Free Dover Movie Premiere of Christmas Incorporated

Tuesday, December 18,  at 6:30pm, the library will be screening the Hallmark Channel movie, “Christmas Incorporated” which is set in Dover, New Hampshire! Have you ever flown out of the “Dover Regional Airport”? It does exist in this holiday story of Dover’s fight to save its struggling toy factory, housed in the gigantic downtown mills.

Yes, it’s fiction, but you can delight in Hollywood’s interpretation of the Garrison City at this free Dover movie premiere. “Christmas Incorporated” involves a young woman, Riley Vance, who lands a job with wealthy entrepreneur William Young. He is poised to close Dover’s toy factory just before Christmas, which would devastate the entire town. Riley must convince him otherwise! 

           Do Riley and William find love in Dover, NH? It was filmed in California so there are no real Dover scenes, but it’s a lot of fun to watch this sentimental interpretation of our fair city.  Scriptwriter Brook Durham grew up in the Seacoast area and says that the old mills in downtown Dover inspired the story. 

         

We will be closed Friday, December 7

The Library will be closed on Friday, December 7 for our annual Staff Development & Training Day. We will be open Saturday 9-5 and Sunday 1-5 as usual.

2018 Librarians’ Choice Is Now Available

We are proud to present the 2018 Librarians’ Choice; our favorite books of the year. We hope you enjoy them!

Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott
The Darkling Bride by Laura Andersen
Speak: The Graphic Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson
The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews
Dreadful Young Ladies by Kelly Barnhill
White Houses by Amy Bloom
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place by C. Alan Bradley
Our House by Louise Candlish
The Girl Who Never Read Noam Chomsky by Jana Casale
Little Moments of Love by Catana Chetwynd
Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen
The Endless Beach by Jenny Colgan
Vox by Christina Dalcher
The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis
I’ll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa de los Santos
French Exit by Patrick deWitt
The Bad Daughter by Joy Fielding
Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
The Other Mother by Carol Goodman
Less by Andrew Greer
The Comforts of Home by Susan Hill
Southernmost by Silas House
The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce
The Golden State by Lydia Kiesling
Elevation by Stephen King
April in Paris, 1921 by Tessa Lunney
Women of the Dunes by Sarah Maine
The Kremlin’s Candidate by Jason Matthews
Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy
Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
The Missing Wife by Sheila O’Flanagan
Hotel Silence by Audur Ava Olafsdottir
There, There by Tommy Orange
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce
A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
The Runaways: Find your way home by Rainbow Rowell
After Anna by Lisa Scottoline
You Think It, I’ll Say It: Stories by Curtis Sittenfeld
Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter
Sheets by Brenna Thummler
The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Dreams of Falling by Karen White
Summer on the River by Marcia Willett
Tin Man by Sarah Winman
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas

Non-Fiction

Bad Stories: What the Hell Just Happened to Our Country by Steve Almond
Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu
The Traveling Feast: On the Road and at the Table with My Heroes by Rick Bass
The Best Cook in the World by Rick Bragg
Small Animals: Parenthood in the Age of Fear by Kim Brooks
An Unexplained Death by Mikita Brottman
The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle
Look alive Out There by Sloane Crosley
The librarian's guide to homelessness: an empathy-driven approach to solving problems, preventing conflict, and serving everyone by Ryan Dowd
In Pieces by Sally Field
Beautiful Country Burn Again by Ben Fountain
Total Cat Mojo by Jackson Galaxy
The Creative Curve by Allen Gannett
The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King
My Twenty-Five Years in Provence: Reflections on Then and Now by Peter Mayle
The Pretty Dish by Jessica Merchant
I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
How To Be a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery
Open Mic Night in Moscow by Audrey Murray
Just Sit: A Meditation Guidebook for People Who Know They Should But Don't by Sukey Novogratz
I am, I am by Maggie O’Farrell
The Little Book of Feminist Saints by Julia Pierpoint
Sting-Ray Afternoons by Steve Rushin
Calypso by David Sedaris
Educated by Tara Westover

Hear Seth Ulinksi talk about his book "Amazing Heights" on Dec. 11, 6:30pm

Local author Seth Ulinski will be speaking at the library on Tuesday, December 11 at 6:30pm about his recently published book “Amazing Heights: How Short Men Stand Tall”. The library enjoys helping authors promote their works to the wider public. A copy of Seth’s book is located in the library’s collection.

Seth notes that the personal development industry will surpass $10 billion in 2018 but you would be hard-pressed to find anything that addresses the unique challenges of one particular group: short guys. Per the U.S. Census Bureau, there are approximately 60 million adult males below average height, which is 5’10’’. Only a select few in the men’s clothing industry have recognized that one size does not fit everyone under 5’10’’. With this in mind, “Amazing Heights” is the first personal development book dedicated to the short guy fraternity. 

Since he was a kid, Seth has been fascinated with sports. He played basketball, baseball, and

football until a car accident in his sophomore year of high school. Multiple surgeries and a long 

recovery process gave him a stronger appreciation for seatbelts and good health. As an adult, Seth was diagnosed with rare autoimmune disorders, requiring thyroid and eye surgery. While educating himself on how to manage these life-altering events, Seth realized the value of self-care. Today, he’s grateful for these setbacks, drawing strength, courage, and wisdom from them as part of his wider self-improvement work. Read more on Seth’s blog at https://amazingheights.blog/.

Seth Ulinski is a Dover NH resident and a graduate of Clemson University in South Carolina. While attending Clemson, Seth was a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. At 5’7”, he is also a member of the short guy fraternity.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information call the Library at 603-516-6050. 

Hear the Story of How Durham Said No to an Oil Refinery

Local author David W. Moore will be speaking at the library on Wednesday, December 5 at 6:30pm about his recent book “Small Town, Big Oil: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the Richest Man in the World – And Won” which tells the story of the attempt in 1973 by Aristotle Onassis to build the world's largest oil refinery in the town of Durham, NH.

But three women vehemently opposed the project– Nancy Sandberg, who founded Save Our Shores; Dudley Dudley, the state rep who took the fight to the legislature; and Phyllis Bennett, the publisher of a local newspaper. “Small Town, Big Oil” tells their story. 

David W. Moore is a senior fellow of the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire. A former senior editor of the Gallup Poll, where he worked for thirteen years, Moore also served as professor of political science at UNH and is the founder and former director of the UNH Survey Center. He lives in Durham, New Hampshire.David will sign copies of his book, which will be on sale at this event. Join us!

Two special Christmas films at the Library Dec. 17 & 18

Join us at the Dover Public Library on Monday, December 17 at 6:30pm as we sing, shout, and snack along to an interactive showing of the uproariously funny Will Ferrell movie, “Elf”!  The movie is free, but preregistration is required as each audience member will receive a prop bag full of surprises and instructions on how to interact with the movie as it plays. Please sign up for “Elf Interactive” on our website: library.dover.nh.gov or call 603-516-6050. All ages welcome!

Then, the next night, on Tuesday, December 18, also at 6:30pm, the library will be screening the Hallmark Channel movie, “Christmas Incorporated” which is set in Dover, New Hampshire!  No preregistration is required for this film. Have you ever flown out of the “Dover Regional Airport”? It really does exist in this holiday story of Dover’s fight to save its struggling toy factory, housed in the gigantic downtown mills.

Yes, it’s fiction, but you can delight in Hollywood’s interpretation of the Garrison City at this free Dover movie premiere. “Christmas Incorporated” involves a young woman, Riley Vance, who lands a job with wealthy entrepreneur William Young. He is poised to close Dover’s toy factory just before Christmas, which would devastate the entire town. Riley must convince him otherwise! 

           Do Riley and William find love in Dover, NH? Well, duh! No spoilers, but it’s a Hallmark Christmas movie so of course everything turns out fine! It was filmed in California so there are no real Dover scenes, but it’s a lot of fun to watch this sentimental interpretation of our fair city.  Scriptwriter Brook Durham grew up in the Seacoast area and says that the old mills in downtown Dover inspired the story. 

           Two films, two nights: you must preregister for “Elf Interactive” on December 17 but no registration is required for “Christmas Incorporated on December 18. Please call the Dover Public Library for more information at 603-516-6050.

         

The Library will be closed on Friday, December 7

The Library will be closed on Friday, December 7 for our annual Staff Development & Training Day. (Open Saturday 9-5 and Sunday 1-5 as usual.)

Friends of the Library Program, Butterfly – Life of artist James McNeil Whistler Postponed

Tonight's program on James McNeil Whistler by Stephen Collins, has been postponed due to the snowstorm. It will be rescheduled to a later date. Here are the details of the program:

Butterfly”, is a one-man show about the life and times of New England native, James McNeil Whistler, the Volatile American artist who struggled for personal freedom and artistic expression mostly in Victorian England. He was a leading proponent of the credo, “art for art’s sake”. The play depicts Whistler at two phases of his life – first, as a bankrupt artist on commission in Venice in his forties, and then the established yet lonely legend in his sixties in London.

The title of the play is drawn from the artist’s signature on his paintings which was in the shape of a stylized butterfly possessing a long stinger for a tail. The symbol combined two aspects of his personality – his art which was characterized by a subtle delicacy and his public persona which was combative. Whistler blended his work with music by entitling them “arrangements”, “harmonies”, and “nocturnes”. The play ends with a pointy description of how Whistler came to paint his most famous painting, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, which is commonly known as Whistler’s Mother – the revered portrait of motherhood.

Thanksgiving Hours

Thanksgiving hours @ the Library:

Mon-Tue 9am to 8:30pm
Wed. 9am to 5:30pm
Thu-Fri CLOSED for Thanksgiving holiday
Saturday 9am to 5pm
Sunday CLOSED for Holiday Parade

Stephen Collins performs as artist James McNeill Whistler on Tuesday, November 20, 7pm

      The Friends of the Dover Public Library are once again pleased to host actor and stage performer Stephen Collins on Tuesday, November 20 at 7pm in the Library’s Lecture Hall. His one-man show, “Butterfly”, will focus on the life and times of New England native, James McNeil Whistler (1834—1903), the volatile American artist who struggled for personal freedom and artistic expression. Whistler was a leading proponent of the credo, “art for art’s sake”. Collins depicts Whistler at two phases of his life – first, as a bankrupt artist on commission in Venice in his forties, and then as the established, yet lonely, legend in his sixties in London.

The title of the play is drawn from the artist’s signature on his paintings, which was in the shape of a stylized butterfly possessing a long stinger for a tail. The symbol combined two aspects of his personality – his art, characterized by a subtle delicacy, and his public persona, which was combative. The portrayal ends with Whistler describing how he created his most famous painting, “Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1”, commonly known as “Whistler’s Mother” – the revered portrait of motherhood.

Stephen Collins is a classically trained actor. He has performed twice earlier this year at the Dover Public Library as Walt Whitman, and, in a program on justice, as William Lloyd Garrison, John Brown Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Hardy.

He currently performs nine one-man shows and has received rave reviews for over a decade. Mr. Collins’ performances brings poets, artists, statesmen, and playwrights to life on the stage. Join us for this free theatrical performance at the Dover Public Library! For more information, call (603) 516-6050.

Remembering Dover's Ace Pilot

Joseph McConnell, Jr. was born January 30, 1922 in Dover, NH. At 19 years old he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was a navigator in a B-24 Liberator during World War II and had an exemplary war record. After the war, he decided to make the Air Force his career. He became a pilot in the USAF in 1948.

During the Korean War he flew combat missions over Korea.  During McConnell’s very first mission in Korea, in January 1953, he shot down an enemy MIG-15. Captain McConnell was shot down April 12, 1953 over the Yellow Sea in a skirmish with several MIGs. He was able to eject safely and was rescued by a helicopter. He returned to combat the same day. He shot down three MIGs during two separate missions, making him a triple ace (fifteen kills). He shot down 16 MIGs in just four months, becoming the highest scoring ace of the war. He still ranks as the top ace in US military history.  His actions in combat earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross and Silver Star.   He later became a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base. On August 25, 1954, during a test flight, his airplane suffered a malfunction. Captain McConnell attempted to fly the plane back to the base but was forced to eject several miles short. He had waited too long; the parachute did not have time to open. Captain Joseph McConnell died upon impact.

Hollywood memorialized Captain McConnell and his exploits in The McConnell Story, starring Alan Ladd and June Allyson. The movie had its premiere at the Strand Theatre here in Dover on August 15, 1955.

The library will be closed on Monday, November 12

The library will be closed on Monday, November 12 for the Veterans Day holiday. Open as usual Saturday 9-5 and Sunday 1-5.

Vote Smart Program

The Library is very pleased that we have been selected to be the only stop on a national tour by VoteSmart.org president Richard Kimball on Thursday November 1st at 7pm. Richard Kimball  is touring the country to promote the research offered by his site VoteSmart.org and to let people know about the free access to the site which will give everyone who accesses it clear, up-to-date, and non-partisan information on every single candidate on the ballot this fall. Richard Kimball will speak in the McConnell Center Cafeteria located down the stairs at Door #2 at 61 Locust Street in Dover, NH at 7pm on Thursday, November 1. The event is co-sponsored by the Dover Democrats and the Stafford County Republicans. 

Vote Smart allows people to access files on every candidate in six key areas: Biography, Values, Positions, Ratings, and Speeches and Funding. Access is available free at the website http://votesmart.org or via toll-free Voter’s Research Hotline (1-888-VoteSmart). Copies of the Vote Smart’s 2018 “Voter’s Self-Defense Manual” will be available free to those who attend this program. Get there early to make sure you get one before they run out.

Get Lit Wednesday, November 7

Join Dover Public Library's brand new book club as we discuss Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig. Enjoy a specialty cocktail and discounted food courtesy of Sonny's Tavern. Copies of the book are available using Hoopla Digital and NH Overdrive. All are welcome! Wednesday, November 7, 6:30—7:30 PM at Sonny's Tavern

 

 

 

Friends of the Library Annual Booksale

Doors open at 9am on Friday, October 26 for the Friends of the Library’s annual, two-week-long, gigantic fall booksale at the Dover Public Library. Only library cardholders will be able to purchase items on the first day of the sale so be sure to bring your Dover borrower’s card with you on the 26th! The sale opens to non-cardholders and the general public at 9am on Saturday, October 27.

Thousands of paperbacks, hardcover books, and media items for all ages will be available at prices from $.50 to $2.00. Many of the sale items are books donated to the library, while others are items discarded from the library’s collections. Booksale prices will be further reduced on Wednesday, October 31, and during Week #2 of the booksale, November 5-11, the remainder of the items will be sold for the bargain price of just $1.00 per bag or boxful. Any leftover books will be given away for free beginning Tuesday, November 13.

The library requests that no further book donations be made after October 8. Donations will again be accepted after November 18.

All proceeds benefit the Friends of the Library, a 501(c)3 charitable organization which last year donated over $15,000 to the library for museum passes, children’s and adult programs, furnishings and equipment. Applications to join the Friends of the Library are available at the library’s circulation desk.

Membership is $10 annually or $7 for seniors. Friends who work at the booksale receive a 50% discount on purchases.

For more information, please call the Circulation Desk at 603-516-6050.

Library hours are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 9am to 8:30pm; Thursday and Friday 9am to 5:30pm; Saturday 9am to 5pm; and Sunday 1-5pm. The Library will be closed on Monday, November 12 for the Veterans Day holiday.

How Sweet It is! The Exciting Life of the Honey Bee on October 16, 7pm

The Friends of the Dover Public Library are pleased to present a fascinating slide program by renowned local beekeeper Wendy Booth on Tuesday evening, October 16 at 7pm in the library’s Lecture Hall.

          Wendy will share her passion for honey bees in “How Sweet It Is: the Exciting Life of the Honey Bee”.  Learn and laugh as you are amazed by these tiny insects that produce such a delicious sweet syrup. Come and hear about the bees’ division of labor, the many processes that result in their creation of honey, and the roles of Her Royal Highness the Queen, the workers and the drones.  

          Wendy Booth is past president of New Hampshire Beekeepers, 2018 Beekeeper of the Year NH, and has been featured on WMUR’s New Hampshire Chronicle and with Laura Kinoy on NH Public Radio. She has many published bee photos to her credit.  All ages are welcome to attend and honey tasting will be offered.  For more information, call the Dover Public Library at (603) 516-6050.

We Have a New Book Club!

Get Lit! A New Book Group for Adults

Wednesday, September 26 6:30—8:00 PM at Sonny's Tavern

Join Dover Public Library's brand new book club as we discuss Tangerine by Christine Mangan. 

Enjoy a specialty cocktail and discounted food courtesy of Sonny's Tavern. 

Copies of the book are available on Hoopla Digital.  

All are welcome!
For more information, call the library at (603) 516-6050 or e-mail Emily Fortin at e.fortin@dover.nh.gov.

Lecture and Book Signing with Julie Boardman, Author of Death in the White Mountains

Julie Boardman, author of the book Death in the White Mountains, will present a program based on her book at the Dover Public Library on Wednesday, September 26 at 6:30pm.

Death in the White Mountains is the first book to focus on fatalities in the entire region. Boardman points out that “a great deal has been written about deaths on Mount Washington, yet in recent years, more people have died elsewhere in the White Mountains. I wanted people to realize that dangers exist in many areas.”
   Using a variety of sources, she compiled a list of 219 hikers, climbers and backcountry skiers who have died.Each of the first nine chapters of the book is devoted to a cause of death. These include falls, hypothermia, natural causes, avalanches, drowning, lightning strikes and freak accidents, lost hikers who were never found, hypothermia, and murder. 

Julia Boardman is the author of When Women and Mountains Meet, a book about the women who shaped the interesting history of the White Mountains. Her work has appeared in Appalachia (the journal of the Appalachian Mountain Club), Sierra (the magazine of the Sierra Club), Connecticut Audubon and many other publications. Since moving to New London, New Hampshire in 1990, she has hiked extensively throughout New England and climbed all the peaks in the region that are over 4,000 feet high.

Copies of Death in the White Mountains will be for sale at the event for the special price of $15. She will be pleased to inscribe books also.

Musician Cormac McCarthy entertains on September 18 @ 7pm

     

The Friends of the Dover Public Library are pleased to host a performance by noted musician and poet Cormac McCarthy on Tuesday, September 18 at 7pm. Hitch a ride into small town life through McCarthy’s original songs and stories from his fifth recording, “Collateral”.

     Meet the slightly odd townsfolk enjoying a Saturday night dance at “The Marigold Hal”; the homeless man who gets himself thrown in jail seeking a warm bed for the winter in “Adrift in the Mountains”; the weary millworker in “River Round the Bend”; and “The Cadillac Man” who lives in his Coupe de Ville at a campground.

     Cormac portrays a variety of characters on the edge of society, giving focus to the social fabric around them. His presentation is filled with insight, humor, and poignancy. One music critic has called McCarthy “the closest thing New England’s ever come to having our own Woody Guthrie.”

      Come join in this musical celebration of the common heart of America.  Everyone is welcome to attend in the Library’s Lecture Hall. For more information, please call the Dover Public Library at 603-516-6050.