CHESLEY MEMORIAL LIBRARY
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Members
Sue Robertson, Acting President
Sue Lombard, Secretary
Pat Grobecker, Treasurer

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Friends of the Northwood Libraries

The Friends of the Library are a group of citizens who have joined together to support, improve, and promote the library of Northwood.  They understand the importance of library services to the community and work in many ways to help provide quality service and stimulate library use. The Friends provide materials (such as bookshelves), services (like the volunteer appreciation day), and special programs (like Humor and Harmony) that supplement the library's budget.

Why should you join the friends? By joining, you show the community that you feel that the library is an important institution in the Northwood community, and you can help provide direct support for the library by participating in fundraising activities.

The Friends of the Northwood Libraries also offer a few products through the library, including puzzles and notecards featuring local art, and A Guide to the History and Old Dwelling Places of Northwood, New Hampshire, by town historian Joann Weeks Bailey. All proceeds go to the Friends to benefit Chesley Memorial Library.  Their contributions include (but are not limited to) the beautiful outside sign that allows us to give you easy access to important events, numerous bookshelves (including the Children's Book Bins), central air to keep comfortable on hot summer days, and so much more! Visit our Products page to learn more and to make a purchase that will support the library!
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The Friends of the Northwood Libraries meet periodically at the Chesley Memorial Library throughout the year. For more information, call the Chesley Memorial Library at 942-5472, or check out our calendar page.

CHILDREN'S BOOK BIN ​DONATIONS 

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Rolling book bins that display books at their eye level make it simple for kids to find books of interest in several libraries in New Hampshire. Thanks to assistance from the Friends of the Northwood Libraries, the Chesley Memorial Library was able to purchase book bins for the picture books! For every contribution of $100 or more, the Friends purchased a brass plate with a commemoration for the donor. Check out the book bins the next time you visit the library!

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2024

Soup's On! (And Pie)

The Friends' annual Soup’s On and Pie fundraising event, held at the Northwood Congregational Church on October 25 was once again a smashing success! Soups on the menu included beef stew, chili, corn chowder, fish chowder, Italian chicken soup, and squash. Pies included apple, berry, chocolate walnut, custard, lemon meringue, pecan, and pumpkin. A fantastic turnout from the community enjoyed customizing a delicious autumn dinner with a variety of soups and pies to choose from! All proceeds from the event went to the Friends to benefit library services. Thank you to everyone who took the time to come out and support our Friends, thank you to the Northwood Congregational Church for allowing our Friends to use your space, and thank you to our Friends of the Northwood Libraries for putting the soup on!
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Humor & Harmony made a return at Northwood Congregational Church on May 18! Local talent Rebecca Rule and Cordwood lit up the evening with comedy and live music, and attendees loved every second of it! Specializing in anecdotes about New Hampshire, humorist and author of "That Reminds Me of a Funny Story" Rebecca Rule told some of her funniest during the evening. Homegrown band of seasoned New England musicians Cordwood presented a highly polished on-stage performance, inviting the audience to share in a rich, harmonic sound rooted in bluegrass and folk. A massive thank you to both acts for such heartfelt and hilarious entertainment, and for bringing in such a fantastic crowd! This popular program is sponsored by the Friends of the Northwood Libraries and is always one of their most successful events of the year, so additional thanks to all who attended for joining us in supporting our Friends and appreciating some humor and harmony!

2023

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SOUP'S ON! (AND PIE) RETURNS!

The Friends of the Northwood Libraries held another successful Soup’s On! (And Pie) fundraising event at the Northwood Congregational Church on Friday, October 27, 2023. Soups included beef stew, butternut squash, Italian chicken soup, beef chili, vegetarian chili, corn chowder, and fish chowder. Pies included apple, blueberry, chocolate walnut, custard, pecan, and pumpkin. Attendees not only enjoyed good food, but also good company! It's always a welcome sight to see the community coming together to support a fundraising event, so a huge thank you goes out to everyone who came out to support the Friends! The Friends will use the proceeds to support library services.​ 

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SOUP'S ON! (AND PIE)

On Friday, January 20th, what should've been the return of the annual Soup's On & Pie event, was delayed till Saturday due to a large snowstorm. Despite this, the success for the event was booming and we are so pleased with the turn out, flexibility seen by all involved, and the response from the community who picked up soup's, pies, and breads made by volunteers to support the library. Thank you!

2020

Soup (with a roll):
Beef Stew
Butternut Squash (Vegan)
Chili with Beef
Corn Chowder
Fish Chowder
Pies:
Apple
Berry
Chocolate Walnut
Custard
Pecan
Pumpkin
Order options:
Full Meal (12 oz. soup, roll, and piece of pie)   $10.00
1 (12 oz.) serving of soup and a roll                  $6.00
1 Piece of pie                                                 $5.00


​SOUP'S ON

A big thank you to those that participated in the Friends of the Library's Soups On! They were able to raise $564 for the library. Such a wonderful thing for many people to come out and get a warm meal with dessert and it helps out the library.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2020    ​4 - 6:30pm
(TAKE OUT ONLY)
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Northwood Congregational Church


The Friends of the Library held their sixth annual Soup's On! (and Pie!) on Friday, October 23, 2020 at the Northwood Congregational Church - Fellowship Hall (next to the Coe Brown Academy). Delicious soups, breads, and pies were had by many. All meals were placed in to-go containers to take with you. Due to CoVid-19, everything was to-go. Masks were worn inside the Church Fellowship Hall.

100% of proceeds will go towards the purchase of book bins for the Chesley Memorial Library's Children's Room.

Thank you for supporting the Chesley Memorial Library.​


BIG BLOOMING BOOK SALE

A special thanks to all those you attended the 2020 Big Blooming Book Sale! $714 was raised to help the library. 

The Friends of the Library held their Big Blooming Book Sale at the Northwood Congregational Church Apple Festival. The tragic loss of the Masonic Hall last year impacted their ability to hold the book sale in the spring as they were not able to find a suitable location for the amount of time they needed.


2019

SOUP'S ON and PIE
November 1,  5:00pm - 7:00pm

Delicious Homemade Soups and Pies warmed up and filled hungry patrons tummys. Everyone enjoyed the generous servings of good food and friendly company at Chesley Memorial Library.

The Friends of the Northwood Library did a fantastic job with this event. Alot of hard work by this group gave our community a chance to partake of real home made foods, Thank you to all.
All proceeds go to the Friends to support the library services.
SOUPS: Beef stew, butternut squash, chili, corn chowder, fish chowder, Italian chicken soup, kielbasa potato soup, tomato basil

​PIES: Apple, blueberry, chocolate walnut, custard, Kahlua pecan, lemon meringue, peach crumble, pumpkin
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The Chesley Memorial Library and the Friends of the Northwood Libraries sponsored "Humor & Harmony”, featuring Rebecca Rule and Cordwood, on October 26 at the Northwood Congregational Church. Proceeds from this event benefited the library, and the music and laughter flowed all evening! Cordwood put on some lively country tunes for all to enjoy (to view some of Cordwood's performance, click here or here), and Rebecca Rule and special guest Joel Sherburne from Calef’s Country Store delighted the audience with their own special brands of humor (to view some of Rebecca Rule's and Joel Sherburne's humorous stories, click here or here). ​Thank you to our entertainers, attendees, Friends, and our host, the Northwood Congregational Church, for such a lovely night in support of the library!


Bottle Rockets at Bean Hole Bash were Explosive!


​It was a beautiful day for launching Bottle Rockets, Kids of all ages joined in - wondering what a Bottle Rocket would do. Would it flop? Did it make any noise? Would it really fly? No one really knew, not until they built one of their very own, filled it with air from a bicycle pump and watched and waited in great anticipation.......Everyone was thrilled with the results!

The Friends of the Library “blasted off” at the Bean Hole Bash this summer!  Thanks so much for showing us all how to make these Bottle Rockets  and launching them for us -  Rick Alleva, Ed.D., UNH Cooperative Extension!
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Friends of the Library's Blooming Book Sale was a success!


​Friends First Book Sale is a Blooming Success

The Friends of the Chesley Library thank book donors, buyers, and volunteers for their help with the first annual Big Blooming Book Sale. Thanks also to the Masons for their generous loan of their hall where the sale was held. The sale netted over a thousand dollars. This money will be used for library projects and expenses. Projects have included repairs to the walkway, museum passes, subscriptions for genealogical services, and the picnic table among many others.
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The Big Blooming Book Sale was an especially satisfying fundraiser. People who donated books were happy to find a good cause to support and good homes for their treasures. People who bought books were happy to be able to choose from the hundreds of offerings. Picture books sold for a quarter each. Young readers seemed to have a great time filling their bags with these books, many of them like new. Fiction fans sought out their favorite authors in stacks sorted alphabetically by many hands. The history, how-to, and crafts sections were also popular.

One young reader came in looking for books on Marco Polo. Sure enough, one was eventually located. A perfect fit. 
In the category of “this is amazing,” a woman picked up a book that looked familiar. She opened it to a bookmarked page and there was her family name. She turned to the front cover and there was her own name, handwritten. This book — Who’s Who of 1915 — had been a favorite when she was a child. It had been lost or given away in a move. Forty years later, it was back in her hands. She couldn’t have been more tickled.

2018

 
​SOUP’S ON WITH PIE​ - Friday, Nov. 2 ​from 5 - 7 pm

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​Please join the Friends of the Library on Friday, November 2, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. for their Soup’s On With Pie fundraising event.  Soups on the menu include: beef stew, chicken soup, chili, fish chowder, squash soup, and vegetarian chili.  Pies on the menu include: apple, blueberry, chocolate, custard, lemon, and pumpkin.

Soup will be served in to-go packaging so you can enjoy it in the cozy library or take it home for later.

Small soup and roll: $5.00; large soup and two rolls: $10.00; slice of pie: $3.00; whole pie: $12.00.
Beverages will be provided at no charge.

​All proceeds go to the Friends to support library services.

​CANDIDATES NIGHT

The winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries are set to face off in the general election on November 6.  They will get a chance to ask for support and participate in a question-and-answer session with voters at the Northwood Town Hall on Thursday, October 18, at 7:00 p.m.  Northwood will choose state representatives in Rockingham District 1 (Northwood only) and District 32 (Candia, Deerfield, Northwood, and Nottingham.)  The state senator for District 17 and the executive councilor for District 4 will also be elected.  Candidates Night is sponsored by the Friends of the Northwood Libraries and the Harvey Lake Women’s Club.

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The Friends of the Northwood Libraries once again partook in the annual Bean Hole Bash on July 28, this time making felted rock monsters! Attendees were invited to join the Friends in the Northwood Congregational Church’s Fellowship Hall from 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM to make their own monster-cute, scary, or anything in between - the possibilities were endless!
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Rebecca Rule, Joel Sherburne and Cordwood kept the audience on their toes.

Rebecca led off with her yankee yarrns and Joel added spice to her repertoire with stories about beans, cuttin cheese and ladies hats from Calef's Country Store days. Cordwood's notes were clrear, clean and crisp. They strummed, picked and plucked their guitars, banjos and washboard to some really fun bluegrass. The crowd loved it all clapping so loudly that the noise resounded off the old masonic halls walls. Great sound filled the room for over 2 hours. It was a night to remember.

The Chesley Memorial Library and the Friends of the Northwood Libraries sponsored "Humor & Harmony”  at the Masonic Hall on Route 4 in Northwood on 
Saturday, May 19, from 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Cordwood is a bluegrass and folk quartet made up of instrumental, vocal, and recording artists from Northwood, Durham, and Deerfield.  This is not your local neighborhood hobby band.  They are a fine group of seasoned New England musicians.  Each can hold his or her own at field picking or a back stage jam, and yet, as a band, they present a highly polished on-stage performance.  All four members of Cordwood are storytellers and songwriters, creating original material for instrumentalists who can sing and harmonize, sometimes taking the lead vocal, other times hanging back and lending two, three, or even four part harmonies to a song.  Cordwood provides a unique sound to both originals and the covers they perform.  Their tunes remain heartfelt and down-home.  The band’s material is a mixture of traditional bluegrass, folk, and swing.  Cordwood is Wini Scovill Young on banjo and guitar, Walt Kutylowski on bass, Al Pratt on guitar, and Bob Young on mandolin, names you may remember from Big Chicken, The Deerfield Coffeehouse Band, and Fat Hands.

​CANDIDATES NIGHT

Candidates Night was hosted at the Northwood Town Hall on February 21 at 7:00 P.M. Moderated by Robbie Robertson, it offered an opportunity for all voters and interested people to meet those running for Northwood offices in the March elections, and all candidates had the chance to speak briefly and answer questions from the audience. This event was sponsored by the Friends of the Northwood Libraries and the Harvey Lake Woman’s Club.  ​

2017


​Third Annual Soup's On - Saturday, November 4th from 4 to 6 pm.

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The Friends of the Chesley Memorial Library hosted a heart warming, stomach filling and very tasty meal on Saturday, November 4. There was a delicious selection of homemade soups, breads, desserts, beverages and some musical accompaniment provided by fiddler Steve Schulz.

Menu  included:
SOUPS: Beef stew, chicken, chili, corn chowder, fish chowder, eggplant, tuscan white bean

BREADS: Cornbread, cranberry bread, pumpkin bread

DESSERTS: Bars, cookies

BEVERAGES: Cider, coffee, water
(Food and drinks available while they last)

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All proceeds will benefit the Chesley Memorial Library.

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2017

The Friends of the Library were at the Bean Hole Bash on July 29, entertaining children and selling books and sundries to raise money for the library! With no set prices, attendees were welcome to browse and make an offer when something caught their eye. By the end of the day, $300 was realized, which will go toward library activities and improvements. Led by Robbie Robertson, children's activies at the Bean Hole Bash included learning how to use a hammer and nails, and building with Magformers. Thank you to all who supported the Friends at the Bash!
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