NEW BOOKS AT TFL
THE RETURN OF OUR NIGHT MARKET
Sign up to be a vendor (or just save the the date) for our Artists and Authors Night Market, Saturday October 24! Please fill out this form by Sept. 18 at 5 pm if you’d like to be a vendor. For more info, please contact the library.
MERCH AVAILABLE AT THE LIBRARY
We now have merch available for purchase at the library! Stop in for more details!
THE READ AND FEED RIDES AGAIN
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Opportunities abound with Thompson Free Library July 27, 2026 - by Kim Brawn We are so lucky to have such incredible forests, lakes, and mountains in our backyard. One of my favorite drives is around Moosehead Lake, especially in autumn, stopping in Rockwood to get a closer look at monolithic Mount Kineo, rising from the choppy waters. The Thompson Free Library, with its Dover-Foxcroft location, is a gateway to so many different ecosystems and opportunities. Our August line-up highlights that diversity. The Moosehead Regional Land Trust will hold their annual meeting outside in the TFL Pavilion on Saturday, August 1 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. The Land Trust works to conserve and protect the headwaters of the Kennebec and Penobscot watersheds and to sustain public access to land in the Moosehead region. If you’ve ever wondered how to conserve your own beloved piece of Maine land, you’ll want to hear guest speaker Jerry Bley’s thoughts on the topic. Jerry is a prominent land use and environmental conservation consultant and founder of Creative Conservation, LLC. For decades he’s helped conserve Maine’s working forests, coastal regions, and community spaces. (This event is free and open to the public.) You’ll have a whale of a tale to tell after attending “Within the Whale” onContinue Reading Summer Plans Start With Thompson Free Library! May 27, 2026 - Travel can be life-changing. It can recharge you, inspire you, relax you, teach you. It’s also expensive, and the preparation and journey itself can test your patience, whether it’s a family getaway to the Grand Canyon, a European vacation, or even a day trip to Portland. Whatever your summer travel goals, reading is an excellent, hassle-free way to explore new places and ideas. Take a globe-trotting or cross-country adventure from the comfort of your own home. This summer make plans to have fun and save money by checking out lots of books and coming to free programs at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft. Excitement is in the air: international bestselling author (and Maine resident) Tess Gerritsen is coming to TFL on Thursday, June 4 at 6 p.m. for a talk and book signing. Tess is a Stanford graduate who went on to medical school and began writing her first novel in 1987 while on maternity leave. She’s best known for her books featuring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles that inspired the hit television series Rizzoli & Isles. The Shadow Friends, the third book in her popular Martini Club series about a group of retired CIAContinue Reading Spice Things Up With Thompson Free Library April 28, 2026 - By Kim Brawn, Thompson Free Library “Variety is the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor.” The line is from an 18th-century poem by William Cowper and captures what many of us like best about working in a 21st-century library: the diverse experiences, people, tasks, and conversations. Book and program topics range wildly, as do people’s interests. Anyone can explore almost anything. May at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft is as varied the month itself. It’s more important than ever to fulfill our civic duty. That’s why the Highlands Regional League of Women Voters of Maine is holding a non-partisan candidate forum at the library on Tuesday, May 5 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. for all declared Dover-Foxcroft Select Board candidates. A great chance to ask questions about local issues that matter to you. We’re still in voter mode as the LWV offers a “Guide to the June 2026 Primary Elections” on Tuesday, May 12 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. They’ll cover political party vs. unenrolled voters and also explain semi-open primaries and ranked choice voting. It’s a practical way to get ready for the June 9 primaries. Multi-talented Gale Robinson (Leaves and Blooms Greenhouse) is back with another funContinue Reading April: A Taste of What’s to Come at Thompson Free Library March 24, 2026 - By Kim Brawn April gives us a taste of spring. Although the weather may have other ideas. But whatever precipitation falls our way, this month the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft caters to a variety of tastes—from tangy to earthy to literary, even a program that will tempt (or test) your tastebuds. Nothing ushers in spring at TFL like our seed library! We offer donated seeds from our community and various other donors for free. If you have extra seeds from previous years that you don’t need, please bring them in to share with your neighbors. If you’re interested in trying a new type of plant or flower in your garden this year, stop in and check out what we have to offer. Over the years we’ve had donations from Burpee, Fedco, Ripley Farm, Helios Horsepower Farm, Bob’s Hardware, and many, many patrons. If you want a taste of academia’s high stakes politics, come hear Robert Klose discuss his novel Trigger Warning on Thursday, April 2 at 6 p.m. Robert teaches at UMaine and writes for various publications. His previous TFL talk focused on his books about his adoptive sons, Aloysha from Russia and Anton from the Ukraine. Trigger WarningContinue Reading Our February Newsletter is Out Now! February 17, 2026 - Our February newsletter is out now! Click Here or on the image below to read it. Continue Reading Turn and face the change with Thompson Free Library January 27, 2026 - By Kim Brawn, Thompson Free Library Change wears many faces. I’m reminded of the Buddhism class I took back in college where we learned about impermanence being one of the universal truths—that everything is in a constant state of flux, arising and ceasing (thinking of you, Eastern Gazette). At the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft we’ve let go of our familiar library system and jumped into a new, fully-featured platform called Koha, which at first sounded to me like some sort of Klingon battle cry. Thankfully we are adjusting and becoming more familiar with it—hands-on is the best way to learn. TFL director Jon Knepp is working out the bugs and believes the switch will be well worth it, “We hope the new Koha system is more reliable, flexible, and easier for our staff and patrons and we look forward to big things, like integrating with MaineCat, the statewide library catalog, in the near future.” A really cool feature is automatic renewals as Jon explains, “Now, as long as no one else is waiting for an item, it will be automatically renewed on its due date. We hope this relieves some stress for you and some headaches for us! YouContinue Reading A Nourishing November at Thompson Free Library October 28, 2025 - By Kim Brawn, Thompson Free Library As November drops, you may ask yourself “Well, how did I get here?” Incredulous that once again we’re rushing around prepping for winter—with the holidays anxiously waiting in the wings. This month at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft we focus on ways to feed your mind, body, and soul. Many of us don’t give eating breakfast a second thought, it’s just a routine way to start the day and fuel ourselves. For lots of individuals and families, though, food insecurity is a big problem, but there’s an easy way to help: TFL’s Cereal Drive. Drop off new, unopened boxes of cereal at the library through November 25. All cereal we collect will go to Piscataquis Regional Food Center to be distributed locally & in surrounding communities. Kids with special needs and their caregivers can find nurturing support and connection with the Sensory Play Group on Tuesday, November 4 at 5:30 p.m. downstairs at the library. (Geared towards kids with disabilities or who are neurodiverse, but all are welcome.) TFL’s Michelle Fagan is coordinating a Read & Feed vegetable distribution on Friday, November 7 starting at 9 a.m. “People can stop in the libraryContinue Reading Read Our October Newsletter Now! October 14, 2025 - Our October newsletter is out now! Click Here or on the image below to read it. Continue Reading Swing into Autumn with Thompson Free Library September 23, 2025 - By Kim Brawn, Thompson Free Library October swings back and forth like a pendulum. Underneath the vibrant landscape, a sense of urgency. Preparing for what’s to come while soaking up the moment. Foliage peaks as the air chills. Make the most of this seasonal shift with the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft. Award-winning poet Claire Hersom visits TFL on Thursday, October 2 at 6 p.m. to discuss her debut novel Smithville Junction. Claire, a native Mainer, sets her book in small town Maine in the 1940s. It tells the story of a man who gave away his five-day-old baby, causing an uproar across the whole community. He faces the worst of circumstances on his rocky journey towards forgiveness—but an innocent young girl unexpectedly helps him find it. Swinging from authors to cats, as director Jon Knepp’s fabulous felines, Freya and Andy Jr., grace the library on two Caturdays this month (Saturday, October 4 & Saturday, October 25). Watch them explore, nap, and groom—and maybe get in a pet or two! Sensory Play Group meets on Tuesday, October 7 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The downstairs space has therapy balls, play mats, and sensory bins and is geared towards children with disabilities orContinue Reading Making connections with Thompson Free Library August 26, 2025 - By Kim Brawn, Thompson Free Library Wow—summer raced by and gave us whiplash. If you had a jam-packed schedule like we did here at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft, you could probably use a break, however brief, to recharge, catch your breath and refocus as autumn sits at the front door like an impatient dog. After a very busy summer bursting with programs, TFL will be closed on Tuesday, September 2 for the Labor Day holiday. Have a fun and safe long weekend! Switching into fall mode, Ms. Michelle (youth services librarian Michelle Fagan) is back with Sensory Play Group on Tuesday, September 9 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The group meets downstairs at the library where there are sensory bins, therapy balls, and more. It’s geared towards kids who may be neurodivergent and their caregivers, but all abilities are welcome—a wonderful way to find community support. Garlic is not for everyone, but fans can rhapsodize non-stop about its incredible taste and health benefits. I mean come on—garlic bread, shrimp scampi, Ina Garten’s 40 clove garlic chicken! Wouldn’t it be great to grow your own and have it available year-round for a variety of delicious dishes? Join us on Thursday, SeptemberContinue Reading2021-12-03