On May 31 Hill Library held a reception to honor the National Poet Laureate, Charles Simic. Mr. Simic recounted anecdotes from his year as Poet Laureate and read three selections followed by readings of local poets and a reception with refreshments. The poems read by Simic included a piece describing a late summer day in Strafford, a comical piece centered around a Library, and the title poem in his newest release, That Little Something. Strafford resident Andrew Periale, Poet Laureate of Rochester, followed Simic by reading a Simic poem and addressing questions to the author. He then read an original. Hill Library periodically hosts poetry nights where you can listen or read poetry. Watch Library Lines for dates and times.

Story Hour – The usual Story Hour has been suspended for the Summer. By that we mean Charlotte Berry’s hour—the creative mix of crafts, activities, and stories that make these times so unique. Plain story reading will be done by Mr. Berry on July 3, 17, and 31 as well as August 14 and 28.

Children’s Summer Program – This year our program is called “G’Day for Reading” with a theme of reading “Down Under”, as many refer to Australia. Charlotte Berry’s imagination and creativity always make these programs exciting and memorable. This year the program runs for six consecutive Wednesdays, July 9 to August 13, from 10 to 12. Children should be between incoming 1st grade to 4th grade, and parent names and telephone numbers will be needed. Call or email the Library to register or if you have further questions.

The Library will be CLOSED on July 5. Upcoming Events include: July 15–Model Making Workshop – 6:30 to 7:30. There are still some airplane kits offered free of charge. Participants are encouraged to bring brushes, cutting tools, and other materials. Hill Library Trustee Meeting will be held Monday, July 28. Everyone is welcome! If you do not have transportation and would like to attend, call 664-9089. Upcoming Movies include Evan Almighty on July 12 at 7:00 p.m. and The Golden Compass on July 26 at 7:00 p.m.

Adult Book Club meets on July 24, 2008, 6:30 p.m. June’s Book Selection, Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, has been moved to July. The July meeting will be held at Martha English’s home. This meeting will also be a “pot luck supper”. Please RSVP to the Library if you plan to attend and to receive directions.

“Ken’s Pick” Exporting America. All voting Americans or those about to vote ought to read Lou Dobbs’s book Exporting America; why corporate greed is shipping American jobs overseas. Here we learn specifics of the how and why some of our most familiar business names create jobs and then send them to India, Malaysia, Mexico and Singapore, not to mention China. Lou Dobbs is the anchor and managing editor of CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight. He is also a columnist for Money Magazine and contributes to U.S. News and World Report. His syndicated Lou Dobbs Financial Report is broadcast on more than 700 radio stations.

Don’t Forget!! If you’d like to be added to the Library email list, please email your address to straflib@metrocast.com, and put “Add me to the list” in the subject line. This list will be used to announce future events and new materials.