The Boothbay Region's Public Library | 4 Oak Street, Boothbay Harbor, ME | The world at your fingertips
The 14th annual Books in Boothbay: Maine’s Summer Book Fair will be held on Saturday, July 14, 2018 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM at Boothbay Railway Village in scenic Boothbay, Maine. Dozens of authors from around the state will attend to sign their books, discuss their writing, and meet their fans.
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
11:00 AM – Noon
in the Children’s Room
Join us for a GIANT PUPPET show!
Lindsay’s highly interactive, comedic performances delight the young and the young at heart! These larger than life, hand crafted puppets charm even the most timid audience members and provide memorable characters for positive short stories and skits. Kids chatter about their favorite puppets and funny moments long after a show!
Space in the children’s room is limited, please come early to assure your space.
All Ages (especially ages 3-8!)
John Farrell, principal in Maine’s groundbreaking Figures of Speech Theatre, recites from memory Four Quartets, a suite of poems often considered T.S. Eliot’s greatest, at the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library.
The performance will take place after hours in the Great Room on the first floor. Refreshments will be served. Space is limited, a ticket is required.
Tickets will be given out on a first-come first-served basis, admission is free, but a $5 suggested donation is appreciated.
Tickets will be released after the 4th of July.
This performance is a part of Figures of Speech Theatre’s 2018 Maine LibraryTour. An informal conversation with John Farrell will follow. For more information, please call 633-3112.
First undertaken in 2011 with permission — rarely granted — from Eliot’s estate, Farrell’s recitation of Four Quartets affords audiences an opportunity to immerse themselves in 1,000 lines of poetry exploring humankind’s relationship with time and with experience itself. An unquestioned masterpiece of 20th-century literature, T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets is a complex, deeply moving meditation on time, memory, and human striving toward the divine.
Eliot completed Four Quartets in 1941, as Britain slid into the abyss of World War II, and he feared that civilization itself might perish in the coming years. Writing at the height of his artistic powers, Eliot packed into the suite of poems a summation of his views on poetry and art, on mystical experience, and on the neverceasing search for the divine. The library tour’s first stop was at Merrill Memorial Library in Yarmouth, Maine, for a standing-room-only audience. Mary Dowd, curator of Poetry at the Library, wrote: “John Farrell was our bridge to the infinitely rich world of Four Quartets, in a milestone performance that surpassed what I expected, or could even imagine.”
“Unlike encountering the poems in a book,” Farrell says, “hearing them recited out loud gives people a chance to absorb a complex and nuanced work in a very direct way. At the same time, I bring an actor’s sensibility to the text and a commitment to delivering the poems in a way that allows the poetry to speak for itself.” The tour of Four Quartets is generously supported by the Maine Theater Fund of the Maine Community Foundation, in addition to an Arts & Humanities grant from the Maine Humanities Council and the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
In 2011, with rarely granted permission of the Eliot Estate, John Farrell committed to memory the one-thousand lines of Eliot’s masterpiece and prepared them for performance. John’s recitation of Four Quartets affords audiences an opportunity to immerse themselves in these gorgeous lines of poetry, spoken from memory, and renew their understanding of one the 20th century’s most exceptional poets.
Some commentaries on the poem:
Saturday, August 4, 2018
2:00 PM
Library Lawn
MOVED INSIDE DUE TO WEATHER!
Judith Kalaora, Founder and Artistic Director of History At Play, has garnered nationwide attention for her one-woman, living history performances, chronicling the lives of legendary women who changed society. Her breakout performance in A REVOLUTION OF HER OWN! has received accolades from journalists, actors, and historians alike and has earned national recognition, as the performance was an Official Selection of the United Solo Theatre Festival, performing on 42nd Street, New York City. Now, Deborah Sampson travels to Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library…
Deborah Sampson, the first woman to enlist, to fight, and to be honorably discharged from the American Military captivates audiences in an hour-long program chronicling her life. An indentured servant by age five, Deborah grew up in a man’s world, where women were naught but second-class citizens. Without the ability to vote or to own property, Deborah knew her options were limited; breaking the rules may be necessary to accomplish a greater goal in life.
As a self-educated woman, Deborah was the only schoolmarm in Middleborough, Massachusetts; however, she felt a higher calling, as she heard news of the rebellion, while working in the local tavern. After ten years working as a farm hand, Deborah was strong and possessed the physical capabilities of her male counterparts. And then, on May 23, 1782, wearing an old soldier’s uniform, Deborah bound her chest, tied back her hair, and enlisted in the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment of the Continental Army, under the alias “Robert Shurtlieff.”
Experience Deborah Sampson’s arduous upbringing, one and a half years of active combat, and success as the first female professional soldier, through interactive stories and authentic colonial attire. Deborah’s passion will take you back in time!
Suitable for all ages. Running Time: Approx. 60 minutes.
LIVE MUSIC: Friday, August 17
6:00 – 7:00 PM
Library Lawn
‘Ragtime’ Jack Radcliffe has been performing for more than 45 years. He is a master of traditional country blues and stride piano, and a powerful singer/songwriter, as well. He also accompanies himself on the guitar and harmonicas and has lately added the fiddle to his arsenal of musical weapons.
He was a fixture on the coffeehouse circuit in the late ’60s and early ’70s. His major early musical partnership was with Georgia country blues guitarist and singer Larry Johnson, in 1968 -1970. His band ‘The New Viper Revue’ pushed the genre envelopes of blues, folk, rock ‘n’ roll and jazz from 1972 -1976. Jack resumed his solo career in 1977, then teamed up with reed player Al Oliveira in 1983.
He retired from the music business, except for occasional local engagements, in 1987 to raise his sons. Now he’s back full-time in the music, directing Wepecket’s operations, producing other artists’ recordings and touring with the Rolling Roots Revue.
Jack was inducted into the Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame in August, 2014.
Join us for a “sit-in” movie on the library lawn. Bring a blanket or a camp chair, some snacks, and a friend to watch a film in the center of town! Movies are screened in fair weather only!***
All movies start at 8:00 PM
Friday, July 06: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Friday, July 13: What About Bob?
Friday, July 20: Jaws
Friday, August 3: Mulan
Friday, August 10: I Know a Man…Ashley Byan
Friday, August 17: The Sting
Friday, August 24: TBD
***Weather cancellations are made by 4:00 PM on the day of the show, and will be based on the forecast by WCSH6.
RAIN OR SHINE!
Harold Clifford Park Storytime Picnics
Thursdays, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Join Miss Harolyn, Children’s Librarian, for a lunchtime story at the park. Enjoy your lunch and story!
6/28/18 Storytime Picnic
7/5/18 Storytime Picnic
7/12/18 Storytime Picnic
7/19/18 Storytime Picnic
7/26/18 Storytime Picnic
8/2/18 Storytime Picnic
8/9/18 Storytime Picnic
8/16/18 Storytime Picnic
8/23/18 Storytime Picnic
Nutritious free meals are available for children and teens 18 and younger at many locations throughout the nation throughout the summer while school is out of session. Use the mapping tool below to find a site near you.
Summer Meals Finder: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks
View the 2018 Silent Auction List – Click!
Visit the library during operating hours to bid.
*OR*
Call the Library at 207-633-3112 or email desiree@bbhlibrary.org to place your bid remotely. (Phone and address are required for remote bids!)
Bidding ends at 4:00 pm, Saturday, May 26.
Annual, perennials, seedlings, and more! PLUS, a garden themed silent auction (Bidding OPEN, view list)
Fill your garden with beautiful plants while supporting the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library. The Library is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
Are you perennials screaming to be divided? Love sprouting seedlings, but can never plant them all….Support the Library plants sale fundraiser: Donate Plants!
If you have plants to donate to the sale, please drop them off at the library on Friday, May 25. Please have your plants labeled so we know what they are. Thank you! For any questions about donating to the plant sale, contact Joanna at the Library or email Bonnie at bginger@roadrunner.com.
On Wednesday, May 2 from 4 – 6 pm the entire region is invited to Celebrate Service with more than 20 not-for-profit organizations and the hundreds of volunteers that make our community such a wonderful place to live and work. The free event will take place inside the 1847 Boothbay Town Hall and on the Village Green at the Boothbay Railway Village.
The participating organizations have arranged for activities to thank those who volunteer to make our community better. There will be Model T Ford and barrel train rides as well as delicious refreshments and snacks. Guests can also pick up seeds and expert advice to start growing Atlantic Giant Pumpkins from the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta. Kids of all ages will enjoy a touch-a-truck with the Boothbay Fire Department.
There will also be opportunities to give back starting with a ‘stuff the Y bus’ to restock the food pantries at the Boothbay Middle and High Schools where students can have easy and confidential access to food with no questions asked. The Lincoln County Animal Shelter is bringing a van to accept donations to support their furry residents as well. Wish lists for both collection drives will be posted in the Register next week.
The participating organizations include Boothbay Community Resources Council, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Bigelow Laboratory, Boothbay Region Land Trust, Boothbay Railway Village, Boothbay Sea & Science Center, Boothbay Region Health Center, New Hope for Women, Windjammer Days, FISH, Rebuilding Together, Lincoln County Dental, The ‘Greens’, Lincoln County Animal Shelter, Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta, Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce, Boothbay Region YMCA, St. Andrew’s Village, Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library & Used Bookstore, Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club, People Helping People, Boothbay Charities Classic, Boothbay Fire Department, Boothbay Region Ambulance Service, Boothbay Region Student Aid Fund, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Catholic Charities SEARCH and the Keepers of the Burnt Island Light, Boothbay Region Lion’s Club.
Each participating organization will also have a table inside the 1847 Boothbay Town Hall where guests can find out about opportunities to volunteer. The Boothbay Region YMCA will provide an onsite babysitting service at the swing set, sand box and craft station for those with small children so they can visit the volunteer fair.
The event will take place inside the 1847 Boothbay Town Hall and on the Village Green at the Boothbay Railway Village. The event is free and there is no reservation required to attend. Parking is plentiful.
DAVE HIGGINS, ARTIST of the MONTH at BOOTHBAY HARBOR MEMORIAL LIBRARY.
An exhibit by Dave Higgins will be on display in the upstairs Community Room throughout May at normal library hours.
Born in Portland, Maine, Dave has been a photographer and educator for more than fifty years. He is a tech school graduate of graphic arts and over the years earned a BS in vocational education and a Master of Fine Arts – Visual Arts. Higgins taught photography and graphic design for twenty-five years and in 1999 he was Technology Teacher of the Year in New Hampshire. He retired from public education, but continued to teach photography and design at local art societies and workshops. Higgins’ work has been exhibited and published throughout New England as well as online. In 2005, he was Artist in Residence at Carina House on Monhegan Island.
Photography is Dave’s first love, and his images cover a wide spectrum of interests. Although much of his work could be called landscape, Higgins feels it is more about subtle relationships than grand vistas. He places emphasis on line, tone, form and relationships. Minimalism is often an important concept in his work. Twenty years ago he moved completely into digital photography which allowed him to simplify and blur borders between black and white and color, between photography and other art forms, and especially between the real and the perceived.
These ideas led him back to painting, a medium he had not used since he was in his twenties. Compositional techniques and camera ‘points of view’ in his photographic work readily transferred to his painting and drawing. He soon found that his photography and painting influenced each other. In 2012, he had an epiphany and began to combine both art forms with computer technology. These images often start with a photograph and digital brushes, various software, filters and/or screens are used to develop a scene. The resultant works are neither photographs nor paintings, but an amalgamation of the two into something new. Higgins now finds his options for expressing his vision are truly limitless.
More of Dave’s work can be seen on his website: http://www.d-higgins.com.