Learn how to trace the history of your house!

     Join us on Monday, June 12 at 7pm, in the Lecture Hall at the Dover Public Library, for an informative free program on how to trace the history of your (Dover area) house. 

      Have you ever wondered about your house’s past? When was it built, and why?  Who owned it, and what happened to the occupants? Whether you're seeking documentation for historic status or are just plain inquisitive, tracing a property's history and learning about the people who lived there can be a fascinating and fulfilling project. Researching your home means becoming a local detective. 

     Using a combination of print and electronic resources, architectural and historical information, maps, obituaries, city directories, and census information, Library Director Cathy Beaudoin will present the best ways to begin the process of tracing your property.

      Cathy has been researching local residences and Dover neighborhoods for decades. She will primarily focus on Dover and Strafford County information sources, but the general suggested methods may be applied to almost any house, anywhere. Knowing your home’s history certainly will make you feel more connected and involved with its past, and you'll probably uncover some intriguing stories too!

For more information, please call the Dover Public Library at 603-516-6050.

The Library will be closed on Monday, May 29 for the Memorial Day holiday.

The Library will be closed on Monday, May 29 for the Memorial Day holiday.
NOTE: We are open both this Saturday 5/27 (9-5) and Sunday 5/28 (1-5) but this will be our last Sunday until September.
Weekday hours stay the same year-round, but we close at 1pm on Saturdays in the summer and are not open on Sundays.

SUMMER HOURS at the Library begin June 3 and are:
Mon-Tue-Wed 9am to 8:30pm
Th-Fr 9am to 5:30pm
Sat. 9am to 1pm
Sun. CLOSED (June, July, & August)

Help us take apart our old piano! ---Saturday, May 27

          The Dover Public Library is very pleased to present one of the most unique programs we’ve ever offered! After the donation of a new Steinway baby grand piano to the library, we pondered what to do with the old, battered piano which was slated for the dumpster.

           The library had hosted several STEM-related “Take Apart” programs in the past, where kids worked with hand tools to disassemble small appliances and electronics, to see what made them tick. So, we thought, why not take apart a large musical instrument? We enlisted the help of our expert piano tuner, Peter Poole, who will lead the deconstruction of the old piano on Saturday, May 27 at 10am in the Lecture Hall.

         Children in grades 3 and up may register to be part of Mr. Poole’s “Take-Apart” crew. Space is limited, so please register (children only, please) on the library’s website http://library.dover.nh.gov  or call the library at 603-516-6050. Peter will teach the participants about the complex inner workings of a piano as it’s slowly dissected. Adults are welcome to attend as observers and don’t need to register. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to learn about the parts of a piano first hand! 

            This one-of-a-kind program is free and will probably never be repeated! For more information, call Denise LaFrance at the Reference Desk, 603-516-6082.

          

Come "Walk Through the Delta" with blues duo Howard Stith and Mike Rogers, Tuesday, May 16 @ 7pm

     

The Friends of the Dover Library are pleased to welcome back one of our favorite musical duos for a return engagement on Tuesday evening, May 16 at 7pm.

      “Poor Howard” Stith and Mike “Bullfrog” Rogers bring alive the blues tradition that originated in the Mississippi delta region in the early 20th century. Howard is a scholar of early blues and has been performing for over forty years. Exposed to the music of Leadbelly, at an early age, He carries on the 12-string guitar style that emerged in the 1930ʼs, and also plays steel guitar in the “bottleneck” style made popular by Son House and Robert Johnson. In 2012, Howard represented New Hampshire at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

      Mike Rogers draws his harmonica style from the playing of Sonny Terry and John Sebastian, and although he has mastered many styles from folk to country, he captures perfectly the southern country blues of the depression. Mike brings the harmonica alive with such songs as “Run, Bead, Run” about a chicken-chasing dog and “Shorteninʼ Bread”, a classic to get everyone dancing. Mike has also competed in the International Blues Challenge, representing Maine in 2006.

     Together, this duo brings alive this important era of music.  “A Walk Through the Delta” is both educational and entertaining, mixing music and folk humor, and showing how this distinctly American music has gained international popularity. This lively, foot-tapping program is free and open to all in the Lecture Hall at the Dover Public Library. Join us! Call the library at 603-516-6050 for more information.