All events are free
Upcoming
A Special Storytime with Four Winds Nature Institute
Thursday, August 6, 10:30-11:30am (This event has been rescheduled from July 2)
Join us for a special nature-themed storytime and play group with Four Winds Nature Institute. Four Winds’ nature-based playgroups and storytimes for families support those wanting time in nature to be part of every child’s childhood. Each playgroup takes children and their adults outside to play and connect in nearby nature. Mud kitchens, water play, forts, fairy houses and more — children engage in creative, unstructured nature-based play. We may enjoy a story or two together outside, too. And adults learn what nature-based play is, how it sounds, what it looks like, and how it benefits children.
Fabric Stenciling with Artistree
Tuesday, August 11, 3-4pm
Let’s celebrate the colorful summer season with butterflies, flowers and greenery. Come play and discover the color, layering and repetition of textile design. We’ll explore stenciling with the dry brush technique on fabric, creating beautiful designs to display.
Summer Reading Wrap-Up Party and Prize Drawing
Saturday, August 22, 2-4pm
Let’s celebrate the end of Summer Reading with a party! The library will host a summer party with games, music, snacks, snow cones, and our much-anticipated raffle drawing for Summer Reading prizes! (You don’t need to be present to win.)
Ongoing
Summer Reading
Thursday, June 25 – Thursday, August 20
Get ready for Summer Reading at Baxter Memorial Library! This year, we’ll have an awesome Summer Reading Kickoff Party with circus artist Andrew Silver, incredible art and dance workshops, an extra-special storytime, a balloon twisting workshop, and our special adopt-a-stuffy day – as well as kid-centered programs every weekday, your choice of cute, die-cut sticker every time you check out books, a guess-how-many-trinkets jar, fun weekly scavenger hunts, and tons of cool prizes you can enter to win for completing reading and writing challenges! Check out our Summer Reading page for all the details.
Lego Builders Club
Mondays 3:30-4:30
Stop by Mondays to build the weekly Lego challenge – or not! Maybe you want to build your own thing – or work to build something collaboratively. Maybe you just love to sort the Legos by shape and color. Or, maybe you want to build from the challenge cards – a jungle exploration vehicle or a stealth submarine, or a reserve for reptiles. Hey, whatever works for you! No rules – just lots of Lego fun!
Writing Group
1st & 3rd Mondays 6:00-7:30pm
This group meets twice monthly. The first part of the get together focuses on generative writing through prompts, and the second part focuses on kind critique and supportive feedback of writings that members bring in. All writers of any experience level are welcome. If you’re curious, come check it out! Bring a journal or laptop, a warm drink, and your imagination.
Simplicity Circle
New Time: 4th Mondays, 6:00-7:30
Join us each month to chat about the things that really matter to us and the steps we’re taking – or planning to take – to make them happen. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
A Simplicity Circle is a welcoming space where we can explore, practice, and enjoy the benefits of voluntary simplicity. Together, we’ll reflect on ways to cultivate a less pressured, more intentional lifestyle, and we’ll focus on what truly matters: meaningful relationships, creative expression, a sense of “enough,” and the power of sharing.
Practice Reading to Ms. Shana
Tuesdays 1:15-2:00
Practice your reading skills by reading to the librarian. Ms. Shana loves to be read to, and she’s the most non-judgmental and encouraging listener! The library won’t be open to the public, so even shy readers can come out of their shells in this joyful reading environment. Contact Ms. Shana at sharonbaxterlibrary@gmail.com for more information.
The Sharon Health Initiative at Baxter Memorial Library
2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 2-3pm
The mission of the Sharon Health Initiative is to provide personal attention, assessment, advocacy & referral within the healthcare system, especially for our elders who need assistance aging in place. Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday from 2pm to 4pm, feel free to stop by and chat about what the Dena Wilkie, the Community Health Care Coordinator, can do for you! Questions? Email Dena at sharonhealthinitiative@gmail.com or give her a call at (802) 230-8458.
Crafternoon
Wednesdays 3:00-4:00
Join us for open craft time at the library. We’ll provide craft supplies including paints, markers, paper plates, beads, origami paper, ribbons, yarn, glue, scissors, pipe cleaners, and more. Come let your imagination inspire you to create whatever you choose!
Story Time and Play Group
Thursdays 10:30-11:00
Baxter’s weekly toddler/preschooler story time and play group takes place Thursdays at 10:30am. Let your little one read stories with the librarian and explore the library before it opens to the public. Then, stick around for some play time! During the summer, each child attending Storytime can choose a brand new free book thanks to a Winnie Belle Learned Fund grant made possible by the Vermont Public Library Foundation.
Game Day at the Library
Thursdays 3:30-5pm
Thursday is Game Day at Baxter! Bring your own game or play one of the library’s. We’ve got Magic the Gathering cards, tons of board and card games, chess, and so much more! You can see a list of some of our games on our Library of Things page.
Short Story Club
Anytime
No time for a book club? Baxter Memorial Library’s Short Story Club has your back. No novels. No meetings. Just great short stories.
The July/August selection is “Go Team” by Samantha Hunt. Told through lively dialogue, the story reminds us that life’s deepest mysteries often hide in ordinary moments—and that the everyday is rarely as simple as it seems.
“She crossed the field as if she didn’t even see the game, like she was chasing a stray ball. Sudden and straight across. The way an animal would go. Some of the kids stopped playing. Maybe they thought she was a referee, or that there was an injury. But she ignored the kids, walked right through them and into the woods.”
You can pick up copies of the story at the library, see what others thought of it in the SSC binder, and add your own reflections.
Baxter Memorial Library 