Richards Free Library

Engage, Enrich, Entertain

events

Children’s Programs for May


May Story Times

Family Story Times will continue each Wednesday at 11:00 am, usually featuring 3 picture books and some songs and rhymes to enjoy with our littles! I gear this story time to anyone who will listen to picture books– usually ages 0-6. This story time will move outside to our big side yard as soon as the weather stays warm enough.

Little Wiggle Time, our shorter, action-focused storytime for our wiggliest little ones, will continue on Friday evenings at 5:00, until the Newport Farmer’s Market begins on the Common across the street on May 27th, which will be our first Farmer’s Market Storytime. I’ll be on the Common with my wagon, blankets, and books from 4:00 until 5:00, or I run out of listeners!
*I don’t hold storytimes on the Common if it’s raining or too wet.

May Afterschool Programs

Teen Hangman Hangout, May 11th, 2:30-3:30- for tweens and teens ages 10-18. Come play hangman, Apples to Apples, or whatever else we feel like and eat snacks with Mo.

Afterschool Bingo For Books! May 16th, 3:30-4:00-Play bingo and win free books. Parents and little siblings are welcome! We have gently used books for children of all ages available as prizes, and we’ll play until everyone wins.

Kids Craft: Memorial Day Pinwheels! May 26th 3:30-4:00- Stop by the library to make your own pinwheel for Memorial Day to decorate your room or yard, or to remember someone special on Memorial Day.

Summer Reading Program

It’s getting closer and closer to summer reading! What are you and your kids excited to read this summer? Let us know so we can consider adding it to our collection!
As always, you can reach Ms Mo at mchurchill@newport.lib.nh.us

What are We Playing At?

We’re creating a new gaming collection for Richards Free Library. This collection will include board games, card games, video games, video game consoles, and all the accessories needed to run spectacular gaming programs here at the library. 

COVID-19 cut into a lot of our programming just as it was ramping up, including our game nights. When we wrote this grant application, we had hoped we could get games into your hands and have you run your own game nights at home while we waited for it to be safe to bring game nights back to the library. Thankfully, it looks like we’ll be able to reinstate library game nights sooner rather than later! We’re planning after school gaming programs in the ballroom, family game nights, and board game lessons (we know some of these rule books can be intimidating!). 

I know some of you are thinking “why games?” Games are really just another way to tell a story, and we’re pretty big fans of storytelling here at the library. Plus, games are a great way to engage teens who come to the library after school, looking for entertainment (and somewhere warm or cool to spend the afternoon). We also hope they’ll be a useful tool for families to find time to spend together. 

We’re planning a “kick off” event on Saturday, June 4th, which just happens to be International Tabletop Day (a big day in board game circles). Join us at the library to check out the new collection, learn a new game, or play an old favorite. We hope to see you then!

17 games displayed on a blue shelf. Avengers, Hellapagos, Guess Who?, Slamwich, Xbox Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga, Nintendo Switch 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Star WArs Jabba's Palace, Zeus on the Loose, Paint chip Poetry, Santorini, Cascadia, Trivial Pursuit DVD edition, Azul, Scattergories, Buffalo, Apples to Apples, Ticket to Ride.

We’re really excited about this new collection and the incredible grant money from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the New Hampshire State Library that made it possible. 


If you have a game you’d like to recommend for the library, you can fill out this form!

National Library Week April 3rd-9th

Come to the library during National Library Week to enjoy all of the fun things we’re offering this Spring:

Everyone who visits the library between Monday April 4th and Saturday April 9th will be offered an “I Love My Library” sticker!

Join the new staff for coffee and a chat Monday April 4th at 1pm, Wednesday April 6th at 7pm and Friday April 8th at 10am.

Take a walk around the library building and enjoy this month’s StoryWalk featuring the picture book, Homer the Library Cat by Reeve Lindbergh.

Keep an eye out on NCTV for an interview with Alison Wood, discussing all of the great services we offer at the library.

Newport students will contribute to a display expressing their love for the library.