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Upcoming Closures:
Wednesday, December 24: Early closure (4:30pm) Thursday, December 25: Closed (Christmas Day) Wednesday, December 31: Early closure (4:30pm) Thursday, January 1: Closed (New Years Day) |
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Annual High Tea at the Library |
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Cottage Core High Tea!
Saturday, December 6,
12:00 PM
Heberton Hall
Step into an enchanted afternoon of woodland charm at our Cottage Core High Tea! Enjoy a cozy, storybook atmosphere inspired by mossy cottages, forest feasts, and the timeless magic of old tales. Sip tea, savor treats, and settle in as master storyteller Odds Bodkin shares a captivating tale of Norse origin—woven with music and myth.
This free event is open to all ages. Come dressed in your cottage core best, and lose yourself in the wonder of a story straight from another age. Registration is requested. Save a seat by signing up with our online calendar.
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Friends of the Library Pop-Up Book Sale
December 13, 2025 Circulation Lobby Shop for your next cozy evening read or holiday gifts, all while supporting programming at your local library! The Friends of KPL are hosting another pop-up sale for adult fiction books in our Winter Street lobby! Stop by to snag a book or five at great prices. All books are donated to the Friends of KPL and range from like-new to gently used condition and all profits support the library and library programming. Contact friendsofthekeenepubliclibrary@gmail.com with questions. |
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Cheshiremen Chorus
Saturday, December 20, 3:00 PM
FILLER
The Keene Cheshiremen Chorus with special guests the UpGray’d Quartet will be performing their annual Holiday Harmony Show and helping us all get into the spirit of the holiday season of giving. Join us for the holiday sing-along and stay for the light fare holiday reception. A fun afternoon for all – which promises to bring the holiday spirit into your heart!
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The Shock of Colonialism in New England
Thursday, December 4, 6:30 PM
This is an online event. Event URL will be sent via registration email.
In this talk based on her recent book, The Shock of Colonialism in New England: Fragments from a Frontier, archaeologist Dr. Meghan C. L. Howey shares her research on the seventeenth-century colonial frontier of the Great Bay Estuary/P8bagok through the Great Bay Archaeological Survey (GBAS).
Please register by December 3 to receive a Zoom login for this online lecture.
Combining archaeological excavations, ‘forensic’ archival research, collaboration with contemporary Indigenous knowledge keepers, and community engagement, GBAS’s work has revealed this landscape holds forgotten stories of what it meant for everyday people to live through the global shock of colonialism. This includes unexpected diversity and dynamism among English colonists, multifaceted encounters with Indigenous peoples, and lasting environmental damage from labor-intensive extractive industries. There is a race against time to find more of these hidden stories as sea-level rise is, quite literally, washing the material evidence of them away.
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Utterly Otters
Tuesday, December 9, 6:00 PM
Ruth Huntress Auditorium
Susie Spikol, Community Programs Director and teacher-naturalist and author at the Harris Center for Conservation Education, will present a talk on the bounding, sliding, swimming river otter. She will bring attendees along on an exploration of the natural history of this charismatic local mammal, and the role the otter plays in area watersheds.
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Adult Craft Night -- Make a Terrarium
Thursday, December 11, 6:00 PM
Kay Fox Room
Make a mini landscape in closed terrarium with slow growing plants, attractive rocks and other items of interest. Registration is required for this event. Materials will be provided.
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Book Crush - A Romance Reader Group (Holiday Romances)
Wednesday, December 3, 6:00 PM
Miller-Vincent Room
Do you love love stories? Join us for Book Crush, a non-traditional book club for romance readers! Every month will have a theme related to romance tropes, conventions, and subgenres. Choose your own book to fit the theme, share your pick with other readers, and discover new titles to try! December's theme is Holiday Romance. Have questions or suggestions? Want book recommendations for upcoming themes? Email pgoodreau@keenenh.gov.
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Great Short Stories
Thursday, December 4, 2:00 PM
Eppes Room
Welcome to the 38th year of Great Short Stories (formerly Great Books) discussion group. The group meets every other week in the Eppes room on Thursdays starting at 2:00 pm and ending about 3:30 pm.
The readings are from The Best American Short Stories of the Century, ed. by John Updike and Katrina Kenison, c 1999. The library has a copy of this and can make copies of the readings for you.
This is the final meeting of this session!
Readings: Willa Cather, "Double Birthday" (pp 77 - 99) and E. B. White "The Second Tree from the Corner" (pp 281 - 285)
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Infinite Worlds Book Club
Thursday, December 18, 6:00 PM
Booras Room
Welcome to Infinite Worlds, a non-traditional book club for adults focusing on speculative fiction! Each month we will have a set theme within which our members will select their own book to read. At our monthly meetings we will each share about our reads and discuss the topics and tropes that came up within the theme. Join a book club where you pick the book you read. Members are encouraged to pack a dinner to munch during discussion, and the library will provide dessert. From sci-fi to fantasy, dystopias to alternate histories, there are infinite worlds to explore! Register today to ensure we have enough supplies.
December's Theme: "To Whom It May Concern..."
We're looking at stories written either as letters or journals, also known as epistolary novels. Dracula is perhaps the most famous of this kind of novel, but other examples include This is How You Lose the Time War, World War Z, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, and Carrie. Contact kmcstravick@keenenh.gov with any questions, requests, dietary restrictions, or for online attendance.
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Reel Night Out: Yule Like 'em!
Wednesdays, 6:00 PM
Ruth Huntress Auditorium
Join us for a weekly movie night and fresh popcorn! This month we're screening modern holiday classics-- yule like 'em! The line-up is:
December 3: Elf (2003)
After accidentally falling into Santa Claus' gift sack, a human baby is raised at the North Pole, growing up to believe he is an elf. Due to his large size, the "elf" causes chaos in Santa's workshop, forcing Kris Kringle to send him on a mission to find his human roots.
Starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Edward Asner, Mary Steenburgen. New Line Cinema, PG, 2003, 97 minutes.
December 10: A Christmas Story (1983)
It's the final days before Christmas in early 1940s Cleveland, and 9-year-old Ralphie wants one thing from Santa Claus more than anything else: a Red Ryder Carbine Action Air Rifle. As he trudges through the snow to school, faces the neighborhood bully and visits a malevolent department store Santa Clause, Ralphie connives, conspires and campaigns for the most fabulous Christmas present ever in this heartwarming, hysterical and sweetly nostalgic holiday film. Based on stories by Jean Sheppard.
Starring: Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon, Ian Petrella, Scott Schwartz. Warner Bros., PG, 1983, 98 minutes.
December 17: The Santa Clause (1994)
A divorced adman inadvertently becomes the real Santa when he puts on the suit of the guy who fell off of his roof.
Starring: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd, David Krumholtz. Walt Disney Pictures, PG, 1994, 97 minutes
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Play American Mahjong
Wednesdays, 1:00 PM
Cohen Hall
Players meet weekly. Newcomers are welcome to come and observe, ask questions and get an introduction to the game.
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Cookies, Coloring, and Conversation for Adults
Thursdays, 1:30 PM
Heberton Hall
Join the crowd of adult coloring fans and find out why adults are going back to coloring. Grab a friend, sit back, and have a good time. We will provide refreshments, coloring books, and colored pencils; you bring a good conversation with your friends and fellow coloring fans.
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Noon Years Eve
Wednesday, December 31, 11:00 AM
Heberton Hall
Join us for another Noon Years Eve countdown to 2026! Get ready to boogie in the New Year with games, music, light lunch and crafting activities! All ages are welcome. The program is designed for children and families. Registration is encouraged and appreciated so we can be prepared to serve all.
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Kids STEAM: Button Mosaic
Thursday, December 4, 3:30 PM
Storyroom
Design and create a custom mosaic from a selection of buttons. Registration required. Ages 5 - 12
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Kids Comic Club
Friday, December 12, 4:30 PM
Kay Fox Room
For comic fans ages 8-12! We'll meet once a month to create together, discuss great graphic novels, and watch interviews and tutorials from our favorite artists. All skill levels are welcome, and materials will be provided! Meetings will be held on the second Friday of each month.
Registration is appreciated. Questions or Concerns call the library 603.352.0157.
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1.. 2.. 3... Play With Me!
Mondays, 10:30 AM
Kay Fox Room
Spend time together, play and make friends during this educational program. These fun co-learning times are for children 6 months to 5 years old and their parents or caregivers. Registration is appreciated!
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Library Build a Rama
Mondays, 4:00 PM
Youth Department
Calling all builders! Come build with LEGO® bricks, we have a huge variety of bricks to encourage your imagination to go wild. Our Build-a-Rama club is open to kids of all ages.
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Teen Sit & Scribble
Wednesday, December 10, 5:30 PM
Booras Room
Are you a teen aged 12-19 looking for a group of writers to share with and learn from? Join our teen writing group, whether you’re crafting a novel, a comic, or even an exciting piece of fan fiction! This a place safe from judgment, where you can bounce ideas off each other, share your stories, and dedicate time each month to be creative.
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Teen Crafternoon: DIY Pop-Sockets
Monday, December 15, 3:30 PM
Timken Teen Space
Hey middle and high schoolers! Need a last minute gift for your loved ones? Join us for this month's crafternoon, where we're making popsockets of our own design! No registration necessary.
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Keene Pride Youth Book Club
Tuesday, December 16, 05:30 PM
Eppes Room
Teens and Tweens! Join us for our discussion of The Girl From the Sea by Lee Knox Ostertag. There will be snacks, crafts, and the chance to talk all about this month's pick! All LGBTQ+ youth and allied youth are welcome, no matter if you read the whole book or a single page. If you need a copy of this month's pick, reach out to EGreen@KeeneNH.gov or Youth@KeenePride.org!
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Teen Gaming Drop-In
Thursdays, 3:00 PM
Timken Teen Space
Teens and tweens in middle and high school are welcome to game together every Thursday after school in the Teen Space! Check out our Nintendo Switch and play Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Mario Kart, or a variety of other games. You're also welcome to break out one of our many board games, or you can even bring one of your own games to share (must be rated Teen or below)! Come play, collaborate, compete, and have FUN gaming @ the Library.
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