Stonington Public Library

What If We Get It Right? Public Conversation Series
2025-01-22 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Stonington Public Library, 64 Main Street, Stonington, ME, 04681
A four-part public conversation series on Visions of Climate Futures based around the book of the same name by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Participants are welcome to join in person at SPL or by Zoom. The conversation dates are Wednesday, January 22nd, February 5th and 19th, and March 5th from 6-7:30pm. Reach out to SPL at the contact information below to sign up.

Food & Fiction: Heartburn
2024-12-16 18:30 - 19:30 | Stonington Public Library, 64 Main Street, Stonington, ME, 04681
Our December title is Heartburn by Nora Ephron. The SPL book club meets the fourth Monday of every month, except December to accommodate holiday plans, at 6:30pm. Readers can choose to participate either in person at SPL or online via Zoom. Contact SPL at the phone or email below to RSVP and/or to join the book club email list.

A Scallop Christmas Story Time
2024-12-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Discovery Wharf, 13 Atlantic Avenue, Stonington, ME, 04681
Led by Carla Guenther at the Discovery Wharf. Come hear a read-aloud holiday story, learn about scallops, and paint a scallop shell. SPL hosts a monthly story time and activity for kids of all ages on the second Saturday of every month.

Edible Island: Cookie Swap & Secret Tree
2024-12-08 15:00 - 17:00 | Stonington Public Library, 64 Main Street, Stonington, ME, 04681
Edible Island: food • culture • community
Cookie Swap & Secret Tree – a special holiday event
Celebrate the season and share your family’s traditions! Bring two dozen cookies to swap. Stay for a secret tree lighting—you’ll have to come to find out where—and holiday songs. To participate in the tree lighting, arrive at the library by 4pm. Everyone will head out together to the secret location.

Food & Fiction: Land of Milk and Honey
2024-11-25 18:30 - 19:30 | Stonington Public Library, 64 Main Street, Stonington, ME, 04681
Our November title is Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang. The SPL book club meets the fourth Monday of every month at 6:30pm. Readers can choose to participate either in person at SPL or online via Zoom. Contact SPL at the phone or email below to RSVP and/or to join the book club email list.

Little Monsters Story Time & Craft
2024-11-09 10:00 - 11:00 | Stonington Public Library, 64 Main Street, Stonington, ME, 04681
Make your own monster at November’s story time & craft.

Edible Island: food • culture • community
2024-11-02 14:00 - 16:00 | Healthy Island Project Kitchen, 91 S Burnt Cove Rd, Stonington, ME
Consider the Apple with Out on a Limb CSA heirloom apples
Stonington Public Library and Healthy Island Project team up again to offer a cooking workshop all about apples There will be Out on a Limb CSA heirloom apples along with favorite recipes from Maine Heritage Orchard and islanders. Come explore the possibilities and enjoy delicious apple treats along the way.
Space is limited. To register, contact SPL at the phone or email listed below

Food & Fiction: The Book Eaters
2024-10-28 18:30 - 19:30 | Stonington Public Library, 64 Main Street, Stonington, ME, 04681
Our October title is The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean. The SPL book club meets the fourth Monday of every month at 6:30pm. Readers can choose to participate either in person at SPL or online via Zoom. Contact SPL at the phone or email below to RSVP and/or to join the book club email list.

Pat Monaghan & John Rohman Exhibit Reception
2024-10-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Stonington Public Library, 64 Main Street, Stonington, ME, 04681
Andy Gove shack, Stonington by Pat Monaghan
Fishing pier, Stonington by John Rohman
Join Pat Monaghan and John Rohman for the opening reception of their joint exhibit at Stonington Public Library. Rugosa Rose will perform live music, and small bites and beverages will be served. The exhibit will remain on display through Saturday, January 25, 2025, and can be viewed any time during library hours. The artists will donate a portion of all sales from the exhibit to benefit Stonington Public Library.
Pat Monaghan moved to Stonington from Philadelphia in 2020. He and his wife Shelley have been coming to Maine and Deer Isle for the past forty years. He draws inspiration from the island, Penobscot Bay, and Stonington’s working waterfront. Pat primarily works in oils and paints from both life and photographs. Whenever possible, he takes his art supplies and heads outdoors to paint plein air. He began his art education at Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia in 1994, where he received instruction in portraiture and figure painting. Ever since, he has pursued learning opportunities to define and hone his personal style. Pat has attended drawing and painting workshops in the US and overseas. He previously served as a monitor at Philadelphia Sketch Club, where he was a member for 25 years.
John Rohman spent a significant amount of time with a pencil in hand during his career in the architectural field that spanned over four decades, and he worked with many talented people in the design profession. Although educated and trained as an engineer, John has always been interested in art and interior design. He began his artistic journey in earnest when he took the plunge in his 40s and returned to classes at University of Maine and Boston Architectural College. Early in his painting career he experimented with a variety of mediums and quickly settled on watercolor, which allowed for the rewarding ability to bring an image to life in minutes on paper. More recently, he has started working with Shina wood blocks and oil-based ink to create prints with greater depth than he can achieve in watercolor.

Apple Cider Story Time
2024-10-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Bob & Missy Mial’s, 57 Whitman Road, Stonington, ME, 04681
It’s easy to grab a gallon of apple cider off the supermarket shelves, but it’s hard to beat the satisfaction of sipping apple cider made by your own hands with an old fashioned press. SPL is thrilled to give you the chance to do just that! Bob and Missy Mial generously offered to host an apple-themed read aloud and cider pressing at their guest cottage for our October story time. Bring along some apples, if you can.
Fun for all ages, no registration required.

Food & Fiction: Like Water for Chocolate
2024-09-23 18:30 - 19:30 | Stonington Public Library, 64 Main Street, Stonington, ME, 04681
Our September title is Like Water for Chocolate by Laura. The SPL book club meets the fourth Monday of every month at 6:30pm. Readers can choose to participate either in person at SPL or online via Zoom. Contact SPL at the phone or email below to RSVP and/or to join the book club email list.

Story Garden: Crops of Indigenous Peoples
2024-09-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Deer Isle Community Garden, 70 Church Street, Deer Isle, ME, 04627
Crops of indigenous peoples story time and garden activity with SPL and led by Mary Cevasco.
This month’s event concludes the Story Garden Series. SPL will continue to host a story time and craft on the second Saturday of every month from 10-11am, usually at the library and sometimes offsite. Check back on our Events page for up-to-date information. No RSVP required.

The Bucknoll Cottage Chronicles
2024-09-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Stonington Public Library, 64 Main Street, Stonington, ME, 04681
It’s an age-old story that never grows old: A lifelong city dweller pursues her dream of leaving the condo in the concrete jungle for the peace and quiet of a country homestead only to realize that there’s, wait, a lot of work involved and no super to call, not to mention ticks and, oh yes, houseguests.
So it was that Mary Lowengard came to buy a fixer-upper in the Poconos in December 2013 and began recording her adventures in small-town living, complete with tales of burst pipes, snow rakes, and a local breakfast joint called Ham & Eggs Served in a Pan. Her stories, though based in rural Pennsylvania, will ring familiar to just about anyone living in Deer Isle and Stonington, especially those who leave their cars unlocked.
What began as a series of humorous online essays in 2021, The Bucknoll Cottage Chronicles—described cheekily by Lowengard as “Sex and the City meets Under the Tuscan Sun, but no sex, no city, and in the Poconos”—is now available in paperback.
Join Lowengard and friends at SPL where the longtime freelance writer will read passages from her book and engage in an informal Q&A with Stonington resident Sandy Ward on the motivation behind the book, humor writing, and the world of book publishing.
Ward and Lowengard first met in Jersey City, NJ in 1989 and reconnected after many years on Deer Isle through mutual friends: Anne Kershaw, a former colleague of Lowengard’s who owns a home on Little Deer Isle; and Katy Rinehart, a friend of Lowengard’s since childhood, now living year-round in Sunshine.
What are the chances?

Consider the Apple with John Bunker, the apple whisperer
2024-09-07 14:00 - 16:00 | Island Heritage Trust, 420 Sunset Road, Deer Isle, ME, 04627
with special guest Todd Little-Siebold
Co-hosted by Island Heritage Trust and Healthy Island Project
A talk by apple expert John Bunker on the art of apple detection with a book signing and apple identification. Followed by a short talk, Lost & Found: The French Origins of Maine Apples, presented by Todd Little-Siebold, professor of history and Latin American studies at College of the Atlantic.
Bring fruit from your funky old apple tree to learn what grows in your backyard. All welcome, no registration.
Tell us about your gnarly apple trees
Know of an old apple tree on the island? The gnarlier, the better! Tell us about it by reaching out to Missy Mial, mial.missy@gmail.com. We’ll be scouting potential heritage trees in advance of John Bunker’s visit.

SPL Labor Day Raffle
2024-09-02 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom, Virtual
Live raffle drawing via Zoom. Reach out to us at the contact information below to request the link.
Join us live to find out who wins—it could be you!

Seaside Series: Colin Woodard
2024-08-28 12:00 - 13:00 | Small Cove Park, 6 Atlantic Avenue, Stonington, ME, 04681
What Holds Us Together? Rebooting the U.S. National Story
Historian, author, and journalist Colin Woodard describes how the United States became unraveled—putting the continued survival of the republic and federation in doubt—leaving many Americans wondering what can hold us together. He shares the results of his team’s in-depth research revealing a way forward via a revitalized national story tied to the ideals laid forth in the Declaration of Independence.
The talk will be followed by a Q&A and book signing. Copies of Colin’s books will be available to purchase. The rain venue is SPL, 64 Main Street, Stonington.
Colin Woodard is the director of Nationhood Lab at the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy at Salve Regina University and the New York Times bestselling author of six books, including American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America, Union: The Struggle to Forge the Story of United States Nationhood, and The Lobster Coast. A veteran foreign correspondent and investigative journalist, he received a 2012 George Polk Award and was a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for his work at the Portland Press Herald. A native of Maine, he is a graduate of Mt. Abram High School, Tufts University and the University of Chicago and a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Read more about Colin on his website.

SPL Benefit Concert: Geoff Warner
2024-08-25 19:00 - 20:30 | John Rohman’s Barn, 16 Thurlow Hill, Stonington, ME, 04681
RESCHEDULED! Originally July 28, now August 25
Singer & Songwriter
Geoff Warner will perform a mix of original songs and roots covers on guitar, plus a few fiddle tunes for good measure. His performances are a musical conversation with stories interwoven.
You can hear the influences of Blues legends Reverend Garry Davis and Mississippi John Hurt and 1960s rock and roll in Geoff’s music. His song are as wide-ranging as his interests, covering everything from sailing and dogs to global issues and island life here on Deer Isle. Join Geoff for an intimate evening of singing and storytelling.
Admission by donation at the door. Contact SPL at phone or email below to reserve a seat.

Downeast with SPL: Deer Isle Oyster Company
2024-08-22 16:00 - 18:00 | Mariners Park, Sunshine Road, Deer Isle, ME, 04627
Slurp, sip, bask: freshly shucked oysters, wine pairings, and a view of Long Cove.
Learn about small-scale oyster and kelp farming on the coast of Maine, enjoy a half dozen freshly shucked oysters with wine pairings presented by Deer Isle Oyster Company founders Abby Barrows & Ben Jackson.
“Our oysters grow in the productive and cold waters of Long Cove, Deer Isle, Maine. Located in Penobscot Bay, the cove has a longstanding history of seafood harvesting, and today supports a community of lobstermen and clam diggers. The farm floats above a soft seafloor, catching nutrient-rich tides while remaining sheltered by the surrounding islands.”
Learn more about Deer Isle Oyster Company here.
To make reservations and for payment information, contact SPL at the phone or email below.
Limited to 10 people
$75 minimum donation
Downeast with SPL is a new fundraising series showcasing local makers, producers, and artists. These small, intimate gatherings are a chance to meet the people and businesses behind the tastes and beauty and moments that we love about Downeast Maine. Our partners are generously donating their time and services and handmade goods to support Stonington Public Library’s mission.

Seaside Series: Jack Viertel
2024-08-21 12:00 - 13:00 | Small Cove Park, 6 Atlantic Avenue, Stonington, ME, 04681
Broadway Melody
Jack Viertel’s new novel, Broadway Melody, is a show business romance crossing 7,000 miles and 70 years. Broadway Melody lands securely in the confines of Times Square and the Theater District, as a crackerjack trumpet player and a blue-collar spotlight operator vie for the love of an aspiring ingenue who holds them both in thrall for their entire lifetimes.
Jack will read from his novel, talk about his Broadway career, and end with a Q&A and book signing. Copies of his books will be available to purchase. The rain venue is SPL, 64 Main Street, Stonington.
Jack Viertel is a theater producer who worked on Broadway for 35 years and spent 20 of them also running the ENCORES! program of musical revivals at New York City Center. He has worked on such memorable productions as Angels in America, Hairspray, Dear Evan Hansen, and The Outsiders. His first book, The Secret Life of the American Musical, was a New York Times bestseller. Follow Jack on Twitter.

DEAD GOWNS – an SPL benefit concert
2024-08-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Four Acre Woods Campground, 1181 Sunshine Road, Deer Isle, ME, 04627
Dead Gowns is the project of Portland-Maine singer-songwriter Geneviève Beaudoin. In her latest collection, the HOW EP, she pushes “expressive arrangements and raw melodies into a glowing spectacle” (Foxy Digitalis). Both urgent and sincere, it’s “the sound of a songwriter coming good on all her promises and then some” (For the Rabbits). Vinyl Me, Please named Dead Gowns a VMP Rising Artist in 2023 and with it, released an expanded version of HOW which is now available on vinyl and all streaming platforms. Follow | listen | watch | read: https://linktr.ee/DeadGowns.
Tickets $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Venmo @stoningtonpubliclibrary or reach out to the contact information below to reserve tickets and for other payment options.
The concert will take place in an open-air venue at Four Acre Woods Campground, 1181 Sunshine Road, Deer Isle. The rain venue is the upstairs meeting room at Stonington Town Hall, 32 Main Street.

Downeast with SPL: Oceanville Flowers
2024-08-15 15:00 - 17:00 | Oceanville Flowers Studio, 10 Church Street, Stonington, ME, 04681
Flowers, tea, and refreshments all while taking in a panoramic view of Stonington Harbor. Take home a bud vase with garden flowers.
Join farmer/florist Alicia Condon in the Oceanville Flowers studio for a floral arranging demonstration and tour of the garden. Then enjoy the view of Stonington Harbor with tea and light refreshments among the flowers. Take home a bud vase with flowers from the garden.
Alicia Condon moved to Deer Isle five years ago to pursue her dream of becoming a farmer/florist. Her small town garden produces an incredible number of flowers, which she arranges for local customers, a CSA subscription and weddings.
Learn more about Oceanville Flowers here.
To make reservations and for payment information, contact SPL at the phone or email below.
Limited to 12 people
$75 minimum donation
Downeast with SPL is a new fundraising series showcasing local makers, producers, and artists. These small, intimate gatherings are a chance to meet the people and businesses behind the tastes and beauty and moments that we love about Downeast Maine. Our partners are generously donating their time and services and handmade goods to support Stonington Public Library’s mission.

Seaside Series: Kristie Billings & Libby Edwardson
2024-08-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Small Cove Park, 6 Atlantic Avenue, Stonington, ME, 04681
Poetry & Prose in the Park
Local authors Kristie Billings, Sea Witch: Photographs, Poems and Forget-Me-Nots from a Mainer Growing Up, and Libby Edwardson bring distinct styles to their crafts from poetry and fiction to photography and painting. They will share published and unpublished poetry and prose, discuss their work, and talk about the community of writers throughout the Blue Hill Peninsula.
Their reading will be followed by a Q&A and book signing. Copies of Kristie’s book will be available to purchase. The rain venue is SPL, 64 Main Street, Stonington.
Kristie Billings, a Stonington native, comes from a long line of lovers of the sea: fishermen, clamdiggers, and sardine packers. The ocean is home. She is a poet, a photographer, and a year-round swimmer. Kristie is also a collector of both the tangible—wigs, albums, scallop shells—and the intangible—stories, emotions, memories. She currently lives in Ellsworth, Maine. Kristie is married to her best friend, Ed. They share a home with their rambunctious cats. Kristie is a collector. Her first book, Sea Witch: Photographs, Poems and Forget-Me-Nots from a Mainer Growing Up, was a finalist for the 2024 Maine Literary Award for Excellence in Publishing. Follow Kristie on Instagram.
Libby Edwardson is a multimedia artist who has called a lot of places home. She has been a cabaret singer in Dublin, a dog walker in NYC, and driven a bookmobile through the hills and hollers of eastern Kentucky. Now she lives on the coast of Maine, where she paints ghosts, writes about monsters, and wanders seaside cemeteries. Libby is writing her first novel, a quiet horror called Diving at the Starlite, which is set in the Appalachian mountains she came to love so well. Libby has six children, an embarrassing number of pets, and dreams of visiting Roswell, New Mexico. Follow Libby on Instagram.

Edible Island: Korean Kalbi & Kimchi
2024-08-10 14:00 - 16:00 | Healthy Island Project Kitchen, 91 S Burnt Cove Rd, Stonington, ME
Chef Sam Noh
SPL and Healthy Island Project welcome back Chef Sam Noh for another workshop in Korean cuisine. Last year, Sam taught everyone how to make Korean gimbap. This year he teaches us kimchi and kalbi, barbecued beef short ribs. Space is limited. Reach out to SPL at the contact information below to register.

Story Garden: Beneficial Insects
2024-08-10 10:00 - 11:00 | Deer Isle Community Garden, 70 Church Street, Deer Isle, ME, 04627
Beneficial insects—moths, butterflies, beetles, and more—story time and garden activity with SPL and led by Mary Cevasco.
The Story Garden Series will run on the second Saturday of every month through September, featuring a different theme each month. Ideal for kids ages 4-10, all ages welcome. No RSVP required.

Downeast with SPL: Sunset Cruise
2024-08-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Isle au Haut Boat Company, 37 Seabreeze Avenue, Stonington, Maine, 04681
Tasty bites, delicious drinks, breathtaking views!
Sunset cruise with SPL and Isle au Haut Boat Services aboard the Otter. Captain Garret Aldrich will take us on an evening tour of Stonington Harbor with delicious bites and sips for all to enjoy. Bask in a glorious sunset while giving back to a public resource—Stonington Public Library—that opens its doors to everyone.
To make reservations and for payment information, contact SPL at the phone or email below. Please note that SPL is handling all reservations for the sunset cruise.
$75 minimum donation
Downeast with SPL is a new fundraising series showcasing local makers, producers, and artists. These small, intimate gatherings are a chance to meet the people and businesses behind the tastes and beauty and moments that we love about Downeast Maine. Our partners are generously donating their time and services and handmade goods to support Stonington Public Library’s mission.

Don Bardole Exhibit Reception
2024-08-07 16:00 - 18:00 | Stonington Public Library, 64 Main Street, Stonington, ME, 04681
Don Bardole hosts a reception for his SPL exhibit with light refreshments and live music performed by Rugosa Rose. A selection of Don’s paintings past and present are on display August 6 through October 19 at SPL.
Don Bardole is originally from upstate New York and had most of his formal education in the Northeast. During his college years, he fiddled with art but only began to paint and sculpt seriously once he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1980. He has taken various classes around Northern California while earning a living as a medical doctor. He currently splits his time between Stonington and San Francisco.
He began as a watercolor painter but now mainly paints in oil. Landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes are what he paints the most. He captures images of Maine and California that interest him, bringing a different perspective and rich color to the canvas. Much of his work is done from photos that he takes with a composition already in mind; he paints plein-air as well. Don is a member of the Deer Isle Artists Association.

Seaside Series: Linda Nelson
2024-08-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Small Cove Park, 6 Atlantic Avenue, Stonington, ME, 04681
Stonington ROCKS Its History and Future
The Deer Isle Granite Museum on Main Street celebrates the skill and bravery of the island’s stonecutters and Stonington’s hard working culture. Come learn more about the Museum and its relevance to our local culture from the Town of Stonington Economic & Community Development Director Linda Nelson. Nelson is also a board member for the Museum. She was the founding Producing Executive Director for Opera House Arts, responsible for the restoration of the 1912 Stonington Opera House, the only building in Stonington on the National Register of Historic Places; as well as a founder of the Cultural Alliance of Maine, a statewide entity dedicated to increasing the state’s investment in Maine culture.
ROCK out to a piece of Stonington’s history! Rain venue SPL, 64 Main Street.
Susan Tobey White, the Belfast-based artist who painted the lobstering women of Maine series, was originally scheduled to appear in SPL’s Seaside Series this week. She made the very difficult decision to cancel her appearance and SPL art exhibit due to a medical issue. Our thoughts are with her for a fast and full recovery.

The Friendly Maine Lobstermen
2024-08-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Stonington Public Library, 64 Main Street, Stonington, ME, 04681
An Island Family Picture Book
The Friendly Maine Lobstermen: A Voyage of the Kieran Scott is the first picture book by Melissa Jones-Bayley, the author, and her children Rosalie and Gavin Bayley, the illustrators. The book is a sweet tale about cooperation and sharing in the lobster industry, focusing on kindness and helpfulness. The art is inspired by the island’s landscapes and the ever-changing Atlantic Ocean, and the story draws from family history and shared experiences. They will present a reading and a discussion of the creative and collaborative processes from inspiration to publication.
Their talk will be followed by a book signing. You can buy a copy in advance at Penobscot Bay Press or at the event.
Melissa Jones-Bayley is a native of Stonington, where she lives with her husband Chris and their two children, Rosalie, 15, and Gavin, 13. She and her husband are both business owners and active in community service. She is fulfilling her dream of raising her children on the island and immersing them in its vibrant artistic community. The book features Gavin’s intricate pencil sketches and precise ink lines combined with Rosalie’s evocative watercolor palette, resulting in captivating illustrations that bring the story to life.

Faerie Queen Story Hour
2024-08-02 13:00 - 14:00 | Stonington Public Library, 64 Main Street, Stonington, ME, 04681
Enchanted Islands is a living art story project, a collaboration between writer-performer Melody Bates, costume artist Jennifer Paar, and Deer Isle sculptor Peter Beerits. The 2024 residency will include three original versions of beloved fairy tales at Nervous Nellie’s on Deer Isle with the storyteller costumed in spectacular garments designed for each tale.
These stories feature magic, disguise and self-discovery, bravery, and birds. They usher family audiences into 21st century tales of enchantment, and human relationships to the natural world.
Melody will perform one of the three tales in the children’s room at SPL on Friday, August 2 at 1pm.

Seaside Series: Siri Beckman
2024-07-31 12:00 - 13:00 | Small Cove Park, 6 Atlantic Avenue, Stonington, ME, 04681
The Art of Wood Engraving and Woodcut

Siri Beckman will talk about wood engraving and woodcut with a book signing to follow. She recently published The Prints of Siri Beckman: Engraving a Sense of Place with Down East Books, which includes an introduction by renowned New England art critic Carl Little.
Copies of her book will be available to purchase. The rain venue is SPL, 64 Main Street, Stonington.
As a long time resident of Stonington, many of her prints were inspired by experiences on the island throughout the years. Siri is a mid-westerner by birth, and Maine became her adopted home in 1975. She joined other artists and craftsmen in forming a co-op gallery in Stonington in 1976. She taught classes in the adult ed program at Deer Isle-Stonington High School, and worked at Haystack for several summers. She also served on the Memorial Ambulance Corps and the Stonington Planning Board. In 1992, she earned an MFA in Printmaking and Book Arts at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. For many years, she ran a picture framing business from her home studio where she also sold her prints. Learn more about Siri on her website.
