Storytimes near Southwest Harbor Public Library

Onsite

Find your next summer read at Southwest Harbor Public Library’s Flamingo Festival GIANT Book Sale Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 10, 11, & 12, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The sale will be at the Library, inside and out, not at the Legion Hall. This annual sale takes place in conjunction with Southwest Harbor's famous Flamingo Festival - https://www.harborhousemdi.org/flamingo-festival. Eager readers have the opportunity to choose from the thousands of gently used paperbacks, hardcovers, and rare books that have been donated to the Library. There will also be a special section of children's books as well as a variety of puzzles and games - perfect for those rainy days. ~ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ~ -Sale Support -Take-down after the 13th CALL 207-244-7065 or circulation@swhplibrary.org.

Offsite

This Island Readers & Writers collabrative storytime is open to children of all ages! Weather permitting, meet up at Goog's Pond located behind the Library and Police Station. In case of inclement weather, meet at the Library! Listen to Maya Myers read her picture book Good Morning, Morning! and ask her your questions. The first 20 families in attendance will be given a free signed copy of the book. No registration required. Just before daybreak, a child steps outside to plant warm feet on the cool ground. Though it’s quiet, there’s so much sensory magic to see and feel and hear: lacy slug trails on the porch, spiderwebs rippling in the grass, birdsong in the air, wet dew and spiky pine needles to walk through in the woods beyond the yard. Expertly modeling mindfulness, the child breathes in the still-sleepy world, taking in every little detail. But when the sun’s warm rays arrive, it’s time to run and jump and cartwheel! GOOD MORNING, MORNING! Maya Myers writes books for kids and edits books for kids and adults. Maya is a former kindergarten teacher who loves cooking, gardening, board games, and (surprise!) reading. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband. They have three kids, six chickens, and a formerly twenty-three-pound cat. Interested in viewing what birds have been sighted at Goog's Pond? Check out the Goog's Pond eBird page.

Offsite

Acadia Explorers (session 1) Calling all outdoor explorers! The Library is teaming up with Acadia National Park again to offer this adventurous, outdoor educational program designed for grades K-5 & caregiver. Registrants will have the chance to enjoy a storytime by an SWHPL librarian, then explore and learn at park locations by a Park Ranger. Open to kids 3 , siblings/families welcome. Note: Caregivers must accompany children for the entirety of the program. Session 1 - At Carroll Homestead: The History of Life on the Island. Session 2 - At Seawall Picnic Area: Ships & Sailing. Register HERE. Registration required. Register each attending child, not caregiver. - - - To ensure that your CONFIRMATION EMAIL reaches you, please add alerts@mail.libcal.com to your email contacts. Your registration will be sent to you from this address. If you do not receive a confirmation email, call 207-244-7065 or email circulation@swhplibrary.org. If you do not receive a confirmation email from us, please check your spam, bulk or junk mail folders. If you find the email there, it was diverted by your internet service provider, your spam-blocking software or by filters.

Offsite

Think pink and join the flock! Celebrate the Library and Southwest Harbor's Flamingo Festival, a hosted by the Harbor House Community Center. Gather between 8:30–9:00 a.m. at Seal Cove Shops on Seal Cove Road dressed in your brightest pink attire. We’ll have extra pink accessories to add to your flamingo flair, along with rhythm instruments to help keep the beat as we parade through town together. The Flamingo Parade begins at 9:15 a.m., traveling down Main Street into downtown Southwest Harbor and ending at the intersection of Main Street and Clark Point Road — a festive route just under one mile long. Come ready to strut, dance, and celebrate all things pink! Please R.S.V.P. below. Questions? Call email circulation@swhplibrary.org, or call 207-244-7065. - - - To ensure that your CONFIRMATION EMAIL reaches you, please add alerts@mail.libcal.com to your email contacts. Your registration will be sent to you from this address. If you do not receive a confirmation email, call 207-244-7065 or email circulation@swhplibrary.org. If you do not receive a confirmation email from us, please check your spam, bulk or junk mail folders. If you find the email there, it was diverted by your internet service provider, your spam-blocking software or by filters. Image courtesy of Carrie Jones, The Bar Harbor Story.

Onsite

Find your next summer read at Southwest Harbor Public Library’s Flamingo Festival GIANT Book Sale Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 10, 11, & 12, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The sale will be at the Library, inside and out, not at the Legion Hall. This annual sale takes place in conjunction with Southwest Harbor's famous Flamingo Festival - https://www.harborhousemdi.org/flamingo-festival. Eager readers have the opportunity to choose from the thousands of gently used paperbacks, hardcovers, and rare books that have been donated to the Library. There will also be a special section of children's books as well as a variety of puzzles and games - perfect for those rainy days. ~ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ~ -Sale Support -Take-down after the 13th CALL 207-244-7065 or circulation@swhplibrary.org.

Onsite

Find your next summer read at Southwest Harbor Public Library’s Flamingo Festival GIANT Book Sale Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 10, 11, & 12, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The sale will be at the Library, inside and out, not at the Legion Hall. This annual sale takes place in conjunction with Southwest Harbor's famous Flamingo Festival - https://www.harborhousemdi.org/flamingo-festival. Eager readers have the opportunity to choose from the thousands of gently used paperbacks, hardcovers, and rare books that have been donated to the Library. There will also be a special section of children's books as well as a variety of puzzles and games - perfect for those rainy days. ~ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ~ -Sale Support -Take-down after the 13th CALL 207-244-7065 or circulation@swhplibrary.org.

Onsite

Summer S.T.E.A.M. (session 1) Science Series with University of Maine Cooperative Extension Open to kids 5 . These are Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.) programs will be led by University of Maine Cooperative Extension staff. Themes - Pending. Tuesdays 2:00-3:00 p.m. Session 1 - July 14th. REGISTER BELOW. Session 2 - July 28th. Register HERE. Session 3 - August 4th. Register HERE. Registration required. Register each child, not caregiver. - - - To ensure that your CONFIRMATION EMAIL reaches you, please add alerts@mail.libcal.com to your email contacts. Your registration will be sent to you from this address. If you do not receive a confirmation email, call 207-244-7065 or email circulation@swhplibrary.org. If you do not receive a confirmation email from us, please check your spam, bulk or junk mail folders. If you find the email there, it was diverted by your internet service provider, your spam-blocking software or by filters.

Onsite

Stop by for a crane folding hour at the Library Tuesdays from 3:00-4:00. Folding peace cranes has a long history at the library. Over the years approximately 25 thousand cranes have been folded by young and old in the Southwest Harbor Library and sent around the world. Our purpose in folding peace cranes is to promote inner peace in ourselves and the folders who join us. Then we gather them in groups of 1000 to send out as wishes for peace. All ages are welcome and we can teach anyone who wants to learn. Papers provided. All past folders are encouraged to come, whether in 1987-90, its first season or 2007-2010 or 2017-19 seasons. This is yet another historic event in the library’s 130th anniversary year. “Can’t wait to hear the quiet paper folding sounds in the library again.” For questions or for more information, contact Kate Russell Henry at spinredcorgi@gmail.com, call the Library at 207-244-7065, or email programs@swhplibrary.org.

Holmes Reading Room - Front Room, Onsite and Online

Join us on Tuesday, July 14th for local artist Judy Taylor's talk "Masters of the Gilded Age." This is an in-person and online program. Register below. For Online Registration, select "1" for Number of people attending. In this talk, Judy will show and compare the works of three masters of bravura realism, John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn and Joaquin Sorolla. We will also discuss their course of study and the influence Diego Velasquez had on their training and the impactful influence they have on naturalistic, realistic painters of today. Judy has done many private and academic portrait commissions including three of top medical professionals at Johns Hopkins Medical Center and recently was awarded the portrait commission of a Nobel laureate from the University of Chicago. - - - To ensure that your CONFIRMATION EMAIL reaches you, please add alerts@mail.libcal.com to your email contacts. Your registration will be sent to you from this address. If you do not receive a confirmation email, call 207-244-7065 or email circulation@swhplibrary.org. If you do not receive a confirmation email from us, please check your spam, bulk or junk mail folders. If you find the email there, it was diverted by your internet service provider, your spam-blocking software or by filters.

Onsite

Join us for a fun-filled interactive storytime with books, puppets, movements, songs, and more! Geared for all ages.

Magician Norman Ng. Open to kids families (best for ages 3 ) Join SWHPL as we host Maine-based entertainer, illusionist, and sleight-of-hand magician, Norman Ng. Norman was named “ Best Variety Act “ by Campus Activities Magazine, and his energetic and dynamic shows have been enjoyed by kids and families all over New England! https://www.normanmagic.com/ Registration required. Register each child and caregiver. - - - To ensure that your CONFIRMATION EMAIL reaches you, please add alerts@mail.libcal.com to your email contacts. Your registration will be sent to you from this address. If you do not receive a confirmation email, call 207-244-7065 or email circulation@swhplibrary.org. If you do not receive a confirmation email from us, please check your spam, bulk or junk mail folders. If you find the email there, it was diverted by your internet service provider, your spam-blocking software or by filters.

Holmes Reading Room - Front Room

The Library Session, weekly on Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Library open 9am-8pm on Wednesdays. Traditional music session: mostly Celtic tunes; held weekly year round. Open session, round robin style. Participants may lead a tune or set, request a tune, or pass. Pace tends toward relaxed. All skill levels and instruments welcome! Contact: johnofseawall@gmail.com.

Clark Room - 2nd Floor

Library is pleased to host WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Drop-in Clinics Monthly, every third Thursday, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the library, located at 338 Main Street in Southwest Harbor. No registration necessary. The WIC program provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum individuals, as well as infants and children up to age five. WIC supports thousands of Maine families each year, helping children grow up strong and healthy. Upcoming clinics: May 21st, June 18th, July 16th, August 20th, Sept. 17th, October 15th, November 19th, and Dec. 17th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This drop-in session offers community members a convenient opportunity to learn about the program, determine eligibility, and receive support in a welcoming, accessible setting. Individuals with active MaineCare insurance, TANF, or SNAP benefits are automatically eligible for WIC. Eligibility can also be determined based on household size and income. For example, the annual income limit for a family of three is $49,303. Community members are encouraged to stop by during clinic hours or call 207-667-5304 for more information. For information about applying for Maine WIC Nutrition Program visit https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/healthy-living/wic.

Onsite

Join us for a fun-filled interactive storytime with books, puppets, movements, songs, and more! Geared for all ages.

Onsite - 1st & 2nd Floors

July 1-29 Summer Days: An Exhibit of Paintings by Anne Haynes and Joan Vienot “Summer Days: An Exhibit of Paintings by Anne Haynes and Joan Vienot” will be on display at the Southwest Harbor Public Library from July 1-29. Meet the artists and view the show at an Art Reception on Friday, July 17 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. Artwork will be for sale with 20% of the proceeds benefiting the Library. Anne grew up in Northern New Jersey. She stumbled upon a creative streak when she sculpted a bust of Albert Einstein for a school project in sixth grade. That was followed by adult sculpture classes at the Ridgewood School of Art. Anne and her family moved to Maine when she was a teenager, and the scenery inspired her to begin painting in oils. After earning a degree in law enforcement, Anne married her sweetheart Bill and they raised two children on Mount Desert Island. Anne and Bill live in the dream house they spent 5 years building together in West Tremont. Anne's path as an artist has been for the most part self- guided. Though skilled in traditional oils, pastels, and acrylics, Anne currently prefers water mixable oils. She attempts to express as realistically as possible the beauty she sees in the world around her. More of Anne's work can be seen at annehaynespaintings.com. Joan moved from Florida to Maine in the fall of 2022 to paint the rocky coastline. Her home in Trenton serves as both studio and home base for her wanderings while sketching and plein air painting. Born and raised in Colorado, Joan received degrees in Fine Art and in Health & Recreation from the University of Northern Colorado. She taught art for three years at a high school in Colorado and also coached girls basketball and swimming there. Joan is retired from a 35-year career owning and managing a swimming pool service business on the Beaches of South Walton County in Northwest Florida. Joan was very active in her arts community in Florida. She volunteers and teaches at ArtWaves on Mt. Desert Island and paints with the local plein air painters.

Onsite

Stop by for a crane folding hour at the Library Tuesdays from 3:00-4:00. Folding peace cranes has a long history at the library. Over the years approximately 25 thousand cranes have been folded by young and old in the Southwest Harbor Library and sent around the world. Our purpose in folding peace cranes is to promote inner peace in ourselves and the folders who join us. Then we gather them in groups of 1000 to send out as wishes for peace. All ages are welcome and we can teach anyone who wants to learn. Papers provided. All past folders are encouraged to come, whether in 1987-90, its first season or 2007-2010 or 2017-19 seasons. This is yet another historic event in the library’s 130th anniversary year. “Can’t wait to hear the quiet paper folding sounds in the library again.” For questions or for more information, contact Kate Russell Henry at spinredcorgi@gmail.com, call the Library at 207-244-7065, or email programs@swhplibrary.org.

MDI High School - 1081 Eagle Lake Rd, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, Offsite

Don't miss this MDI Author Event with Christina Baker Kline and The Foursome (May 2026) hosted by Jesup Memorial Library, Northeast Harbor Library, and the Southwest Harbor Public Library. The program will take place at the MDI High School located at 1081 Eagle Lake Rd, Bar Harbor, ME 04609. Registration required for this in-person only event. Inspired by the true lives of Chang and Eng Bunker, the world-renowned conjoined twins from Siam, and their marriages to sisters Sarah and Adelaide Yates (Kline’s own distant relatives), this novel reimagines one of the strangest and most revealing family stories in American history — and offers a piercingly intimate perspective on an extraordinary chapter of the past. Christina Baker Kline is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of ten novels, including Orphan Train, The Exiles, Please Don’t Lie (with Anne Burt), and the forthcoming The Foursome (May 2026). Published in more than 40 countries, her novels have received the New England Prize for Fiction, the Maine Literary Award, and a Barnes & Noble Discover Award, among others, and have been chosen by hundreds of communities, schools, and universities as “One Book” selections.

Onsite

Join us for a fun-filled interactive storytime with books, puppets, movements, songs, and more! Geared for all ages.

Onsite

Pokémon Club (ongoing): Kids 8 are invited to the library for our brand new Pokémon Club! Play, trade, or meet with fellow trainers during this one-hour program, after school from 3:30 - 4:30pm. This program will take place on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month. Snacks are provided. Registration is appreciated. - - - To ensure that your CONFIRMATION EMAIL reaches you, please add alerts@mail.libcal.com to your email contacts. Your registration will be sent to you from this address. If you do not receive a confirmation email, call 207-244-7065 or email circulation@swhplibrary.org. If you do not receive a confirmation email from us, please check your spam, bulk or junk mail folders. If you find the email there, it was diverted by your internet service provider, your spam-blocking software or by filters.

Holmes Reading Room - Front Room

The Library Session, weekly on Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Library open 9am-8pm on Wednesdays. Traditional music session: mostly Celtic tunes; held weekly year round. Open session, round robin style. Participants may lead a tune or set, request a tune, or pass. Pace tends toward relaxed. All skill levels and instruments welcome! Contact: johnofseawall@gmail.com.

St. John's Church - across from Library

The Library is proud to present a Kneisel Hall Chamber Concert on Thursday, July 23th at 7:00 p.m., at St. John’s Church, 315 Main Street, across from the library in Southwest Harbor. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear one of the most significant chamber music programs in the country and to see and hear exceptional music students who are about to launch their careers and in many cases, are already concertizing internationally. The concert is free – a gift by local community members. It will feature several different ensembles performing a variety of works. For some, this concert is the highlight of their summer musical season. The Church is always filled with a very appreciative audience. Come hear what repertoire students in the Young Artists' Program have prepared during their intense chamber music immersion on the coast of Maine. This event fills up quickly so get there early. No registration necessary. For questions, email programs@swhplibrary.org or call 207-244-7065. Kneisel Hall, located in Blue Hill, also offers a summer of Festival Concerts, which began in 1902 when Franz Kneisel, founder of the first professional string quartet in America, began bringing students to his Maine vacation home for summer study. https://www.kneisel.org/

Onsite

Join us for a fun-filled interactive storytime with books, puppets, movements, songs, and more! Geared for all ages.

Offsite

Acadia Explorers (session 2) @Seawall Picnic Area Calling all outdoor explorers! The Library is teaming up with Acadia National Park again to offer this adventurous, outdoor educational program designed for grades K-5 & caregiver. Registrants will have the chance to enjoy a storytime by an SWHPL librarian, then explore and learn at park locations by a Park Ranger. Open to kids 3 , siblings/families welcome. Note: Caregivers must accompany children for the entirety of the program. Session 1 - At Carroll Homestead: The History of Life on the Island. Register HERE. Session 2 - At Seawall Picnic Area: Ships & Sailing Registration required. Register each attending child, not caregiver. - - - To ensure that your CONFIRMATION EMAIL reaches you, please add alerts@mail.libcal.com to your email contacts. Your registration will be sent to you from this address. If you do not receive a confirmation email, call 207-244-7065 or email circulation@swhplibrary.org. If you do not receive a confirmation email from us, please check your spam, bulk or junk mail folders. If you find the email there, it was diverted by your internet service provider, your spam-blocking software or by filters.

Onsite

Summer S.T.E.A.M. (session 2) Science Series with University of Maine Cooperative Extension Open to kids 5 . These are Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.) programs will be led by University of Maine Cooperative Extension staff. Themes - Pending. Tuesdays 2:00-3:00 p.m. Session 1 - July 14th. Register HERE. Session 2 - July 28th. REGISTER BELOW. Session 3 - August 4th. Register HERE. Registration required. Register each child, not caregivers. - - - To ensure that your CONFIRMATION EMAIL reaches you, please add alerts@mail.libcal.com to your email contacts. Your registration will be sent to you from this address. If you do not receive a confirmation email, call 207-244-7065 or email circulation@swhplibrary.org. If you do not receive a confirmation email from us, please check your spam, bulk or junk mail folders. If you find the email there, it was diverted by your internet service provider, your spam-blocking software or by filters.

Onsite

Stop by for a crane folding hour at the Library Tuesdays from 3:00-4:00. Folding peace cranes has a long history at the library. Over the years approximately 25 thousand cranes have been folded by young and old in the Southwest Harbor Library and sent around the world. Our purpose in folding peace cranes is to promote inner peace in ourselves and the folders who join us. Then we gather them in groups of 1000 to send out as wishes for peace. All ages are welcome and we can teach anyone who wants to learn. Papers provided. All past folders are encouraged to come, whether in 1987-90, its first season or 2007-2010 or 2017-19 seasons. This is yet another historic event in the library’s 130th anniversary year. “Can’t wait to hear the quiet paper folding sounds in the library again.” For questions or for more information, contact Kate Russell Henry at spinredcorgi@gmail.com, call the Library at 207-244-7065, or email programs@swhplibrary.org.

Holmes Reading Room - Front Room, Online

Join us for a talk with Professor Emeritus of History at the University of New England, Paul T. Burlin, Ph.D., discussing Reverend Charles Fletcher Dole. The in-person and online talk will highlight Charles Dole’s theological journey, the reforms he supported as well as his summer activities on Mount Desert Island. Register below. For online reservations, choose "1" for the Number of people attending. The Reverend Charles Fletcher Dole was born in Maine in 1845 into a family the religious perspective of which he later described as “ultra-orthodox.” Rebelling against that theology, Charles migrated to the liberal wing of Unitarianism and became an outspoken and highly visible advocate of the Social Gospel. Among the reforms he espoused were temperance, the Single Tax, woman’s suffrage, anti-imperialism and pacifism. The latter led him to oppose World War I and America’s involvement in it, a stance for which he endured significant abuse. Dole and his wife, Frances, built a cottage on Fernald Point Road in Southwest Harbor in the 1880s and summered with their children there for many years. One of their children, Winifred Dole Mann, was married in the town and later retired and resided here until her death in 1978. Paul T. Burlin, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of New England where he taught for 27 years. He was founding Chair of the History Department and served as Interim Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences for several years. His first book, Imperial Maine and Hawai‘i, analyzed the roles nineteenth century Mainers played in the islands. Two of those individuals were Daniel and Emily Dole who went to Hawai‘i as missionaries in 1840. Their son, Sanford Dole, was later at the epicenter of the over-through of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 and the annexation of the islands by the United States in 1898. Burlin’s most recent volume, and the subject of his up-coming Southwest Harbor Public Library talk, is focused on Charles Fletcher Dole, Sanford Dole’s first cousin and father of James Dole, who went to Hawai‘i in 1899 and established the Dole pineapple enterprise a few years later. - - - To ensure that your CONFIRMATION EMAIL reaches you, please add alerts@mail.libcal.com to your email contacts. Your registration will be sent to you from this address. If you do not receive a confirmation email, call 207-244-7065 or email circulation@swhplibrary.org. If you do not receive a confirmation email from us, please check your spam, bulk or junk mail folders. If you find the email there, it was diverted by your internet service provider, your spam-blocking software or by filters.

Onsite - 1st & 2nd Floors

Summer Days: An Exhibit of Paintings by Anne Haynes and Joan Vienot” will be on display from July 1-29. Art Reception on Friday, July 17 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. Artwork will be for sale with 20% of the proceeds benefiting the Library. Anne grew up in Northern New Jersey. She stumbled upon a creative streak when she sculpted a bust of Albert Einstein for a school project in sixth grade. That was followed by adult sculpture classes at the Ridgewood School of Art. Anne and her family moved to Maine when she was a teenager, and the scenery inspired her to begin painting in oils. After earning a degree in law enforcement, Anne married her sweetheart Bill and they raised two children on Mount Desert Island. Anne and Bill live in the dream house they spent 5 years building together in West Tremont. Anne's path as an artist has been for the most part self- guided. Though skilled in traditional oils, pastels, and acrylics, Anne currently prefers water mixable oils. She attempts to express as realistically as possible the beauty she sees in the world around her. More of Anne's work can be seen at annehaynespaintings.com. Joan moved from Florida to Maine in the fall of 2022 to paint the rocky coastline. Her home in Trenton serves as both studio and home base for her wanderings while sketching and plein air painting. Born and raised in Colorado, Joan received degrees in Fine Art and in Health & Recreation from the University of Northern Colorado. She taught art for three years at a high school in Colorado and also coached girls basketball and swimming there. Joan is retired from a 35-year career owning and managing a swimming pool service business on the Beaches of South Walton County in Northwest Florida. Joan was very active in her arts community in Florida. She volunteers and teaches at ArtWaves on Mt. Desert Island and paints with the local plein air painters. For details, email exhibits@swhplibrary.org, or 207-244-7065.

Onsite

Join us for a fun-filled interactive storytime with books, puppets, movements, songs, and more! Geared for all ages.

Holmes Reading Room - Front Room

The Library Session, weekly on Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Library open 9am-8pm on Wednesdays. Traditional music session: mostly Celtic tunes; held weekly year round. Open session, round robin style. Participants may lead a tune or set, request a tune, or pass. Pace tends toward relaxed. All skill levels and instruments welcome! Contact: johnofseawall@gmail.com.

Onsite

Join us for a fun-filled interactive storytime with books, puppets, movements, songs, and more! Geared for all ages.