Library Trustees:
David Fream - term expires March 2028
Brendan Johnson - term expires March 2026
Jack Parnham - term expires March 2027
Library Annual Report 2024 Library Board of Trustees
This year was highlighted with two main projects initiated by the trustees. The first was a town-wide survey aimed at helping the Board of Trustees gather data to help create a 5-year strategic plan for the library. This data is very important in understanding the perceptions, needs and wants of the library patrons and the community as a whole. The trustees will work with this data, the director, the Friends of the library, and others to create a document that will help guide possible opportunities to better serve the community and the library patrons into the future. We thank everyone who took the survey and look forward to sharing our plans.
The second initiative was the remediation of the asbestos tiles and replacing the carpets. As it happens, this led to a bigger opportunity to repaint, deep clean, and update our circulation desk to allow more room for our staff to work behind the desk. We want to thank the town for the remediation of tiles and a huge thank you to the Friends of the Library! The Friends covered the cost of the carpet, painting and the circulation desk. The work is not over and we are looking forward to more exciting projects in the near future to enhance our services and create a refreshing new environment for our patrons and staff.
The board truly appreciates our staff and director for all of their efforts this year. The Paul Memorial Library is a special place in our town and it starts with the great team of people working there. The staff works very hard to create a welcoming environment for all and create wonderful programs to enrich patrons' experiences. None of our continued success was possible without Brittney, Cori, Lauren, Marie and all of our substitute assistant Librarians. Sincerely, PML Board of Trustees Win Fream- Chairperson Jack Parnham - Secretary Brendan Johnston- Treasurer Director’s Report During the past year, the Paul Memorial Library has focused on fostering connections and developing expanded programming for its diverse community. This has included new book groups, new monthly online programming, a variety of events to suit all ages, a robust summer reading program, and community outreach. As a result of these efforts, we are happy to report growing library use, including increased borrowing and increased attendance at events.
Library Community Survey
In Fall 2023, we sent out a community survey to learn what residents want and need from the library. We collected over 100 responses, which showed Newfields residents want a vibrant library with more programs, services, and, of course, books—along with a full-time director and adequate staffing and building space to support expanded resources.
Specifically, when answering the survey question “What do you believe should be PML’s priorities to improve over the next 3 years?” Your top priorities, in order, were:
1. Add more books and other materials
2. Offer more programs and special events
3. Expand and enhance digital services
4. Hire a full-time library director
5. Replace/upgrade furniture and equipment
Here’s how we did in 2024:
● Add more books and other materials.
○ Space limits us in expanding our physical collection, but we’ve worked hard to curate a collection that meets the needs and interests of our patrons. We believe we’ve been successful here as overall circulation continues to increase and we’ve received positive feedback from readers like you.
● Offer more programs and special events.
○ In 2023 we offered 81 programs. In 2024, we offered 209, including 93 virtual events. That’s a 151% increase in events and an average of 4 programs/week. We aim to provide a variety of programs for different age groups and interests. If there’s a program you’d like to see, drop us a line!
● Expand and enhance digital services.
○ We currently offer two digital collection options: the Libby app, provided through the NH Digital Downloadable Books Consortium, and hoopla app, funded by the Friends of the Library. Usage on both platforms continues to grow, with digital borrowing increasing 11% in 2024.
● Hire a full-time library director.
○ Not yet, but we’ll be grateful for your continued support in budgeting for this key priority. With a full-time director, the library will be better equipped to support the community’s priorities of expanded services, programming, and strategic planning.
● Replace/upgrade furniture and equipment.
○ The library underwent initial renovations at the end of 2024 to update furniture, decor, and equipment. See details below. We hope you like it!
Library Improvement Project 2024
To address the priorities outlined in the survey, in partnership with the Library Board of Trustees and the Friends of the Library, we put in place initial plans for improving the interior of the library. Planning continued through 2024, and culminated in a six-week closure from November 18, 2024 through January 21, 2025. Project priorities included:
● Asbestos remediation
● New carpet
● New circulation desk and office storage
● New furniture
● New children’s room decor
By focusing on these initial improvements, we aim to make the library more inviting, comfortable, and useful. The new staff desk can now accommodate two employees working together—something that wasn’t possible with the old desk configuration. The desk also maximizes use of the existing space, allowing for more room to work and serve patrons. The lower level of the desktop and the warm, clean tones of the wood and granite create a more open and inviting atmosphere, which we hope will further encourage community connections.
The children’s room updates focus on unifying the space through cohesive colors and decor, while providing more comfortable and versatile seating options. The woodland pond theme ties into Newfields’ natural beauty and the community’s conservation values. One of the biggest issues with the children’s room is a lack of comfortable seating for adults. To address this, our Phase 2 plans include an addition of a custom-made wood tree bench/bookshelf installation for kids and families to sit, read, and enjoy the space together.
The library’s historic living room will be furnished with new seating and lighting for a more comfortable and inviting space to read or gather, while retaining the historic character and existing antiques. New paint elevates the space and creates a warmer, cozier atmosphere that will encourage people to sit and read awhile.
The library re-opens to the public on January 21, 2025. We look forward to welcoming the community back into the space and hope you will find the updates as exciting as we do.
A big thanks to the Friends of the Newfields Public Library for sponsoring the majority of the project. These improvements would not be possible without their generous contributions.
Staff Updates
In January, I (Brittney) formally accepted the role of library director after working as the interim director for the second half of 2023. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my local community in this expanded capacity and excited to work with a stellar staff, Board, and Friends group.
My hope is to foster a library community centered on a culture of reading and learning, through events and collection materials that inspire, inform, connect, and entertain.
In May, we said goodbye to Marie Smyth, who left to join another library in Massachusetts (though she continued to lead our Fantasy & SciFi book club once a month). We hired Lauren Bradley as our new Library Assistant in July. She is currently working towards her Master’s degree in Library Science, graduating in Spring 2025.
Our team is small, but I am proud of their dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work to deliver excellent library services to Newfields.
Library Trends & Events
We are excited to share that library use continues to trend upward.
We welcomed 4,612 visitors to the library—a slight dip from 2023 totals, but on track to exceed 2023 visits before the library building closed for 6 weeks for renovations. And 5,819 people attended programs in 2024—including 1,665 attendees of in-person events and another 4,154 attendees of our virtual programming. That’s a 30% increase in attendance for in-person events compared to 2023. And a whopping 356% increase in total programming participation.
Paul Memorial Library also loaned 8,150 physical items. We are seeing more and more digital borrowing through the Libby and hoopla apps, with 6,435 digital titles loaned for a combined total of 14,585 titles borrowed through PML. A special thanks to the Friends of the Library for sponsoring hoopla.
For programming, we continued our series of Quarterly Puzzle Swaps, LEGO Club, and Drive-In Movies this fall. Patrons also enjoyed the ever-popular Take-Home Crafts prepared monthly by our resident artist Cori Caputo.
We continued to provide free at-home rapid COVID tests to our community, (distributing ~100 tests in 2024), which remain in high demand. Special thanks to the CRANE mask bloc for donating tests. We are glad to be able to provide this resource.
2024 Event Highlights
● In January we introduced two new book clubs for adults: Grief Awareness Group and Fantasy & Sci-Fi Group, which have attracted friends old and new to the library.
● We hosted several reading challenges throughout the year, including our Holiday Read-a-Thon, a Black History Month Reading Challenge, and a Read Across America Challenge.
● In March, the library welcomed the NH Astronomical Society for a presentation on the total eclipse. We then hosted a community Eclipse Viewing Party on the lawn. We distributed 480 eclipse glasses to residents and over 70 people joined us to watch the
eclipse. Special thanks to our Friends volunteers who helped our staff run the event.
● In March, we joined the Great Bay Book Club Community Read, which invites local seacoast towns to read and discuss the same book. We read Small Town, Big Oil by David W. Moore.
● In April, the library sponsored a Town Poetry Contest in partnership with the Celebration Committee for the Newfields’ 175th Anniversary. The winning entries were published in the commemorative booklet.
● In April, we partnered with the Library Speakers Consortium to launch a monthly online author talk series. Every month, PML now offers 2-3 livestream events with bestselling authors and thought leaders across a variety of subjects and genres. The program has been a huge success, with over 4,000 views across the catalog of recordings.
● In May, patrons of all ages joined us for a Taylor Swift Party, which included trivia, friendship bracelet-making, and games.
● May 21. We welcomed storyteller Rebecca Rule, through the NH Humanities, for a night of New Hampshire stories, as part of the Newfields 175th Anniversary Celebration.
● In June, we hosted a local art exhibit “The Road Not Taken: Artistic Interpretations of the Poetry of Robert Frost” featuring art by Derry locals Ingeborg V. Seaboyer, Judy Krassowski and Corinne Dodge.
● In June, we hosted a Teen ARC Book Club in partnership with the Water Street Bookstore. Teens were able to choose a book from a collection of pre-released titles donated by WSB to read and then share their reviews. If they loved it, we added it to our teen book collection.
● June 27. We hosted Bad Art Nite for teens. The prompt: pick any materials from our art stash to create a piece of bad art—no pressure to make a masterpiece! The teens were so creative and we had so much fun seeing where their imaginations went.
● June - July. We had a robust summer reading program with events and reading challenges for all ages. Some favorite events included Squid Dissection with UNH, “Adventure All Around” STEM Workshop with the Children’s Museum of NH, and a Summer Book Club for kids ages 8-12, led by NES school librarian, Beth Lieberman.
● July 31. We welcomed Younhee Shin of the Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project (KSCPP) for a live streamed workshop creating Korean Lotus Lanterns.
● September 12. Mother Nature joined us to lead storytime for families, as part of the 20th Anniversary of the Fairy House Tour in Portsmouth.
● September 21. We joined the Newfields Fall Festival with a special presentation “Searching for Bigfoot” with cryptid investigator Mike Familant. A crowd of more than 70 people joined us for the show.
● October 31. Our librarians enjoyed handing out popcorn to trick-or-treaters, with a haunted outdoor theme of Alien Invasion!
● Dec. 21. We ended the year with a mini “Gingerbread” House workshop.
Library Statistics for 2024
Total Items in Collection
10,103
Total Circulation
14,585
● Physical Items Borrowed: 8,150
● Digital Borrows: 6,435
Library Visits
4,612
Programs Offered
209
● Virtual: 93
● In-Person: 116
Program Attendance
5,819
Library Members*
441
Materials Added
743
Materials Deleted
1,248
Museum Pass Use
228
Museum Passes Offered**
14
Patron Savings in 2024
$93,069.36
*This is library members with cards that are active or expired less than 6 months ago. Membership tallies in previous reports included long-expired accounts. This number better reflects the active user base of the community.
**This includes seasonal passes.
A successful library always results from teamwork. Our successes in 2024 are due to the efforts of the Friends of the Library, the Library Board of Trustees, our friends at the Newfields Elementary School, library assistants Cori Caputo, Marie Smyth, and Lauren Bradley, our staff substitutes Charisse Thompson, Beth Lieberman, and Holly Price, as well as the continued support from the community and local officials.
All of us associated with the library look forward to serving you, your families, friends and neighbors in 2025!
Respectfully submitted,
Brittney Thompson, Library Director
