner tickets are available for purchase at the library.