Next Week at the Library: 'I Am Jayvyn' Author Talk & 'Harriet' Movie Night!

During the last week of Black History Month, don't miss out on two library programs: Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 6pm: Maine author Peter D. Brown will discuss his historical novel of American slavery, I AM JAYVYN. Thursday, Feb. 27 at 5:30pm: 2019's biopic Harriet, which stars Cynthia Erivo of last year's Wicked!

Rice Public Library Weekly Newsletter  Thursday, February 20, 2025

What's New at the Library Town of Kittery Updates Additional Resources

To download a printable PDF of the monthly calendar, click on the image below or on this link: February 2025

Click here to view our online calendar to see further ahead and register for upcoming events!

Programs for Kids & Teens

Story Time with Miss Sarah

Every Tuesday & Friday // 10:30am Level 2, Story Time Area Come sing some songs, listen to some stories, and do a craft with your friends! If you can't make it on one day or the other, don't worry--the story and craft are the same on both days of the week. This program is designed for children and accompanying adults. Please plan to attend and be engaged with your child for this program. Drop offs will not be permitted. Stroller parking is available near the Story Time Area on Level 2.

Programs for Adults & Teens

I AM JAYVYN with Author Peter D. Brown Wednesday, Feb. 26 // 6:00pm Level L, Community Room Peter D. Brown is a Maine-based author of historical fiction with a deep interest in social justice and a passion for preserving history. Presented alongside proclivities typical of the human condition, he challenges his readers to confront uncomfortable truths and engage with the complexities of the human experience. I AM JAYVYN, a compelling work of historical fiction positioned to remind readers of the key role the enslaved played in the development of America. Circa 1710: On a beautiful morning full of hope and promise, twelve-year-old Jayvyn’s world is suddenly shattered when English slavers raid his peaceful village. In a whirlwind of change, Jayvyn survives the horrors of the middle passage alone, landing in Barbados, where he endures two years of ‘seasoning’ on a sugar plantation.  Jayvyn lives his life amongst a diverse cast of fellow enslaved in a world where love, hate, and cruelty coexist as families are formed and separated at the whim of masters who see the enslaved as nothing more than chattel property.  Over the course of his life, Jayvyn gains a healthy perspective on the virtues and flaws of humanity—even transcending the high threshold of forgiveness—leaving readers with abundant food for thought delivered in an appalling tale of pain and suffering, but also one of true faith and deliverance told through the clear lens of history. Click here to register.

Movie Night: Harriet (2019) Thursday, Feb. 27 // 5:30pm** Level L, Community Room Join us for pizza and the movie, Harriet (2019) starring Cynthia Erivo. "The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history." -IMDb.com. Rated PG-13, 2hr 5min runtime. **Note: this movie will be starting at 5:30pm, since it is longer than 2 hours. Please register so we order plenty of pizza! Click here to register.

Rice Pudding Podcast Episode 16: "Ephemerality" Featuring Poet Abbie Kiefer & Musician Kent Allyn Available Now!

Episode 16 of The Rice Pudding Poetry Podcast welcomes poet Abbie Kiefer, together with composer and multi-instrumentalist Kent Allyn, and Community Readers Becky May, Mac Petty, Anne Woods, and Rebecka Dykstra, all performing in a show called, “Ephemerality.”   Abbie is the author of Certain Shelter, published last year by June Road Press, and the chapbook Brief Histories. Her work is forthcoming or has appeared in Copper Nickel, Gulf Coast, The Missouri Review, Pleiades, Ploughshares, Prairie Schooner, The Southern Review, and other places.  Many of the poems you’ll hear on this show are drawn from Certain Shelter, a collection that contemplates crisscrossing losses: the death of a parent and the fading of a Maine mill town. As it gives voice to grief, this collection also considers how to find solace in an altered world. “Ephemerality” is available to stream or download now! Click here to listen on Podbean. Click here to listen on Spotify.

Books & Big Ideas Community Read Program Winter 2024-2025: Working Waterfront

The 5th Edition of Kittery's Community Read Program delves into the importance of working waterfronts, spotlighting Kittery's rich maritime heritage and the challenges and opportunities facing local coastal industries. For a pdf printable version of the book list, click here.

Upcoming Events: Gorgeous Art Displays at the Kittery Town Hall by Betsy Wish and Jim White - Showcasing the hard life of local lobstermen and other waterfront workers Friday, March 14, 2025 - Weathervane Lobster Lore, 10am at the Kittery Community Center Wednesday, March 19, 2025 – The Tide Mills of the York River, 6:30pm at the Kittery Community Center

Check out our new Streaming Video Library on CloudLibrary! Using the same CloudLibrary app and website, you can now watch a huge collection of streaming movies and TV shows! Just sign in with your library card number and look for the 'Movies' tab to get started! Check out our Growing Library of Things! CD Players Enjoy our vast audiobook collection or listen to your own tunes. DVD/Blu-Ray Players Hook this up to your TV and enjoy our great DVD collection! Ghost Hunting Kit Seek out the supernatural with the spookiest tech! Portable Optical Microscopes Magnify the tiniest things in the palm of your hand. Paper Shredder Empty those ancient banker's boxes and ease your mind! Pickleball Paddle Sets Hit the courts with a friend and become a champion. Refractor Telescope View the planets, the stars, and more, in your own backyard! Thermal Camera In the colder months, use this to find cold spots around your home. Ukuleles Pick up a new instrument and serenade your pets!

Do You Have a Library Card?

Did you know it's...

FREE if you live, work, or own property in Kittery or Kittery Point

$50/year if you're a non-resident $30/year if you're a non-resident, 55 or older

All you need for a FREE card: An official document or piece of mail with proof of residence or employment in town A phone number AND/OR email address We'll have your card ready for you in three minutes! Your library card gives you access to our full collection of books, movies, video games, books-on-CD, ebook and e-audiobook libraries--Libby & CloudLibrary--and a growing collection of equipment. If there's an item we don't have, you also automatically have access to nearly 80 other libraries' collections in Maine, and it'll be shipped here, free of charge, for you to borrow like any of our own items! On top of all that, you have access to a dozen discounted passes to museums and special attractions between Boston and Booth Bay Harbor! Click here to learn more about it! You can also get a Portland Public Library card if you have a Rice Public Library card and a valid photo ID! Apply for one at our Circulation Desk!

Do you drive, walk, or bike in Southern Maine? Click here to learn more about the upcoming development of the Southern Maine in Motion comprehensive plan. KACTS (Kittery Area Comprehensive Transportation System) is working on the plan now, based on feedback from a survey which wrapped up in late 2024.