Summer Reading is right around the corner! Watch for updates, and in the meantime, get the June 24th 10:30am Kick-Off date in your calendar!
Color Our World Summer Reading Program
Newport NH
Project R.A.B.B.I.T. Read Aloud Night!
On May 29th at 5:00pm, join the library and the Richards School PTO for an evening of family fun, celebrating reading and literacy! Discover the old Newport tradition called Project RABBIT– which stands for Read A Book Because It’s Terrific. Special guests from the community like Fire Chief Yannuzzi will join us to read aloud some picture books, and the Richards PTO will bring snacks!
Bring a book or two to trade at our gently used Book Swap– it’s a great way to trade books your child has outgrown for something at their new level to keep challenging them to keep reading! Invite your kid’s friends’ families to meet you here, so the kids can be surrounded by friends as we all celebrate how important books, reading, and literacy are to us!
The Richards Free Library receives New Hampshire Humanities Grant for Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs presentation!
NEWPORT- The Richards Free Library has received a grant from New Hampshire Humanities to present Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs. Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs will be presented on Monday, April 7th at 4:30pm in the Ballroom of the Richards Free Library.
This unique and beautifully illustrated presentation focuses on the life and remarkable work of master jeweler and artist, Peter Carl Fabergé. The program features a spectacular photo-tour of Fabergé collections at world-famous museums and from private collectors around the world. Emphasis is on the important role of egg painting in Slavic culture and on the unique development of this major art form from a traditional craft to the level of exquisite fine art under the patronage of the tsars. The fascinating history of these eggs and their role in the dramatic events of the last decades of Romanov rule in Russia and in the years following the Bolshevik Revolution will also be discussed.
This Program is Free and open to the public. There is no pre-registration.
New Hampshire Humanities nurtures the joy of learning and inspires community engagement by bringing life-enhancing ideas from the humanities to the people of New Hampshire. They connect people with ideas. Learn more at www.nhhumanities.org.
For more information, contact Marina Forbes at marina@marinaforbes.com, or at 603-332-2255.
RFL closed for weather Thursday, 2/27/25
Due to the continued snowfall and road conditions, the RFL will be closed today, Thursday, February 27th.
The library intends to reopen tomorrow, Friday, February 28th at 10 am.
Thank you and stay safe!
Richards Free Library Needs to Remove Trees
The Richards Free Library Board of Trustees wishes to inform the public that the large white pine trees and hemlock trees on our side lawn need to be removed.
Library Board Trustee Guenter Hubert and Library Director Sally J. Bernier met with several arborists who all agreed that the pines and hemlocks are reaching the end of their lives and at least some may have red rot, rendering them doubly unstable. The white pines and hemlocks are approximately 100 years old. The hemlocks were originally planted as a hedge, which partially died out and then became overgrown. Some of the trees have a structure that is unbalanced, with many large limbs on the north-north-west side overhanging the historic mansion and carriage house. A storm could cause them to come down on top of those buildings, resulting in massive structural damage. Beyond this, the trees pose a safety threat to the public during the many outdoor programs held on the side lawn. The white pines in particular are prone to losing limbs that catch on other limbs to become “widow makers.”
After collecting bids from local tree removal services, the Library Board of Trustees is moving
forward to have these dangerous trees removed by Arthur Heino Jr. Tree Service LLC, before they can cause damage to the buildings and/or injury to anyone. Removal of the trees is scheduled to take place December 9-13, 2024 and will be paid for with Richards Free Library building endowment funds.
In an effort to revitalize the side lawn once the pine trees and hemlocks have been removed, Hubert has been in contact with the Newport High School Forestry and Natural Resources teacher, Sam Nelson, to discuss the possibility of assistance with planting new, limited growth shade trees on the side lawn in the spring.
The Richards Free Library Board of Trustees, along with the staff of both the Richards Free Library and the Library Arts Center, recognize the important contribution the pine trees and hemlocks have made over the years as shade trees for outdoor events, and regret that their removal is now necessary. However, protection of the buildings and their collections, as well as the safety of the staff and the public, must come first. The trustees and staff greatly appreciate the understanding and support of the Newport community with regard to this endeavor.
