Beflast Free Library

Knit2Together
2024-09-18 16:00, 2024-09-25 16:00, 2024-10-02 16:00, 2024-10-09 16:00 (America/New_York) | Abbott Room
Knitters, crocheters, yarn enthusiasts of all experience levels are welcome to join us every Wednesday , from 4:00-5:30 pm in the Abbott Room.
This drop-in event is a chance for knitters- and crocheters too- of all ages and experience levels to chat, get tips, and learn from each other while working on their own projects. Library staff will have computers available to demonstrate how to use Ravelry.com and other websites to help find patterns and organize your work. Registration is not required. For more information please call 338-3884 ext.10
Contact bharrington@belfastlibrary.org to sign up to to join the knitting group.

Computer class: "Cutting the Cord" - Getting TV & Phone Services Over the Internet
2024-09-19 11:00 - 12:00 | Abbott Room
*CLASS IS FULL, REGISTRATION CLOSED*
What does it mean to “Cut the Cord”? It’s about canceling cable or satellite services and being able to watch television shows online, as well as options that would allow you to get rid of your landline. This class will not only show you the wide variety of options out there, but also teach you some tools to decide if cutting the cord is right for you.
This class is presented in partnership with the National Digital Equity Center. To sign up for this class, please fill out the enrollment registration form, and then reserve your spot in the class.
For more information, please contact 338-3884 ext. 25 or spietryka@belfastlibrary.org.

Preschool Storytimes at the Belfast Free Library
2024-09-20 10:00 - 11:00 | Abbott Room
Stories, books, puppets, songs and an easy craft.
Fridays at 10:00 am in the Abbott Room of the Belfast Free Library

Wiggle and Rhyme for Babies and Toddlers
2024-09-23 10:00 - 10:45 | Abbott Room
Songs, rhymes, scarves, parachute play, bubbles, toys and connections!
Time: Mondays, 10:00-10:45 am
Dates: September 23 and 30
October 21 and 28
November 18 and 25
Location: Abbott Room of the Belfast Free Library

Belfast Historical Society Presentation
2024-09-23 19:00 - 20:00 | Abbott Room
Your Father Fears New England Will Be Depopulated: Belfast and the Rush to California
Jan Eakins, a cultural historian who has researched, written, taught, and lectured on Maine in the West for more than two decades, will present the histories of some of the people who caught California gold fever early and hard. The bark Suliote cleared Marshall Wharf for San Francisco mere weeks into the nationwide rush. Hazeltines, Peirces, Lothrops, Lockes, and Ladds were among more than a hundred locals who headed west that year of 1849. Jan Eakins traces their journeys by sea and land. She relates their successes and sorrows as they kept shop, practiced law, erected buildings, and dug gold on the western frontier. She considers who left home, who returned home, and how gold shaped Belfast’s future.
More information at https://www.belfastmuseum.org/

Book Launch and Author Talk with Isabel Tutaine
2024-09-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Abbott Room
Song of the Wooden Sparrow by Isabel Tutaine.
Join Isabel Tutaine in celebrating the release of her novel, Song of the Wooden Sparrow, from Golden Bridges Publishing with a talk about about the assumptions she disassembled while writing and publishing a novel in this climate and what happened after she published the novel.
Isabel Tutaine writes about ordinary people who summon the courage to take control of their lives. She is Cuban by birth, American by citizenship, Cuban-New Englander by culture. She lives in Stockton Springs where she listens to what the ocean has to say, then runs home to write it down.
Autographed copies of the book will be available to purchase at the event.

Duct Tape Jewelry Making for Teens
2024-09-25 16:00 - 17:30 | Conference Room
~Come and learn how to make duct tape jewelry and then make a few of your own! All supplies will be provided! Snacks provided!
Date: September 25th
Time: 4:00 to 5:30
Location: The Conference Room of the Belfast Free Library

Water Quality and Climate Action in Waldo County
2024-10-01 18:00 - 20:00 | Abbott Room
Join us for a community meeting and panel discussion organized by members of the Waldo County Climate Action Coalition centered around our community’s watershed. This event will focus on water stewardship as a critical component of broader climate action efforts. We aim to increase understanding of the local watershed, spark discourse on sustainable ways forward, and encourage collective action through local initiatives.
Featured Speakers:
Joy Bowles, Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition Vice President, Watershed Quality Chair.
As the lead in Water Quality, Joy brings her expertise on water monitoring practices and how to protect and improve the health of the Belfast Bay Watershed.
Jill Howell, Upstream Watch and Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper
The Executive Director of Upstream Watch, which also functions as the Penobscot Bay Waterkeeper, Jill advocates for the health of our local rivers, enforcement of environmental regulations, and public education.
John Krueger, Friends of Harriet L. Hartley Board Member
John shares his long history of environmental health and advocacy, including as Director of the Maine State Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory. He has particular expertise and interest in the nitrogen levels and plastic pollution in the Belfast Bay Watershed.
Register for the Zoom link here.

This program is part of the “Finding Hope In Our Climate Crisis : A lecture series on Climate Change Solutions” brought to you in cooperation with the Waldo County Climate Action Coalition and the Belfast Free Library.

Art Reception for Narratives: Paintings by Sheep Jones
2024-10-08 17:30 - 19:00 | Kramer Gallery
Sheep Jones is the Official Belfast Poetry Festival Featured Artist for 2024. Join us for the opening reception for the exhibit in the Kramer Gallery.
Of her work, Sheep says, “I am a narrative painter, so books, movies, and best of all, other people’s tales, lend themselves as building blocks to create an interesting story in paint.” She continues, “My paintings begin with layers. I always am looking for the puzzle pieces to suggest a narrative. Disparate images finally come together and start to hint at some kind of sense. Often, people will look at one of my paintings and recognize in it their own story, their own past, their own dreams.”
Sheep was raised in Waterville, Maine and studied art at the University of Southern Maine. After years living out of state, Jones returned to Maine and now has a studio in Belfast. For more information about Sheep, visit her website here!
More information about the 2024 Belfast Poetry Festival is here.

Lexicon

Wire Sculpture for Teens
2024-10-09 16:00 - 17:30 | Conference Room
~Belfast Youth Services invites you to make a wire sculpture! We will be playing with minimalist wire sculpture technique, but anything goes! If you are feeling something take shape, I suggest you make it!
Date: October 9th
Time: 4:00 to 5:30
Location: The Conference Room of the Belfast Free Library

Entering Sheep Jones Art— Writing Ekphrastic Poems- a workshop with Judy Kaber
2024-10-11 14:30 - 16:00 | Abbott Room
Writing Ekphrastic Poetry with Judy Kaber, former Belfast poet laureate, using art from Sheep Jones’ exhibit in the Kramer Gallery.
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: We will explore ekphrastic poetry which is poetry written in response to another art form with a particular emphasis on color. We will discuss different approaches to entering a work of art and study some examples of ekphrastic poems and the techniques used. Participants will then explore the current exhibit of Sheep Jones work at the library, choose a work that appeals to them, and take notes in preparation for writing a poem. We will then return to the workshop and each participant will complete a draft of a poem. At the end of the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to share their work. (They may also request feedback from the group members and instructor, if desired.)
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Judy Kaber is an experienced teacher and writer as well as a previous poet laureate of Belfast. Her experience in writing ekphrastic poems includes participation in the Art Word program at the Portland Art Museum and the annual Art and Ekphrastic Poetry collaboration between the Page Gallery and the Poets Corner, as well as teaching ekphrastic poetry workshops. She has published in numerous journals including Poet Lore, Atlanta Review, Cafe Review, and Prairie Schooner. A Maine Literary Award Winner, her book, Landscape With Rocks, Sky, Nails, is forthcoming from Fernwood press in 2025.
For more information about the Belfast Poetry Festival and all of the events visit the website here.

Library Closed for Indigenous Peoples' Day
2024-10-14
The Library will be closed all day in recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
