Kimball Library News 3/10/14

Expand your knowledge about America’s most beloved artist on Tuesday, March 25^th, from 6:30-8:00pm right at your local library!  Local historian Gus Reusch will be presenting on the topic: “The Life and Times of Norman Rockwell.”  Many Rockwell prints will be on display.

Mr. Reusch has a wealth of knowledge on various topics such as the early history of Haverhill, John Greenleaf Whittier, Robert Frost, and Norman Rockwell.   Mr. Reusch has a rich history himself, including 40 years of expanding the knowledge of students as a teacher in Haverhill.  He was named curator of the Whittier Birthplace (Haverhill, MA) six years ago and currently gives tours to local citizens, as well as visitors from around the world. He also gives presentations throughout the Merrimack Valley and teaches Life-Long Learning classes at Northern Essex Community College.

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Kimball Library.  Refreshments will be served.

Are you looking to begin your journey into the world of art? Have you been expressing yourself creatively for years? Regardless of your skill level, come visit “The Dabblers” on Tuesdays!  “The Dabblers” are a painting and crafts group who are looking for like-minded artisans to join them in oil, acrylic or watercolor media on canvas, wood or paper.  They are willing to help you get started or you can just bring in a project of your choice.  This casual, friendly group meets every Tuesday from 10am to noon.  Just drop in and stay for all or part of the time allotted.  No registration is necessary.

Please check out our facebook page, please ‘like’, tag, and share our photos or events.  It’s also terrific when you upload photos of your own to our page when you participate in our events or classes.  We love the positive press from social networking!  If you haven’t already, do visit us at www.facebook.com/KimballLibrary.Atkinson.NH and peruse our many albums and see if you can find yourself or family members. 

For more information or a list of upcoming programs, please visit our website at kimballlibrary.com, call (603) 362-5234, or email us at staff@kimballlibrary.com. 

Kimball Library News 3/3/14

Library buddies, library buddies!  Don’t miss out on six weeks of undivided attention from a middle or high school student paired up with your child (kindergarten through grade 3).  Each week the younger and older pairs will read to each other and get to know one another.  Half of the time spent will be on predetermined projects or crafts, as well as board games or card games.  You’d be surprised how much your little ones like the attention of the ‘big kids’ and may be willing to participate in activities or reading that they may not typically like to do on their own.

The library buddy program lasts six weeks on consecutive Wednesdays from 4-5pm starting March 19^th.  Buddies are expected to commit to all six weeks unless otherwise prearranged.  Non residents may register starting March 14 if the program isn’t full.  Registration for all is required on the library website calendar of events.  Please speak with a librarian in the youth department if you have any questions.

Our second week of buddies (March 26^th) will have a special guest and you’ll get some experience with a musical instrument and play some musical instrument games.  No more hints.  Okay, just one.  Think woodwinds.

Big buddies must be in middle or high school and may receive community service hours for their commitment.  Register online, but if you haven’t ever participated in the program before then talk to Kathy Watson directly before March 19^th so you’ll know the ropes ahead of time.

Get a dose of culture on Tuesday, March 25^th, from 6:30-8:00pm right at your local library.  “The Life and Times of Norman Rockwell” will be the topic and this presentation will be featuring local historian Gus Reusch.  Learn about America's most beloved artist.  Many Rockwell prints will be on display.

Mr. Reusch was a Haverhill middle school teacher for over 40 years teaching the early history of Haverhill, John Greenleaf Whittier, Robert Frost, and Norman Rockwell.  He teaches Life-Long Learning classes at Northern Essex Community College and gives presentations throughout the Merrimack Valley.  He was named curator of the Whittier Birthplace six years ago.  He gives tours of Whittier's Birthplace (Haverhill, MA) to local visitors and from many parts of the world.

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Kimball Library.  Refreshments will be served.

Please check out our facebook page, please ‘like’, tag, and share our photos or events.  It’s also terrific when you upload photos of your own to our page when you participate in our events or classes.  We love the positive press from social networking!  If you haven’t already, do visit us at www.facebook.com/KimballLibrary.Atkinson.NH and peruse our many albums and see if you can find yourself or family members.  Our latest additions are ‘Pancakes Galore 2014’ and ‘Frosty’s Magic B-day Party’.

For more information or a list of upcoming programs, please visit our website at kimballlibrary.com, call (603) 362-5234, or email us at staff@kimballlibrary.com. 

Kimball Library News 2/24/14

Smile!  You’re not on candid camera, but the AWCC photo show is now displaying beautiful photography that you can smile at in our meeting room.  Take a look around and be sure to vote for your favorite.  No doubt that will be hard to chose, but it’s fun to cast a ballot for “The People’s Choice Award.”  You may drop anytime we’re open, but please look at our schedule to be sure there isn’t a program scheduled for the meeting room as we don’t allow the interruption of meetings or special events taking place for browsing or voting.  Voting for “The People’s Choice Award” will be from March 1st through March 12th.  The Awards Ceremony will be on Saturday, March 15th at 10:30 AM.

Author Kevin Gardner describes the granite kiss as "that inevitable experience in stone work when a fingertip or two fails to escape the contact point between two large stones on the occasion of their first meeting." Gardner distills 30 years of experience in building, restoring, and repairing traditional New England-style dry stone walls into principles and practices that are adaptable to a wide variety of designs and circumstances in his book, “The Granite Kiss”.

On March 18^th, Kevin will explain how and why New England came to acquire these stone walls, the ways in which they and other dry stone structures were built, how their styles emerged and changed over time and their significance to our famous landscape.

Reserve Tuesday, March 18^th, from 6:30-8:00pm in your schedule and listen to the tale of ‘the granite kiss’ and, along the way, Kevin will occupy himself building a miniature wall or walls on a tabletop, using tiny stones from a five-gallon bucket. He often brings along his collection of books about stonework, and copies of The Granite Kiss will be available for sale. 

Kevin Gardner has been a stone wall builder in a New England family business for nearly 40 years. From 1985 to 2010, Kevin was also a performance critic, feature writer, and producer for New Hampshire Public Radio. He is also a longtime professional actor, director, and teacher of theater. 

This program is free and open to the public.  It is sponsored by ‘The Historical Society’ and light refreshments will be served.  This night will be New England at its finest.  Don’t miss out.

Please check out our facebook page, please ‘like’, tag, and share our photos or events.  It’s also terrific when you upload photos of your own to our page when you participate in our events or classes.  We love the positive press from social networking!  If you haven’t already, do visit us at www.facebook.com/KimballLibrary.Atkinson.NH and peruse our many albums and see if you can find yourself or family members.

For more information or a list of upcoming programs, please visit our website at kimballlibrary.com, call (603) 362-5234, or email us at staff@kimballlibrary.com. 

Kimball Library News 2/17/14

During the month of March we ‘compete’ with music in our schools month and the opening of spring sports.  With that in mind, we have combined the tween and teen book discussion to take place on Wednesday, March 5^th, at 6:30pm and it will include grades 5-12.  We’ll be discussing the book ‘The Maze Runner’ by James Dashner which is the first book in the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series.  ‘The Maze Runner’ is a modern classic, perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent.  We have a number of copies of this available at the front desk for those interested in joining the discussion.  Please register online or in person and come pick up your copy.

Have you ever heard of our infamous ‘library buddy’ program that has always ‘sold out’ the past 6 years?  If you have children that match the grade, you should definitely sign them up soon.  This series of classes will be running from March 19 to April 23 on Wednesdays from 4-5pm.  Little buddies in grades k-3 can have an older buddy to read with, create projects with, play games with, and hang with.  Also, we are looking for capable teens and tweens (middle school and older) to play the part of the big buddy.  Please note the commitment, and ask to talk to Kathy Watson, Youth Services Director, if you are interested.   Buddies are expected to commit to all six weeks unless pre-arranged.  Generally, the first thirty minutes should be devoted to reading followed by puzzles, games, crafts or coloring. Crafts will be pre-selected for you.  All readers’ hours will be recorded. Your time spent with us may also be used toward community service hours (older buddies).  We have online registration for each of the age groups.  Please be careful choosing the correct icon -- little buddies (k-3) or t/ween buddies (grades 6-12).  The little buddy portion of program is for Kimball card holders only, please.  Registration is mandatory for both age groups.  

Just a reminder-- If you own an e-reader or tablet, you can have a lesson here on your tech toy (Kindle, iPad, Nook or other device compatible with Overdrive) and learn how to put a free e-book on it.  This is a private basic tutorial designed for novices and is limited to 30 minutes.  If you have questions you can ask for Kathy Watson at 603.362.5234.   Please do not come unannounced with your gadget hoping we can jump off the desk and help you.  This usually takes more than a few minutes, and we want to give you the time that you need to learn it well.  Tutorials are for Atkinson residents only, please.

Please check out our facebook page, please ‘like’, tag, and share our photos or events.  It’s also terrific when you upload photos of your own to our page when you participate in our events or classes.  We love the positive press from social networking!  If you haven’t already, do visit us at www.facebook.com/KimballLibrary.Atkinson.NH and peruse our many albums and see if you can find yourself or family members.

For more information or a list of upcoming programs, please visit our website at kimballlibrary.com, call (603) 362-5234, or email us at staff@kimballlibrary.com. 

Kimball Library News 2/10/14

Winter vacation week for many of the local schools is right around the corner (February 24-March 1) and we’re finishing our series on ‘What shall I do with the kids?”  Please take advantage of our varied activities and events as well as our museum passes.  If you head to our website and click on the calendar events icon you’ll see the details for each activity or museum.  Plan ahead and stay tuned on the Kimball Library blog if you missed any of our previous articles.

Thursday, February 27^th, is day four of our vacation week events.  Staff from ‘Imajine That’ museum is visiting and will hold a special art class for children ages 3-6 at 10:30am.  The limit is ten children maximum.  Please sign up when you know you can commit as we'd prefer you didn't take a seat from someone else.  Kimball cardholders only, please.  From ‘Imagine That’ -- Today is the ART STUDIO: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.  We will read a story about caring and sharing and make something special to share with someone you love.

Also on day four from 6:30-8:30pm is T/ween Movie Night showing ‘Thor: The Dark World’ for ages 10 and up.  Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. Invite friends (from any town) and register them and yourself!  Please respect our age restrictions.  Feel free to bring beverages in closed containers and movie candy.

We are rounding out the week on Friday by having a LEGO marathon in the children’s room from 10:15am-7:15pm.  We've got Legos and other building blocks of assorted sizes for you to share in community.  Playing at the library has some advantages--it keeps your house free from the blocks everywhere, and it's a good place to meet up with other like-minded Lego fiends or parents of Lego fiends.  This is a drop-in event and building structures will be put up and taken down throughout the day.  Pack up the kiddos and relax while the children put their imaginations to work. 

Some exceptions to our usual event patterns are as follows:  Mother Goose on the Loose will not meet for class on Monday, March 3, but as always parents are welcome to gather and use our wonderful room as a play date for the little ones.  Also, the March book discussion for teens and tweens is combined to meet on Wednesday, March 5, at 6:30pm to discuss ‘The Maze Runner’ by James Dashner.  This book holds unique appeal for both age groups.  Please register if you haven’t already done so.

Please check out our facebook page, please ‘like’, tag, and share our photos or events.  It’s also terrific when you upload photos of your own to our page when you participate in our events or classes.  We love the positive press from social networking!  If you haven’t already, do visit us at www.facebook.com/KimballLibrary.Atkinson.NH and peruse our many albums and see if you can find yourself or family members.

For more information or a list of upcoming programs, please visit our website at kimballlibrary.com, call (603) 362-5234, or email us at staff@kimballlibrary.com.