Library Hours :
Tuesday: 9am - 5pm
Thursday: 3 - 7pm
Friday: 1pm - 5pm
Saturday: 9am - 1pm
Dolly Parton Imagination Library - fundraising to get us through 2026
Two local fundraising efforts in the works...
*Saturday March 14, 9am in the lobby of Searsmont Town Library/Town Office: Pi Day Pie Sale!
Organized by the Friends and with pies made by - you! Please contact searsmont.town.library@gmail.com if you would be willing to bake for us.
*Saturday March 22, 4pm at Lake St. George Brewery in Liberty: Steven Brown benefit concert!
Organized by Liberty Library and with thanks to LSGB. Bring a goodwill offering for the DPIL, enjoy the finest beverages around, and enjoy some strumming with vocal gurgles.
About the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Waldo County:
This amazing program mails a free book directly to your child in their Waldo County home every month. Sign up your child age 0-5 years at https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/affiliate/MEWALDO/
Imagination Library in Waldo County has enough funds to continue to send out books until October of 2026, but $4,500-$5,000 is needed to be able to send books out through December 2026. To fill this gap there are fundraising efforts underway here in Searsmont and in other Waldo County towns, BUT because Maine State funding will not be continued after June of 2026, we face a major funding challenge for calendar year 2027, which may be as high as $25,000. It costs about $3.40 a month to send a book to a child. Or $41 a year. Can you help?
There are 674 children enrolled in the Waldo County Imagination Library. 152 children have graduated when they turned 5. There are currently 27 children from Searsmont, and 61 in the Tri Town area enrolled.
Donations can be done online at https://donate.imaginationlibrary.com (Check the box "I would like to designate this donation to a specific Imagination Library affiliate" The affiliate code is ME-Waldo County.)
Or send your donation to: Jane Beers, Dolly Parton Imagination Library Waldo County Coordinator, Belfast Free Library 106 High Street, Belfast, ME 04915.
You can also donate in person at Belfast Free Library during regular library hours. For questions, call 207-338-3884, Ext 13.
Read to a Library Dog! Feb. 21, 9-10am
Come meet Jamison and Lilas on Saturday February 21 between 9 and 10am. Both are attentive listeners who enjoy being read to by early readers. They are patient and quiet and still.
Beginning readers can be incredibly self conscious reading to adults or in class. This self consciousness can get in the way and make learning to read stressful and even traumatic. Reading to an animal friend takes away the pressure of trying to "get it right". We ask that parents keep a distance while their child is reading to Jamison or Lilas so that they don't feel like they have to perform.
New Art Exhibit & Reception: Leslie Miller
Reception: Friday January 23, 5-6pm
Artist Statement:
Fifty years ago ten art teachers gathered around a book of Polish Paper Cutting. Through the paper cutting skill, we planned to help our students' fine motor skills. Tired of making snowflakes, and with the nudge given by this little book, I began to make my own paper cuts as presents for friends, which included subjects like their animals, work, and hobbies. Then, the request began to come. A few requests gradually blossomed into a small business. All paper cuts were made to the client's request; aeach a unique piece, not to be duplicated. A few generic designs became note cards, prints, and golden ornaments.
I had traveled through a good many countries on my way home from my two years in Iran with the Peace Corps. Sadly, I had not been aware of the paper cut traditions in the countries I visited. Gradually, in my classes, it became clear to the students that paper cutting was not just a Polish art, as in our first attempts, but a craft done around the world wherever paper is available. Our paper cutting work became investigations of far away cultures and the geography of their countries.
My own work has been shown in galleries around the United States and in an International Invitational Paper Cut Exhibition at The Cooper-Hewitt Museum (NYC), The Danforth Museum (Framingham, MA), and The Fuller Crafts Museum (Brockton, MA).
Several of my paper cuts have been translated into note cards, limited editions of silk-screened prints, mugs, and formed into golden ornaments.
It's been quite a journey.
Gentle Yoga
Searsmont Town Library
presents
Tuesday Morning Gentle Yoga
Searsmont Community Hall
at 9am
Class led by
Janneke Zaadstra, RYT200
Free. Bring your own mat
Book Group
The Searsmont Town Library Book Group meets next on Saturday February 28 at 10am to discuss The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years. Copies areavailable to borrow from the library.
New members welcome all year round! If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the library director at searsmont.town.library@gmail.com
Winter Hiking Group
The winter hiking group lead by Phil and Susan Hoekstra will start again this month. Dates will be determined and publicized via the Team Reach app. The group "Searsmont Hikers" and the Group Code is SH04973
If you would like to join but are not a smartphone convert, please get in touch with the library director and we'll work out a way to keep you in the loop.
If you would like to join but are not a smartphone convert, please get in touch with the library director and we'll work out a way to keep you in the loop.
Farnsworth Museum Passes
The library has acquired four annual passes to the Farnsworth Museum. Experience this wondrous collection and its ongoing exhibits! Passes circulate until the next library day and must be returned to the library desk during open hours.
State Park Pass
The library has purchased a State Park Pass for use by patrons with a accounts in good standing. This pass covers up to a 17-person vehicle for entrance to Maine State Parks and Historic Sites*.
- 3-day checkout limit
- Cannot be renewed
- Cannot be reserved
- Cannot be returned to
- book drop
- If lost, the full replacement of $105 will be charged.
-Day use only (no overnight stays).
-Not for use at State Park campgrounds
*Not accepted at: Acadia National Park, Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Baxter State Park, Maine Wildlife Park, Peacock Beach, Penobscot Narrows Observatory, Penobscot River Corridor, Scarborough Beach, Songo Lock, Swan Island.
Searsmont Town Library - Reading Tournament!
...Not just for summer!
Our perennial children's reading challenge. Pick up a form at the library, read 15 titles, return your completed form to the library and choose a book from the display to add to your own personal library!
Cloud Library: E-books and Audiobooks
Cloud Library is back! If you have a Searsmont Town Library account (in good standing) you can borrow e-books and digital audio books via Cloud Library. All you need is your account number.
Downloading the app appropriate to your device is recommended, although it is possible to use the in-browser interface. Don't hesitate to come in and see the librarian if you are having technical difficulties.
Resources
Digital Maine Library https://library.digitalmaine.org/
Dirigo Catalog https://dirigo.na5.iiivega.com/
MaineCat Catalog http://mainecat.maine.edu/search/
The WWW Virtual Library http://vlib.org
Library of Congress Online Catalog http://catalog.loc.gov/
Searsmont Town Library Board of Trustees
The Searsmont Town Library Board of Trustees is responsible for adopting policies governing the operation of the library, securing library funding and assisting in budget preparation, hiring and supervising the Librarian, and reporting to town officials and the community.