Merrill Memorial Library

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Take Your Child To The Library Day

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Saturday, February 3rd

Did you know? The first Saturday in February thousands of libraries across the world celebrate Take Your Child to the Library Day? If you were ever looking for an excuse to introduce the young people in your life to the library, today is the day. Similar to bring your child to work day, instead, bring them to the library instead!

On Saturday, February 3rd, bring your child to MML to participate in a special library-themed BINGO scavenger hunt and explore the far corners of the library to find all we have to offer! Or… just pop in to hang out with your awesome librarians and our sweet collection of movies, video games, puzzles, toys, comfy couches, and of course, BOOKS! We’d love to see you at the library. If not today, then any day! You are always welcome here.

Paiten Price
pprice@yarmouthlibrary.org

Backyard Birding Basics

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Thursday, February 15th @ 3pm

Would you like to know more about how to identify and support the birds that visit your backyard? You are in luck! The Maine Audubon Society will be joining the library to give a presentation about Backyard Birding Basics. After today, you’ll have everything you need to get started.

And better yet, to get you up and birding right away, our Youth & Teen Librarian, Ivy Burns, will briefly talk about the Great Backyard Bird Count, a global community science project and how you can participate on February 16 – 19th by using the Merlin bird ID app.

For questions about this event, please contact:

Ivy Burns iburns@yarmouthlibrary.org

Courtney Kleftis ckleftis@yarmouthlibrary.org

Tail Waggin’ Tales

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Fridays from 3:30-4:30

Our beloved therapy dog program, Tail Waggin’ Tales, is back in business! This after-school program is designed for young readers to boost their skills & confidence by reading to a certified therapy dog. Our furry friends are great listeners and lend a non-judgmental ear to help take the pressure off of reading out loud for beginner or reluctant readers. Tail Waggin’ Tales will take place over four 15-minute sessions after school with one child per session. We will of course have a large selection of books to choose from, but feel free to bring a favorite from home to read!

Registration is required to sign-up for a timeslot, so please stop by the library to sign-up in person.

Meet Our Pups

Name: Annabelle
Breed: French Bulldog
Background: Annie has been a therapy dog since 2013.
Next Session: 2/16

 

Name: Lily Rose
Breed: French Bulldog
Background: Lily has been a therapy dog since 2022 with her sister Lily Rose – it runs in the family!
Next Session: 1/12

Name: Onyx
Breed: Mini Australian Labradoodle
Background: After extensive training starting as a puppy, she has been ATD certified since 2020 and visited all school levels and visits hospitals and care centers affiliated with Maine Health.
Next Session: 2/23

Name: Paddy
Breed: Golden Retriever
Background: His owners run a teen summer camp where he is lavished with belly rubs & attention all day long. Participating in this program was a natural next step for him.
Next Session: 1/26

Name: Karma
Breed: St. Bernard
Background: Volunteers at the Portland Jetport, where Karma eases travel anxiety and greets folks before they disem-“bark” as they’re arriving to Maine. She loves people as much as people love her.
Next Session: 2/2

Name: Tashia
Breed: Golden Retriever
Background: Born on Christmas 2017 & has been spreading cheer ever since. Tashia loves people & loves being a therapy dog. Her special skills include accompanying any fiddle being played!
Next Session: 2/9

 

Benefits of Reading to Dogs

Learning to read is tough, and learning to read with an audience is even harder! Beginning readers may already feel nervous about their skill level and reading aloud to loved ones or a group of peers may increase these nerves tenfold. Trained therapy dogs are a patient, non-critical third party that allow kids to shake off their anxieties about reading aloud and take the opportunity to work on their skills. 

  • Great if you are self-conscious and nervous about making mistakes in front of peers.
  • Dogs don’t care about mistakes, they’re just happy to be there.
  • Allows kids to think about the reading itself rather than what others are thinking/having to read perfectly, lowers the stress of reading aloud.
  • If you get frustrated, not to worry! There’s a happy pooch right there just waiting to have its head scratched!

https://dogsoncall.org/read-with-animals/

Film Screenings

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Merrill Film Society

Wednesday, January 10th @ 7 pm: 12 Angry Men

Our collaboration with Yarmouth Historical Society continues with a screening of the classic deliberation room drama: 12 Angry Men.

Upon release this twelve-men-arguing-in-a-room movie saw little reward at the box office but the critics loved it. It went on to be nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Sidney Lumet), and Best Screenplay (Reginald Rose, who also wrote the original 1954 teleplay). If you haven’t seen it, you are missing out on an absolute classic.

Wednesday, January 24th @ 7 pm: Coherence

Paired with 12 Angry Men, an old-Hollywood, philosophical, dramatic film about twelve people arguing in a deliberation room, we have Coherence, a small-budget, big thinking, science fiction picture about eight people arguing in a living room.

Chances are you haven’t even heard of this film, and to tell you anything about it would spoil it, but if you like to solve mysteries, watch relationship drama, and/or like stories about comets, this movie will not let you down. It sits at 89% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and is the definition of a “hidden gem”. Come see it!

Self-Care Saturdays

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Saturday, January 20th @ 11 am

This Self Care Saturday we will be learning how to mend our worn out clothes with simple embroidery. Register Online to reserve your materials for a 12/30 program at 11am. 

Self Care Saturday is a part of an ongoing teen craft program series focused on mindfulness and creativity for personal growth and fulfillment. 

Upcoming Self-Care Saturday Crafts:

February 24th – CD Suncatchers

March 23rd – Lavender Eye Pillows

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