Events

Below is a list of our upcoming events. Hope to see you there!

Campaign Kick-Off Event!

Capital Campaign Kickoff!! Monday, August 30th, 6-7 pm behind the current Library * Meet the Steering Committee * * Fundraising Totals to Date * * Building Plans * Music * Refreshments *
The Friends have committed to raising $1 million toward a new Library and we're inviting the public to help us celebrate the start of this ambitious project.
This is a Friends of the Library event and you know what good cooks we are - would you like to prepare some finger food for the event? Call Cari Quater, 384-2958, or send her an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Cari is also looking for a few people to help with setup, serving and cleanup.

What have we been up to? Check it out below!

June 1st, 2010- Town Meeting, 6:30 pm

We hope that all of the Friends of the Library are planning to attend the June 1st Town Meeting. Up for approval by townspeople is a capital improvements bond which includes funds to protect the Town's investment in the Young Street property/site of new library and, of course, the budget line for current library operations. See you there!

At Town Meeting we will be voting on two warrants relevant to the Library:

The Capital Improvements bond to be voted on at the beginning of Town Meeting includes approximately $200,000 for work on the Young Street Property.
Late at Town Meeting is the vote for the Library's operating budget.

Come support the South Berwick Public Library with your votes.

May 19, 2010- Plans for New South Berwick Library

Preliminary Plans
for New South Berwick Library
to be Presented
Wednesday, May 19th, 6:30 pm
South Berwick Town Hall Auditorium

Your feedback and reaction is essential.

Do come. Bring a friend or neighbor!

May 1, 2010- Annual Book Sale

Our Annual Book Sale is Saturday, May 1st, with a rain date of May 8th. This is a big fundraiser for the Friends! We will also be collecting cans of household paint that day for the artists to use to paint the 'windows' for the Young St. building/future home of a new library.

Karen Eger ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is coordinating the sale. Contact her about helping.

May 2010- Paint Drive during Annual Book Sale

Paint Drive to be held for library windows project!

A paint drive will be held in conjunction with the South Berwick Library Book Drive on May 1. Donated new and used paints are being collected to use in the Library Windows Project, with local artists using the paints to create pieces to serve as temporary windows coverings during the remodeling of the Young Street property. Anyone who would like to donate acrylic paints (interior or exterior) can bring them to the South Berwick Library during their Book Drive on Saturday, May 1, from 9 AM to 1 PM.

For more information, please contact John Klossner at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

April 21, 2010- 6:30PM Workshop

We have moved the date of the Young Street Property Workshop to Wednesday 4/21. This workshop will be held in the Auditorium Hall at 6:30 pm. This is a workshop meeting with the Council. The public is welcome but only invitees may participate.
Read more...

Oct. 19th, 2009- Candidates Forum

The Friends are offering South Berwick citizens a chance to learn about the candidates for South Berwick Town Council and MSAD #35 School Board.

Gardening Workshop: October 8th,2009

Workshop: Wise Landscape and Garden Design Using Internet Tools South Berwick Town Hall Auditorium, Thursday Oct. 8, 6-8 p.m. Want some help planning your landscape or garden? This workshop will focus on the use of the Internet to help gardeners situate, plan and design gardens and landscapes with attention to climate, soils and water quality.
Read more...

July 16, 2009 Open House

What a pleasure it was to visit with all the folks who came out for the Open House! There were around forty at any one time - families, couples, individuals - and I suppose we could come up with a total but haven't. The children claimed the raised semi-circular area, there was much exclamation over the taped area showing the size of our current library in relation to the church building, and everyone seemed inspired to imagine the library in that lovely, soaring space. Keep an eye out for the next event, October 4th. - Patti Mitchem

The Friends of South Berwick Library is hosting an open house Thursday, July 16, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the former St. Michael’s Church to offer citizens an opportunity to see the building, which is now owned by the Town and slated to become the new home of South Berwick Public Library.

May 2009- St. Michael's Public Mtg.

The Friends of the Library encourage townspeople to attend a public meeting about a new library being hosted by the South Berwick Town Council on Wednesday, May 13, at 7 pm in Auditorium Hall.

Among those present to answer questions will be members of the Town Building Committee; representatives from JCJ, the architectural firm hired to assess the St. Michael’s building; members of the Library Advisory Board; and individuals who have been working on funding.

This is an opportunity for residents to find out what questions have been asked and answered, to ask questions of their own, and to comment.

April 2009- Annual Book Sale May 9th

We are holding our Annual Book Sale on May 9th, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. (raindate May 16th).

Please volunteer to help out or come to the sale and buy some books. To volunteer, please contact Patti Mitchem at 384-2195 or via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Gently used book donations are still being accepted. Please drop them off during regular library hours.

Your support is greatly appreciated.

Library Without Walls program held at Great Works School March 20-21, 2008

I've just come from the Great Works School after delivering lunch to our 'Ocean Man.' Two of the teachers who had already seen the presentation, plus Gerry Burnell, literally ran up to me to tell me how GREAT the presentation was!! One insisted that I come into the classroom so that the kids could tell me how terrific he was. We hit a homerun! Probably should plan to do it next year so that a different group of children can profit from it.

-Cynthia Gagnon

Last summer the Friends applied for a grant from the Strawberry Festival to do a book-based project at Great Works School. Over the course of the winter Cynthia Gagnon and Jane Cowen Fletcher worked out the details with the 4th grade teachers, led by Terry Johnson. It was necessary to work within their curriculum and the resulting choice was the program "The Gulf of Maine — A Sea Within a Sea” presented by Phil Averill, Mr. Ocean. Read more in the Foster’s Daily Democrat article .

Thank you to Cynthia Gagnon and Jane Cowen-Fletcher for working on this project, and to Nora Irvine for handling the PR. Thank You to the Strawberry Festival Committee for funding!