The Friends of the Amherst Library are looking for artists and photographers to participate in our October art exhibit.

 

Please contact Sharron April (672-8418) for more information.

Although September looms on the horizon, it still is summertime and the living should be...a little bit easier. Put off the back-to-school shopping and kick back with some fun, easy (and some "not so fluffy") summer reading from our August book display.

We all look forward to warm, lazy afternoons, the lure of the beach towel, or chaise lounge and even though you might not be able to get to the beach, some of these Beach Reads will help you feel like you're actually there. After all, summer reading should be pleasurable, so grab a glass of lemonade and read away. And while you're here fill out a ballot to tell us what your favorite beach is and be entered to win a few "Beachy" items and pick up a handy brochure listing many beaches in New Hampshire.

"Dream Big!" was the theme for a wonderful summer here at the ATL. The Children's Room was decorated with hundreds of stars, on which the 565 children who participated wrote their own Big Dreams. The children also created two enormous "dreamcatchers which hung suspended from the trees in the library lawn.

Not only did our readers meet the goal of reading for a total of 5,000 hours---they exceeded it by over 2,000 hours, totaling 7,109 hours of reading! Wow!

Since Miss Sue and Miss Sarah had promised them an Ice Cream Social if the goal was met, we "dished it out" on August 10th. Despite an ill-timed thunderstorm, over 300 people gathered for ice-cream in the Community Room of the Congregational Church.  We'd like to thank the church for allowing us the use of their space and to all of our wonderful volunteers!

In addition to all the reading that took place this summer, hundreds of Amherst children took advantage of the opportunities to hear stories at the town beach and the farmers market, to create crafts at the craft table, and to attend the Wednesday programs. All of the programs were lots of fun---live animals, musicians, magicians.... but without doubt the big favorite was the 1st Annual Amherst Town Library Pet Show!

Over the course of the sumer, our kids also worked at filling a huge jar with their spare change in order to make a donation to the Make a Wish Foundation of NH. Once the teen volunteers were done counting it up, we had totaled $262.00! That's a lot of nickels and dimes! 

All summer long, readers of all ages won great prizes that were generously supplied by many local businesses. Special thanks to: The Copper Door Restaurant, The Black Forest, Shorty's Grill, The Mile Away Restaurant, The Toadstool Bookshop, Homestead Grocery and Deli, Jakes Old Fashioned Ice Cream, Canobie Lake Park, Cinemagic of Merrimack, Giorgio's Restaurant, Labelle Winery, and NH Fishercats.  We appreciate everyone's generosity.

All in all, it was a "dream" of a summer!

Amherst Town Library