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July 2026 |
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July is here and summer is in full swing! We are thrilled that so many of you have signed up for our Summer Reading Challenges - and if you haven't done so yet, there's still time! Join our community of readers to complete fun, summer-themed challenges and be eligible to win carefully curated prizes. And when it gets too hot outside, remember that we're here for you with plentiful AC, books, programs, free WiFi, and chill vibes!
One exciting update we have to share is that we begin offering expanded Saturday hours in July! Beginning on July 11th, Dyer Library and Saco Museum will be open on Saturdays from 9:30AM - 2:00 PM. Thank you to our business partners for helping us to fund this extra service!
P.S. Our Executive Director Sophie Smith has a new corner of the website where she shares updates and behind-the-scenes information! Click here to hear the latest DLSM news, straight from the top. |
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Happy Birthday America! |
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It's America's 250th birthday and we're throwing a party! Join us on Wednesday, July 1st from 1:30 - 2:30 PM for a storytime and then decorate cupcakes in honor of America’s Semiquincentennial. For kids of all ages!
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Our Summer Reading Challenge is here!
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We have so many fun programs, events, and prizes for all ages! |
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Ages 5-11: Introducing Dyer Library’s 2026 Summer Read and Bead Challenge! As you log your minutes—whether you’re reading solo, listening to an audiobook, or sharing a story together - you’ll earn a variety of colorful, metallic, and glow-in-the-dark beads to build a custom necklace that grows along with your reading list.
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Books and Babies: Babies can enjoy a complimentary “Indestructible” book and caregiver literacy guide. Sign up at the children’s desk while supplies last! |
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Toddlers: Children 5 and under can participate in Adopt a Reading Buddy. Reading Buddies for children under 5 will be available to “adopt” from the library while supplies last.
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Tweens & Teens: sign up for our raffle style challenge! There will be one drawing at the end of the program, with a grand prize and 4 runner-up prizes, for a total of five winners.
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Adults: Complete a game board from the Circulation Desk for the chance to win one of three themed prize totes. We have also added Read ME Statewide Summer Reading selections to our collection. You can read more about these selections and upcoming interviews with the authors here.
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Please visit the Summer Reading page of
our website for more information! |
| Summer Reading
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This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The American Revolution gave birth to a new nation and set of ideals that have been memorialized and reimagined ever since. Remembering the Revolution will feature stories of those involved in the conflict, such as Benjamin Simpson, a local mason who participated in the Boston Tea Party and later served in the Continental Army, and Captain Jabez Lane of Buxton who fought in campaigns from Boston to New York. The exhibition will also examine some of the objects and events that later generations used to remember and redefine the Revolution.
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Remembering the Revolution runs from June 26th - September 5th.
Gallery Tours will be offered at noon on July 24th and August 14th. | All-Ages Crafternoon |
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Drop in on Thursday, July 2nd from 2:00-3:30PM and get ready for the Fourth of July by decorating a patriotic luminary that can be used to hold a candle, sparklers, or flowers. Open to all ages!
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Team Up with a Reading Buddy |
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Looking to boost your child's reading confidence while having a blast? Join us at the library for our Reading Buddy Sessions! Every Wednesday from 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM, your child will pair up with an enthusiastic older buddy for a 20-minute session:
- Play literacy games that make learning fun.
- Explore exciting new books together.
- Get creative and maybe even write an original story!
Why join? Little Buddies receive the dedicated attention they need to build strong reading and writing skills, helping to inspire a lifelong love for books. No registration required, just drop by the Children's Room on Wednesdays between 3:30 - 4:30! |
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Maine author Ron Romano returns to Dyer Library on Tuesday, July 14th at 5:30PM with his new book "Stories from Maine Cemeteries - Lives Cut Short". He’ll show how gravestones from the 1800s were inscribed and decorated with symbols to memorialize those who died before their time, and he’ll share stories of Mainers - including some from Saco - whose lives were cut short by lightning, shipwreck, disease... even murder. Copies of the book will be available for autographing and sale.
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Vermicomposting with WormMainea |
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Do you compost outdoors in the summer and want to continue all winter? Are you new to composting and want to give vermicomposting a try? Learn how to build a worm bin for less than $15 and keep your worm bin trouble-free with Mark Follansbee from WormMainea! He'll be here on Saturday, July 11th at 10AM to discuss feeding and monitoring your bin; harvesting and using vermicompost as a soil amendment; and making vermicompost tea. Mark is a toxicologist and environmental scientist and has been vermicomposting since 2000. He has been teaching others to vermicompost successfully since 2005 as WormMainea.
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Whether you love to cook, love to eat, or just want to spark your culinary curiosity, join our Cookbook Club! We meet monthly to discuss and try recipes from different cookbooks and build community. Our next meeting will be on Saturday, July 18th from 11:30AM-12:30PM.
For our July meeting we're bringing cookout side dishes, just in time for your next barbecue! Bring your dish and the recipe or cookbook to share and discuss. Please visit the event listing on our Events Calendar to register. |
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Marine Mammals of Maine (MMoME) will join us on Saturday, July 18th! at 11 AM to take us through a seal’s journey from stranding to release, and all of the obstacles in between. Starting with seal basics such as: whether it’s normal for them to be out of the water and why you might see a baby on its own, and then dive into when and why seals need our help. You will learn what MMoME is, what they do, the animals they care for, and how you can help! Please note: this is an all-ages hands-on learning event, but does not include live animals in the presentation.
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Upcycled T-Shirt Bag Crafting |
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Did you know that cotton plants are one of the most resource intensive crops in the world? Approximately 713 gallons of water are required to make one t-shirt (enough to fill 30 bathtubs). On Friday, July 24th at 1:30PM, ecoMaine will show attendees how to turn old t-shirts into reusable, no-sew tote bags! This workshop explores why reducing textile waste is so important, the lifecycle of a cotton t-shirt, and the art of upcycling as a form of reuse. For ages 11 - 13, registration required.
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Financial Literacy Programs |
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Representatives of Key Bank in Saco will hold financial education literacy workshops at Dyer Library on Tuesday, July 21st and Monday, July 27th. They'll cover topics such as preparing for financial emergencies and understanding credit scores and reports. Workshops will be held at 1:00 PM.
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Please note that our regular weekly youth programming will pause from June 1st - September 8th for our Summer Reading Challenge.
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Summer Storytimes |
Tuesday and Thursdays,10:30-11:30 am | Deering Room |
Stories and songs for kids of all ages!
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Native Plants and Pollinators: An Interactive Game for Kids! |
Wednesday, July 15th, 1:30-2:30 pm | Deering Room |
Are bees the only pollinators helping plants reproduce? Come play a game to learn about native pollinators and why they are so important to Maine's native plants, with Rebecca Tay from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. For ages 8+, space is limited and registration required.
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Maple Helicopters: A STEM Craft for Kids |
Wednesday, July 29th, 1:30-2:30 pm | Deering Room |
Which type of maple seed will have the greatest chance at success? Join Rebecca Tay from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension to experiment with native and invasive maple helicopters to see which can move the greatest distance, and then make your own model from paper! For ages 8+, space is limited and registration required.
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This summer we’re co-hosting a book club with TA Middle School and there's still time to join! We'll be discussing "Outside" by Jennifer L. Holm on July 20th and "What Happened Then" by Erin Soderberg Downing on August 24th. All meetings are from 3:30-4:30 PM. Please click the link to register!
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July Releases For Summer Reading |
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Click on the book cover to be taken to its MINERVA listing, where you can request the book even before its release date, when possible!
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Country People |
Daniel Mason |
A year in the life of a family as they strike out into the unknown (aka Vermont), leaving all the comforts of home behind. Joyous, absurd, and life-affirming, Country People is a luminous exploration of marriage and parenthood, the nature of belief and the power of stories, and the ways in which we find connection in an increasingly fragmented world.
Releasing July 7. |
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Ransom |
Daniel Silva | Art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon searches for the missing wife of a British billionaire in the electrifying new tale of greed, corruption, and betrayal. Book 26 in the series.
Releasing July 14. |
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A Romance Revival |
Christina Lauren | An unforgettable romance in which a fateful accident erases a troubled marriage from memory - and a scientific breakthrough gives love one extraordinary do-over.
Releasing July 14. |
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Mailman: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home |
Stephen Starring Grant | An uproarious memoir by a mailman in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, who found that working for the post office saved his life, taught him who he was, gave him purpose, and educated him deeply about a country he loves but had lost touch with.
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Did you know that Dyer Library/Saco Museum patrons can access free or discounted passes to local museums and parks? All are now open for the season! We are also excited to offer two new passes this year, to Historic New England properties and Strawbery Banke Museum. Please visit our website for a full list of participating organizations and instructions for reserving and using your passes!
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July Book Clubs |
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Find us in the Community |
 | Coming Next Month: Annual Book Sale |
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Our big Annual Book Sale will take place from August 22nd-29th, with a Preview Night event on August 21st! If you are interested in volunteering to sort and set up or cashier during the sale, please contact Brooke Palmer at bpalmer@dyerlibrarysacomuseum.org.
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Mon: 9:30 am - 5 pm
Tue: 9:30 am - 8 pm
Wed: 9:30 am - 5 pm
Thu: 9:30 am - 8 pm
Fri: 9:30 am - 5 pm
Sat: 9:30 am - 2 pm
Sun: Closed |
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Mon: Closed
Tue: noon - 4 pm
Wed: noon - 4 pm
Thu: noon - 8 pm
Fri: noon - 4 pm
Sat: 9:30 am - 2 pm
Sun: Closed |
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Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram! |
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Animal Hospital of Saco
Dirigo Federal Credit Union Reny's Charitable Foundation |
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Blue Elephant Catering
Paquin & Carroll Insurance University Credit Union |
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