If you have a garden and a library you have everything you need. ~Cicero
What draws people to the library? Everything! From books and digital resources to job assistance and creative programming, libraries are essential to thriving communities. National Library Week, April 6–12, 2025, is a time to celebrate the many ways libraries bring people together, spark imagination, and support lifelong learning.
At York Public Library we invite the community to join the celebration! Whether you're a longtime patron or haven’t visited in a while, now is the perfect time to explore all the library has to offer. Our library provides storytelling, digital collections, a seed exchange, free Wi-Fi, art exhibitions, author talks, concerts, discussion groups, technology support, meeting spaces, and more . . . ensuring that everyone has access to resources that educate, inspire, and connect. Whatever draws you in, the library has something for everyone. Whether you’re preparing for a career change, launching a business, raising a family, or embracing retirement, York Public Library is here to support your journey. We look forward to welcoming you soon!
P.S. You may have heard about a recent executive order regarding the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). On March 31, 2025, all IMLS staff were placed on administrative leave. To understand how Maine libraries would be affected should IMLS be shuttered permanently, and how it would affect you as a York Public Library user, please read this.
ADULT SERVICES SPOTLIGHT
Tue. 4/8
Tour of the Portsmouth Athenaeum
Tuesday, April 8
10:00 - 11:00 AM
9 Market Square, Portsmouth, NH
In honor of National Library Week, York Public Library is pleased to offer a behind-the-scenes tour of the Portsmouth Athenaeum with Keeper and Executive Director, Tom Hardiman. The Athenaeum maintains a collection of over 40,000 volumes and an archive of manuscripts, photographs, objects, and ephemera relating to local history. It also sponsors exhibitions, concerts, lectures, and other educational and cultural programs. While there were once hundreds of membership libraries across America, there are now fewer than 20 membership libraries remaining. Join us to learn more!
Attendees will need to coordinate their own transportation to the Portsmouth Athenaeum.
Students, their families and the community are invited to come together to meet the York public school art teachers, view the student art on display, and celebrate the talent of youth in York.
Art will be on display throughout the month of April.
The Anxious Generation: A Deep Dive Into the Ideas of the Book
(Part 1 of 3)
Thursday, April 3
6:30 PM
Virtual
Are you curious about the best selling book by Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation, but haven't read it yet? Or maybe you've read it, and you want to know more? Join author and clinical psychologist Dr. Joseph Moldover for a deep dive into the ideas in the book. This is a three-part series, join us for all three or for just one or two, each hosted by a different participating library, as part of MECollab, a sharing partnership between libraries throughout the state.
Author, poet, songwriter and balladeer, former Portsmouth Poet Laureate John Perrault reads, recites and sings poems and songs—from Wordsworth to Whitman, Dickinson to Dylan, and beyond—plus originals (e.g. “Saco River Song,” “Carbon the Garden,” “Walk by the River”) dedicated to the precious rivers and landscapes—material and spiritual—that water our lives.
Part of this presentation celebrates the Saco and all rivers that are the life blood of this land. A land under enormous stress due to development, pollution, and a warming climate tipping too close to the edge.
Popularly referred to as "Vacationland," Maine hosted 15.3 million visitors in 2023, with tourism a major driver of the State's economy. Learn from two hospitality experts, Haven Hatch (COO of the Crane Hotel Group, York, ME) and Rauni Kew (PR & Green Program Manager of Inn by the Sea, Cape Elizabeth, ME) of creative ways Maine resorts have adapted facilities, practices, and services to become more sustainable, including regenerative tourism, where guests are encouraged to leave their destinations better than they found them.
As coastal communities across the region confront the rising costs of climate disasters and impacts, town and state governments are stepping up to help residents. Hear from Edge Venuti, the youth representative on the Maine Climate Council's Coastal and Marine Working Group, and Megan Mansfield-Pryor, Waste Management Climate Policy Advisor, Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future as they discuss adapting to the impacts of climate change, and doing our part to reduce emissions. Bring your questions as residents of a Maine coastal town and join us for this enlightening discussion.
Join York Land Trust Stewardship Team for a fun, active morning of invasive plant management at Fuller Forest Preserve (part of York Land Trust). York Land Trust staff will provide an overview of invasive plant species, teach you how to identify common invasive plants at Fuller Forest Preserve, and discuss what you can do about invasive species in your backyard and beyond! Removal of each species will be modeled and practiced by participants, so sturdy shoes, long sleeves and gardening gloves are recommended.
Calling all middle schoolers! Do YOU have an interest in wildlife, trailblazing, nature meditation or gardening? Do you know how to handle frogs safely? Do you want to see a raccoon pelt or animal claws up close, or use milkweed in cool ways? These are a few of the many things White Pine can lead you to discover! Drop in! Rain or shine.
Friday, April 4 from 3:00 - 4:30pm Friday, April 11 from 3:00 - 4:30pm
In celebration of Earth Week 2025, which takes place April 21-26, the Town of York’s Recycling Committee will host a display of resources at York Public Library to inform folks about how they can protect precious natural resources and the health of themselves and their families by learning to reduce single use plastic, and reuse and recycle.
The Recycling Committee and the High School Eco Club will sponsor a free giveaway consisting of a reusable eating utensil to carry with you in your handbag or car for quick bites out. There will be information about the single use plastic food ware ordinance which goes into effect May 18. Please be sure sure to stop by York Public Library to view this timely display and learn more.
COMING IN MAY!
Embracing Wellness:
A Collaborative Series brought to you by York Public Library, the York, Maine Rotary Club, and Community Partners
Mental Health Awareness Month, May 2025
We are pleased to present special programming in the month of May focusing on mental health and well-being. The series will feature a community read of the book A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, sponsored by the York, Maine Rotary Club. Other workshops, trainings, and presentations will include mental health first aid, anxiety management, mindfulness and sleep, wellness from prevention to recovery, Qigong, and even a sound bath! The series will have events for all ages and will showcase the many wonderful groups and resources available to us locally for mental health support.
