2025 Summer Reading Program: Color Our World
The 2025 Summer Reading Program starts on July 1st and continues through August 18. The theme is Color Our World and is an invitation to celebrate color and creativity around us. Children are encouraged to read, read, and read this summer, as well as participating in the many programs and activities we have planned for them. Ms. Gulla invites all families to a kick-off open house on June 30, 6 pm, to hear all about the program, the reading challenge, and to enjoy colorful crafts and a sweet treat.
Summer reading is not just for kids. Adults can join the fun too, with 2 challenges: one for reading and one for eating! To participate in the drawing of three colorfully themed prize baskets, patrons will get one raffle ticket per checkout every time they come into the library to check out a book, in print or audio format. It is a reading challenge, so movies do not count. The other challenge is to color your plate with A-Salad-A-Day. Pick up a salad log and eat a salad at least 20 days out of the month for a chance to win a beautiful salad set and cookbook.
We hope you’ll join us for the Summer Reading Program and help us Color Our World!
Strategic Plan 2025-2030 Unveiled
We are excited to share with you the library's newly-launched strategic plan and new logo. Both the plan and logo were created based on community feedback gathered over the past year.
Creation of a strategic plan was an endeavour that began a year ago in spring of 2024. A strategic planning committee, made up of staff and trustees, led the effort, which included thoughtful reflections on the library's strengths, opportunities, and areas for growth; a community-wide survey; and the creation of goals and strategies. These goals will help guide the library's operations and services over the next five years. They were created based on the needs and desires expressed by our community in a survey conducted by UNH Survey Center.
Our new logo was created with our community in mind. You will start to see this logo on library materials and prominently on our new website, to launch in the coming months.
See an explanation of each of the elements in the logo here.
Executive Order Threatens Future of Inter-Library Loan and Downloadable Books
The future of some library services in New Hampshire are at risk following a Presidential Executive Order issued Friday, March 14, 2025 that calls for the reduction and elimination of functions of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). In New Hampshire, IMLS provides $1.3-$1.5 million annually to fund the state’s interlibrary loan program, allowing libraries to borrow books and other materials from other libraries and provide these to residents, book club participants, researchers, and homebound individuals.
The reduction or elimination of IMLS funding will greatly impact Moultonborough and all New Hampshire residents. In 2024, The Moultonborough Public Library provided 1,739 items to our patrons through interlibrary loan. The State Library also uses IMLS money to provide Talking Book services to residents who are visually or otherwise impaired in a way that prevents them from reading print books. Libby, the ebook, downloadable audiobook, and digital magazine platform, is also provided in part by IMLS funding. In 2024, Moultonborough Public Library patrons borrowed more than 12,000 books and magazines through Libby, accounting for 19% of the library’s total circulation.
Comments on this matter can be addressed to State Officials through this petition: https://forms.gle/
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Latest email update: JUNE 2025 NEWSLETTER
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Friends' House Tour 2025
June 11, 10 am to 5 pm
The Friends of the Moultonborough Library invite you to a Moultonborough House Tour on June 11. Visit 5 beautiful homes between 10 am to 4 pm. Tickets are $40 per person, available for purchase from May 5 at the library or online here.
We thank our sponsors this year, and especially Lake Life Realty, who invites you to participate this year in this heartfelt video.
LIBRARY CALENDAR UPCOMING EVENTS
Artist of the Month
Quilter Coleen Whary Celebrates Sports and Dogs with Quilts
Colleen Kane Whary of Moultonborough has been making quilts since the early 1980’s. While traditional quilts are a staple in her home, the idea of capturing “a moment in time” by creating realistic appliqué portraits has intrigued her since taking a class with Charlotte Warr Anderson in the early 1990’s. Early portraits were appliquéd and quilted by hand. After a later class with artist, Susan Carlson, Colleen began using her method of raw-edge, machine-quilted appliqué.
Having a lifetime love affair with dogs and baseball (Red Sox baseball, specifically!), the natural subject of most of her work has become her favorite dogs and favorite ball players. Living and working in the Boston area until retirement in 2018 allowed her to be a frequent visitor at Fenway Park where the colors and scenes on the field inspired her to create many of these “moment in time” quilts.
Josianne Fitzgerald, Moultonborough Adult Services Librarian, Receives the READS Award of Excellence
Award of Excellence Presented to Moultonborough Librarian
By Reese Lincoln
The READS Award of Excellence is meant to recognize a library worker whose exceptional contributions have improved their library’s services to adults. The New Hampshire Library Association presents the award to one individual from across the state annually, and this year, the recipient is Josianne Fitzgerald.
Josianne has been a librarian at the Moultonborough Public Library for the past two years, and in that time, her dedication and thoughtfulness in her job have made a huge impact to the benefit of the community.
The expansive help Jossiane provides to all patrons in the library has been essential to the supportive Moultonborough Public Library environment. She has been instrumental in providing community members with a vast range of technological support. She is prepared and glad to help patrons one-on-one with their queries. Josianne, alert to the
population’s needs, also teaches group classes on everything from using Google Docs to the age of AI.
In addition, Josianne’s fluidity of both English and Spanish and experience as a former conference translator is a unique asset that has helped open up the community. She has translated the application for the library’s donation program of warm clothes and toys for the holiday season, and this year she worked with a local astrophysicist to translate her program about the solar eclipse. Her services are invaluable to the community, and her engagement has provided a sense of belonging for all.
Among the many reasons Josianne received this award, prominent is her compassion towards the community. Josianne has spearheaded a growing number of wellness and health programs, including a diabetes-friendly recipe club and has supported a dementia caretakers weekly support group. This year, the library was given a grant to provide programs coordinated by Josianne with a health educator from Granite VNA. These programs include a health book club called “Wellness Reads,” as well as a series of Tales and Travel Memories events, which provide a connection opportunity to those living with dementia.
Josianne has served as a librarian across the world, in countries including China and Egypt, but her colleagues are certainly glad that she has ended up here in New Hampshire. Her coworkers are thrilled to see Josianne get the credit and attention they know she deserves. Brittany Durgin, the Moultonborough Public Library director, states, “Josianne is an asset to the communities she serves and is a wealth of knowledge for those of us who work with her.”
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