Are you aware this is Fire Prevention Week? Well, it is! Topsham Fire and Rescue in conjunction with the American Red Cross of Maine is providing FREE smoke alarms installed on Saturday, October 22, 2016. Registration is required – read below for details and the link to the American Red Cross of Maine can be found at the bottom of the blog post or by clicking on the flyer.
It is hard to believe Friends of the Topsham Public Library
Annual Book Sale has come and gone! Hundreds of hours are put into the book sale by many volunteers and all to support Friends of the Topsham Public Library.
Perhaps you are new to our community and aren’t quite sure what Friends of Topsham Public Library (FoTPL) is. Let me tell you. FoTPL is an organization run by volunteers that provides funding for the programming you enjoy at Topsham Public Library.
As some of these volunteers were setting up for the book sale, I was able to spend a few minutes with them and discuss the importance of FoTPL.
First, I should introduce you to the volunteers with whom I spoke. Ruth Mlotek has been with Friends of the Topsham Public Library since its inception in 1998, Kim Fletcher has been a Friend for six years, Lori Alberti for seven years, Alison Harris for nine years, and Bob and Joyce Munier for three years.
The first question I asked them was why are they members of FoTPL. The answers were summed up nicely by Joyce: “We love Topsham Public Library. That’s why we’re here.” These volunteers do so to help their community by supporting their library.
We talk a lot about FoTPL around here, but I asked them, “What does FoTPL do for the community?” They looked at me like I was balmy. Kim pointed out that FoTPL provides all the programming offered at Topsham Public Library, and Alison expanded and said the programming that libraries offer is accessible to people who may not normally participate as libraries are open to the public and not just specific segments of a community.
If you noticed, these volunteers have been with FoTPL for a number of years, and they love it, but they need more help, more families involved. So I asked, “How would you convince someone new to our community, or a young adult, or a parent, to become involved in FoTPL.” They were all quick with their responses. Ruth noted that FoTPL support the programming that many parents bring their children to; Kim said that it is a great way for parents to teach their children about volunteering; they all talked about the fun they have, that individuals decide how much time they want to give, so they can spend as much or as little time as they want, and that fresh blood brings new ideas that make an organization vibrant.
Thank you to the many volunteers for the hundreds of hours they worked to support Topsham Public Library! And if you would like to become a member of FoTPL and to contribute your time to this community organization click here.
I have always thought of Topsham Public Library as a place to go and relax and enjoy programming and find books and talk with others about books and ideas and enjoy garden spaces and check out books on gardening and get good movies and bad movies too, but as I was thinking about Banned Books week, I realized Topsham Public Library, and all libraries really, are Defenders of my rights as well. Libraries, and the American Library Association, defend our “freedom to read.”
If libraries didn’t defend our right to read and to make sure books aren’t banned, I never would have been able to read Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, or Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Green or Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien or The Holy Bible which was in the top 10 of 2015’s most challenged books.
There are some books I won’t read, and there are some books that you won’t read. It’s what makes us individuals, and that’s how it’s supposed to be. Topsham Public Library provides me with the books that I want to read, just like it provides you with books that you want to read, and it defends our right to read what we want. There are some people who will strive to control what books are available, and libraries will strive to defend people’s right to read.
Emma has a display of banned books. Are any of your favorites there?
It’s fast approaching, folks! Do you know what this weekend is? It’s the Friends of the Topsham Public Library Book Sale! If you are a member of Friends of the Topsham Public Library, there is a preview sale open to you on Friday, September 23 from 5pm-7pm. (If you are not a member and would like to become a member, you may purchase a membership at the door.) Then on Saturday, September 24 from 9am-4pm and Sunday, September 25 from 10am-2pm the book sale is open to the public. Sunday is the brown bag sale!
I look forward to this sale every year as I stock up on books I’ve already read and want to own and discover unique books or authors that are new to me. I asked members of the staff of Topsham Public Library if there were any special books that they had found at the annual book sale over the years, and here is what they said:
One of Cyndi’s favorite finds is Nightmares in the Sky text by Stephen King and photographs by F-Stop Fitzgerald. This is a collection of spine chilling photographs of gargoyles that will leave you feeling a little creeped out.
Emma’s unique find is an illustrated edition of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Not only is Wuthering Heights one of her favorite books as it is set in Yorkshire where she (and the Brontes) are from, but the book is illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg with wood engraving, a printmaking technique that Emma is fond of.
Just last year, Mariah was excited to find the ENTIRE Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. That’s thirteen books!
And Julie says, “My favorite and best pick from the book sale is the Pictorial Guide to Perennials. I look at this book all the time. I dream about some of the plants being in my own garden. I say dream because I can never find the time to actually get the plants into my garden! Or I might have some of the plants ( I can tell because the pictures actually look like my plants!) but I just wish I could spend more time enjoying them. But this book does not mess around. It has a picture of the plant, it’s Latin classification names, common names, descriptions of the plant, what kind of soil it prefers, how it ‘winters’, which zones are best for growing it, spacing of the plants and how to propagate them. That’s just some of the information it gives! It really is a fantastic book and I glad I found it at our book sale!”
As you can see from this small sampling, there is something for everyone: non-fiction, fiction, scary, educational, inspiring, and a grand selection of children’s books as well. So clear your calendars and come see us at the Friends of the Topsham Public Library Annual Book Sale!
You can find a flyer here: book sale poster 2016.
Below is an update by Jim Demosthenes about the gardens at Topsham Public Library. The gardens are maintained by a talented group of volunteers.
Our demonstration gardens behind the library are producing vegetables to help support food security needs in our community.
Last October seed garlic was planted on the keyhole garden, a round mounded garden area that includes a compost bin to naturally provide soil nutrients to the plant roots. Individual cloves were separated from the bulb and planted in the soil. 
Newspaper and straw was applied on top of the mound to help prevent weeds from growing and to protect moisture content in the soil. The cloves began to grow roots in the fall. After overwintering, the garlic began to grow green shoots out of the soil and the root system, established in the fall, began to mature. In June garlic scapes were harvested. Scapes are the flower bud of the garlic plant. They can be used as an addition to a flower bouquet, and they are delicious to eat! By removing the scapes, the plant energy is directed to the root system to produce larger garlic bulbs. In early July the green shoots began to die indicating that harvesting the garlic bulbs would need to be completed within the next few weeks. Otherwise, the cloves contained in the bulbs would start to separate and garlic storage could be compromised. In mid July the bulbs were harvested, allowed to naturally dry for several days, and then cleaned and cut. A total of thirty one bulbs were harvested. Five bulbs were set aside to replant in October as seed garlic for next year’s crop (avoiding the cost of purchasing additional seed garlic). The remaining garlic bulbs (similar to the one on display) were donated to the Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program (MCHPP) in Brunswick.
Within the same garden are onion plants which are growing nicely. They will be harvested in the fall and donated to MCHPP as well.
The construction of the keyhole garden (with compost bin) helps to maintain moisture and provide food for the plants. No additional watering, artificial fertilizers, or weeding was needed. This demonstration garden shows how easily food can be grown and also shows one of the many ways the Topsham Public Library contributes to the needs of the community.
It has been fun and encouraging to see the number of submissions grow each year and the new categories that have been added since its launch, and we are excited to see how Joy of the Pen will continue to flourish this year as well.
Saturday, September 3, 2016, Topsham Public Library begins accepting submissions to this year’s Joy of the Pen. For those of you who may not have heard of Joy of the Pen, it is a free-to-enter annual writing competition sponsored by Topsham Public Library, The Cryer Online, The Friends of the Topsham Public Library, Just Write Books and the TPL Teen Room.
The categories are: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, Maine related nonfiction, and a teen category for writers aged 11-18 years old. For all the details and the application click here.
Six times. He has tried six times, but this time Larry Fitch is determined to get through James Joyce’s Ulysses. Intrigued by all the layers and interwoven threads that Joyce melds into the story, Larry is resolute in his pursuit to finish this story by one of Ireland’s greatest writers.
Books and libraries have always been a part of Larry’s life. He remembers getting his Boston Public Library card (Allston Branch) when he was a child, and in high school, he utilized the library to do his homework every night. But one of Larry’s proudest achievements was when he, as a workforce innovator, in conjunction with Bonita-Sunnyside Branch of the San Diego County Library, developed a career center in the library. They have designated space, computers, and resources for the career center. They offer workshops and Larry did labor market analysis to connect people with companies in need. After he retired, they decided to move to Maine, and Larry became involved in Topsham Public Library and is now serving on the Board of Trustees, and this year he is President of the Board.
Larry is a great advocate for libraries and the services they provide. He considers libraries to be “a great equalizer”; regardless of economic background, race, gender identification or education level, libraries treat everyone as equals. Libraries are an important tool that signifies quality of life, according to Larry, and they are places where you not only get to attend lectures and programs and enjoy gardens, but they are places where you can be serene and thoughtful and where you gain understanding about your self, your community, and your world.
Though he can’t pinpoint a first favorite book from childhood, Larry recalls many that he enjoyed: Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes, Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne (which he also read in Latin), The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. Now, Larry enjoys historical fiction because the reader is given the historical context without the dryness of non-fiction. Science fiction is another favorite genre of his, and Isaac Asimov is one of his favorite sci-fi writers.
If Larry could invite anyone to dinner, historical figures included, he would like to spend time with Albert Einstein, not just for his brilliance, but because of his good sense of humor; John F. Kennedy because he inspired Larry’s generation to do good and because of their Boston connection; Ray Bradbury because of his imagination; Anita Diamant, with whom he attended a Boston Red Sox game and is another Boston child; Margaret Chase Smith not only because of her important role in the women’s movement, but she was also a politician that could engage in true dialogue with those who saw things differently than she did; Carl Sagan because he made science fun and available to the masses; Kurt Vonnegut because Larry thinks Slaughterhouse 5, is one of the best books of all time; and Sigmund Freud so he could psychoanalyze everyone.
Photography is another love of Larry’s. He is a member of First Light Camera Club and enjoys the variety of outings they go on. As well as serving as President of the Board of Trustees for Topsham Public Library, he is also on the Topsham Development, Inc board. He endeavors to serve Topsham and help shape Topsham into the community it wants to be.
Larry is excited and honored to fulfill his duties, and he has a real heart for our shared community. When you see him, be sure to say hi.
Didn’t school just let out for the summer? Didn’t we celebrate the Fourth of July just last weekend? Where has the summer gone? It feels like summer is just beginning and it’s hard to believe September is only two weeks away.
As summer comes to an end, so does Topsham Public Library’s summer reading program. Are you still working on a bookmark? August 27 is the final day of our summer reading program, so make sure you get those finished up and turned in!
Teens, are you looking for some additional ways to earn some extra raffle tickets? Don’t forget this Saturday, August 20, 2016 from 10am-2pm you can create your own beach scene with the Sea and Sand Painting craft. This will earn you 3 more tickets! You can also drop by Topsham Public Library anytime and check out the Fast Arts (Farts) ideas in the YA room.
No matter how many bookmarks you have completed, we hope you have enjoyed this year’s summer reading. We have thoroughly enjoyed all of you coming in and excitedly marking off the progress on your bookmarks and participating in the many summer programs.
Topsham is home to a few gems, and the Topsham Fair is one of them. Entering its 162nd year, festivities begin Sunday and Monday with free harness-racing at 5pm, and then the full fair schedule unfolds on Tuesday with special events and entertainment all week long.
Some of the highlights: Tuesday at 2pm, the Coastal Cloggers will be performing, and then at 6pm enjoy a concert with The Mallet Brothers Band; Wednesday, Madscience Marvels at 4pm, and the Demolition Derby at 7pm; Thursday, let yourself be entertained by Jeff Herbster Bagpiper at 2pm and you might want to plug your ears ‘cuz its Monster Trucks at 7pm; Friday, the pig scramble is at 5:30pm and Monster Trucks are back at 7pm; Saturday, enjoy Saltwater Hillbilly at 3pm, then Mike Preston and the Buckstop Band featuring Kim Curry at 5:30, and stick around for the fireworks at 10pm.
There is so much more like cooking contests, all kinds of animal shows and 4-H demonstrations and an exhibit hall full of quilting, knitting and crafting entries. Check out their website for a full schedule of events and more information: www.topshamfair.net
Remember our burst pipes and how we had to cancel the happy hour scheduled to celebrate that Topsham Public Library is open again on Wednesday evenings? Well, we have rescheduled!
Please join us, Wednesday, August 3, 2016 (next Wednesday) at 5pm for mocktails in the gallery. These are special mocktails made with Tang – the drink of astronauts everywhere. Then, if you want, stay for a special Show and Tell with a Space Pioneer at 6pm!
Mr. George Krassner is a Topsham resident and a space pioneer. His designs were used in the world’s first communication and weather satellites and for the fuel control system in the command module of the Apollo spacecraft. He will share insider stories, secrets, and goofs of the space program, display memorabilia and play the taped recording of President Eisenhower’s message of peace to the world from the first communication satellite, using the electronics designed by Mr. Krassner. You don’t want to miss it!!
If you can’t make it for this special event, please, don’t forget Topsham Public Library is now open Wednesdays until 8pm. Our schedule is: Sunday/Monday closed, Tuesday – Thursday 9am-8pm, Friday 9am-5pm, and Saturday 9am-4pm.
If you’re a teen and would like to make awesome galaxy art like the one featured in this blog post, register now by emailing cyndi@topshamlibrary.org to take part on Saturday, August 6 at 1pm!
See you at Topsham Public Library!