Two Bluebirds out for a lunch of mealworms on Valentine's Day.

Photo and Caption by Eric Anderson.

Greetings Baker Free Library Patrons! 

How are you all weathering the winter cold and snow?! It has certainly been a doozy!  

I recall sharing with you last March, that as a child/teen, March was my least favorite month. The weather is stuck between winter and spring, and there are no breaks, no holidays...basically no days off from school. However, I find myself enjoying March more each year. My daughter is a bagpiper, and travels around New Hampshire the weekend and week of St. Patrick’s day playing. I have come to really enjoy this month for the music and community that it brings my way! After a winter of being cooped up inside, March feels like coming out of hibernation.  

Perhaps my favorite part of coming out of this hibernation is hearing, “Oh hey! Aren’t you the librarian in Bow? What are you doing here?!” I know it throws you when you see your library staff out of their natural habitat... the library. It begs the question, how many people started using an unknown (to them) library resource because they ran into their librarian at a restaurant, the grocery store, town office, a show etc...because if one thing is sure, it’s that I will probably start talking libraries with you even outside of my natural library habitat.  

In the vein of getting out for some live music this March, read on to learn more about our March 14th reed trio concert in conjunction with an art gallery opening on the same day! Enjoy perusing the newsletter to see what jumps out at you; we look forward to seeing you! As you come out of your hibernation, the library is the perfect place to re-emerge! And if you happen to bump into me out in the community, you may want to prepare your response to, “Have you read anything good lately!?” 

Your Joyful Library Director,

Kaitlin Camidge

It's Your Lucky Day at Baker Free Library!!

New Book Display at BFL!!

Skip the reserve list and get the hottest titles wtih a Lucky Day Book!! This display allows patrons waiting for popular titles (David Baldacci, Kristin Hannah, Ann Patchett, Elin Hilderbrand, etc.) to get books on the day they're published... if they're lucky!!

In the spirit of the luck of the Irish, we are bringing this idea to our shelves here at the library for March!! And beyond, if you like!!

Starting Tuesday, March 17th, Saint Patrick's Day AND Pub. Day for a lot of titles, we will have two copies of popular items coming out that day. One will hit the reserve shelf right away and one will be on our new book shelf until it's gone!! Then it will circulate to the reserve list upon it's return. Try your luck at coming in on a Tuesday and see if you luck out with a title you're waiting for!!

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand was so popular when it came out that we had FIVE COPIES circulating!! Now we are down to only two.

Photo by Lauren & Liesl!!

2026 Year-Long Reading Challenge

January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026

BFL's annual reading challenge returns for its second year! 

Seasons of Reading is a Year-Long Reading Challenge for Teens and Adults, hosted by Baker Free Library.

Sign up at the library to receive your challenge card, and work your way through a new set of reading prompts each season. Unlock prizes along the way!

Ruff Readers

Tuesdays, March 10 & 24 | 3pm

Children can gain confidence and improve their literacy skills by reading aloud to a one-of-a-kind audience! Reserve a 20 minute time slot to visit with (and read to) our canine volunteer, Harry the mini poodle, certified through Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Readers of all abilities are welcome. Children 8 years and under should be accompanied by an adult for the duration of their visit. 

Registration is required to reserve your 20 minute time slot. Please call the library at (603) 224-7113 to sign up! 

Online registration is not available for this program.

Little Makers

Thursday, March 12 | 3pm

An arts & crafts program for our youngest messy makers! Take part in sensory and process art activities designed to inspire your little one's creativity and curiosity. Activities may include mixed media projects and painting, so come prepared to get messy.

Recommended for ages 4-7, in the company of a parent or caregiver.

Registration is required to reserve your child's place. Please register for every session you wish to attend.

Register here.

World Explorers

Monday, March 16 | 4pm

Adventure awaits! Travel the world and explore new countries, all from the comfort of Baker Free Library. World Explorers is a monthly, travel-inspired club for kids aged 8-12. Every month, we'll explore a new destination through stories, language, food and crafts. Explorers will add to their travel passport with each new adventure, and discover the world one story at a time. 



Registration is required every month. Recommended for Ages 8-12. 

Register here.

Storytimes

Preschool Storytime

Every Tuesday starting March 17 | 10:30am

Encourage school readiness with a storytime for active bodies and minds! Explore interactive stories, songs, and activities that help to promote early literacy learning while addressing attention, coordination and motor development. Each storytime includes stories, songs and movement activities and ends with open play time, allowing children and their families to socialize. Recommended for Ages 3 - 5.

*One-time registration is recommended to reserve your child's space. The winter session will run from March 17 - May 19, 2026. (No session on April 28 during school vacation).

Register here.

Toddler Storytime

Every Thursday starting March 19 | 10:30am

Explore a new topic each week with stories, songs and rhymes designed to spark your child’s imagination and create the foundations for early literacy. Each storytime ends with open play time, allowing families to meet, play and socialize.

Select sessions will include craft and/or sensory activities. Recommended for Ages 18 Months - 3 Years; siblings welcome.

*One-time registration is recommended to reserve your child's space. The spring session will run from March 19 - May 21, 2026. (No session on April 30 during school vacation).

Register here.

Adult Programs

Tech Time with Liesl!

Every Monday | 4-6pm

Every Monday from 4-6pm, get help with: Libby/Overdrive, Kanopy, EBSCOhost, HeritageQuest, Ancestry.com, Kindle, email, Google Drive, Microsoft Office, using our library catalog, and more! 

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are strongly encouraged!

To make an appointment please email liesl@bakerfreelib.org or give us a call!

Board Game Night

Wednesday, March 4 | 5:30pm

Join our monthly board game night! Every first Wednesday of the month, starting at 5:30pm, snacks included. 

You are highly encouraged to bring your own games to share with your neighbors! Don't forget - the library has a collection of board games available to check out!

Register here.

Chair Yoga with Sara!

Thursday, March 5 | 8:30am

Chair yoga will be held the first Thursday of every month, at 8:30 AM! You must be registered to attend, as space is limited. Please dress comfortably and bring water with you to class! 

This gentle and welcoming Chair Yoga class will allow you to receive the benefits of practicing yoga while sitting in a chair or standing using the chair for balance. Through guided yoga postures and breath-work, this class will help to increase strength and range of motion, improve circulation, and deepen mental and physical relaxation. No experience needed!

Sara Withers has practiced yoga on and off for almost twenty years. She became a 200 RYT through Sharing Yoga in Concord, NH in the spring of 2024, and is also trained in Yin and Restorative Yoga/Yoga Nidra. When she’s not teaching yoga, she enjoys all sorts of adventures with her husband and two sons.

Register here.

New to Medicare/Turning 65 Seminar

Monday, March 9 | 6pm

New to Medicare: "I am still working, but I'm turning 65. Should I join Medicare?" 

Join us for this Medicare educational program hosted by Woodpecker Insurance (Concord, NH).

This program will go over questions such as:

• Do I have to sign up for Medicare?

• I have great coverage with my job's plan, will I have worse coverage by going with Medicare?

• My spouse is on my plan, will they lose coverage if I go with Medicare?

• What about my HSA, will I lose it if I go with Medicare? Can I still use it?

• I hear there are penalties for not signing up, is this true, and what are they?

• Basically, I just want to know if going with Medicare is the right decision for me. Can you help me?

Per Medicare guidelines, this is a Medicare Educational event, so no specific carrier or plan information will be discussed. This program is presented by Christian Troy, from Woodpecker Insurance, Concord, NH.

About the Presenters:

Christian and Larissa Troy are independent licensed insurance agents and they are Bow, NH residents with a large extended family who have resided in Bow and Dunbarton for over 20 years. They have opened Woodpecker Insurance with an office located at 30 S Main Street in Concord that is solely focused on Medicare Insurance plans. As independent licensed insurance agents, they are free to act as a fiduciary for their clients regarding their Medicare healthcare plan needs.

Christian and Larissa are both graduates of Providence College (Providence, RI)- where they met. They are both Medicare (AHIP) Certified for 2026 and are appointed by almost all off the major carriers for both Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and Prescription Drug Plans.

Register here.

Paint Along!

Wednesday, March 11 & 18 | 5pm

Join Liesl for a relaxing paint along! In the spirit of Bob Ross, stop in for an evening of painting landscapes. No experience necessary! The library will provide all supplies needed, but feel free to bring your own acrylic paint brushes or pallets. 

Registration is required to secure your spot and supplies! 

We heard you loud and clear :) There will be TWO sessions this month! Please only sign up for ONE session - it will be the same class/painting so you won't miss anything!

Register here for the March 11 session.

Register here for the March 18 session.



Adult Craft Club

Tuesday, March 17 | 6pm

Adult Craft Club at the Baker Free Library is held every third Tuesday of the month! You must be registered in advance to attend, as space and supplies are limited!

In March, we will be making Pysanky eggs!

Register here.



Tuesday, April 21 | 6pm

Registration for April's session will open on Wednesday, March 18th at 10am and will be available here.

Heart Health - Your Heart Matters

Thursday, March 26 | 1pm

A strong, healthy heart is vital for longevity. Devoting a little time every day to care for yourself can go a long way toward protecting the health of your heart. Learn daily self-care strategies that make your heart health a priority with the incredible folks from Granite VNA!



Featuring fun interactive games and snacks! 

Register here.

Saturday Programs

Kristin Selesnick - Gallery Opening Event

Saturday, March 14 | 12:30 - 2pm

Join local artisit Kristin Selesnick for an afternoon in the art gallery! Refreshments will be provided. Directly following the gallery opening at 2pm, sit in and listen to the Avalyn Reed Trio perform!

Avalyn Reed Trio - Concert

Saturday, March 14 | 2 - 3pm

Join us in the historic 1914 Room for a performance by the Avalyn Reed Trio! Friends Christine Fell (clarinet), Nancy Fiske (clarinet), and Maria Isaak (bassoon) have been spreading the joy of their music since 2023. Learn more about the trio on their website.

This event is graciously made possible by the Concord Community Music School.

New Hampshire Connections to Belleau Wood, France: World War I Soldiers and Marines and the Pilgrimages After the War

Saturday, March 21 | 2:30 - 3:30pm

In this presentation, Dr. Heather A. Warfield will talk about New Hampshire connections to Belleau Wood, France, ranging from soldiers and Marines who fought there in World War I to the pilgrimages of veterans and families after the war. 

Dr. Warfield is Professor of Applied Psychology at Antioch University, a specialist on the psychology of pilgrimages, and France Fulbright Scholar. Her current research centers on pilgrimages to Belleau Wood. She is the co-editor of Pilgrimages to the Western Front of World War I (2025) and editor of Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Pilgrimage (2023).

This program is graciously made possible by the Buntin-Rumford-Webster Chapter of the Daughters of the American Republic. You can learn more at their website. The D.A.R. will conduct a chapter meeting prior to the presentation, at 1pm. Meetings are free and open to the public. 

Book Groups

Book Talk at BFL

Tuesday, March 10th

12:30PM & 6:30PM

Book Talk is BFL's long-running monthly book club. If you love to read, enjoy talking about books, and are willing to read outside your comfort zone, join us! Two meetings are offered each month for your convenience.

March Selection:

The Reading List by

Sara Nisha Adams

White Rock Book Group

Tuesday, March 17th

1:00pm

Enjoy great books and even better conversations with this extension of the Book Talk book club, offered each month at White Rock Senior Living Center. This group meets on the third Tuesday of each month at White Rock.

March Selection:

The Reading List by

Sara Nisha Adams

Whodunits

Tuesday, April 7th

1:00PM



Love mysteries? Join the Whodunits to sleuth through a new one every month! This mystery-exclusive book club meets at White Rock Senior Living on the first Tuesday of every month. Members select the next book.

April Selection:

Murder in the Marais by Cara Black

Copies of Book Club books are available at the Circulation Desk at the Library.

For more information about joining one of the book groups, contact

Amy Bain via amy@bakerfreelib.org.

Book descriptions adapted from Goodreads.

Told in alternating timelines, The Things We Leave Unfinished examines the risks we take for love, the scars too deep to heal, and the endings we can’t bring ourselves to see coming.

Twenty-eight-year-old Georgia Stanton has to start over after she gave up almost everything in a brutal divorce―the New York house, the friends, and her pride. Now back home at her late great-grandmother’s estate in Colorado, she finds herself face-to-face with Noah Harrison, the bestselling author of a million books where the cover is always people nearly kissing. He’s just as arrogant in person as in interviews, and she’ll be damned if the good-looking writer of love stories thinks he’s the one to finish her grandmother’s final novel…even if the publisher swears he’s the perfect fit.

Noah is at the pinnacle of his career. With book and movie deals galore, there isn’t much the “golden boy” of modern fiction hasn’t accomplished. But he can’t walk away from what might be the best book of the century―the one his idol, Scarlett Stanton, left unfinished. Coming up with a fitting ending for the legendary author is one thing, but dealing with her beautiful, stubborn, cynical great-granddaughter, Georgia, is quite another.

But as they read Scarlett’s words in both the manuscript and her box of letters, they start to realize why Scarlett never finished the book―it’s based on her real-life romance with a World War II pilot, and the ending isn’t a happy one. Georgia knows all too well that love never works out, and while the chemistry and connection between her and Noah is undeniable, she’s as determined as ever to learn from her great-grandmother’s mistakes―even if it means destroying Noah’s career.

A powerful, emotional, and redemptive novel about the interwoven lives of mothers and daughters and the bonds of an ancient craft that link them through two world wars and beyond.

In 1930s Sardinia, Allegra and her daughters maintain the tradition of the water women. As it was for the generations of Jewish mothers and daughters before her, weaving the fine threads of mollusks into golden cloth and tapestry is an honor, a duty, and a precious gift to an outside world that seems bent on turmoil.

By 1942, a threat comes to their sleepy fishing village. Germany has pressed its boot on Italy. Allegra’s daughter Zaneta notices boats she’s never seen before anchored off the shore. As her family withdraws from the once-unified community, their island home sinks into a fog of fear and suspicion. Then Zaneta meets a German deserter. With the encounter comes a secret that will haunt Zaneta forever, and in the years to come, her own daughter, Mira, as well.

For three women, the threads of the byssus weave a story of love, war, loss, and hope that will challenge them and bind them through the most trying times of their lives.

Jacqueline Kennedy’s historic pink pillbox hat was never seen again once taken off at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas. On November 22, 1963, Mary Gallagher, Mrs. Kennedy’s personal secretary, was the last known person to have held it. However, since that fateful day, this historic hat has been on quite a historic journey of its own.

In this speculative fiction novel, 16-year-old Oliver Richards, visiting his grandfather at Parkland Hospital, notices the pillbox hat has fallen to the floor and becomes the hat’s new keeper. He soon realizes just how important the hat is historically, and it quickly becomes his most treasured and secret possession. A symbolic North Star in his life, we travel through the decades of Oliver’s self-discovery, love and loss, and historical times with the duo.

No matter how hard life is, like Oliver, the precious pink pillbox hat has the tenacity to stand the test of time.

Community Captures

The latest local 'Photos by Eric Anderson'

The Town Moderator and the Town Clerk/Tax Collector oversee the members of the Rotary Club count the ballots to use at the March 2026 Town Election.

Photo & Caption by Eric Anderson

Clearing the Town Pond for skating.

Photo & Caption by Eric Anderson

Bow Rotary Club

Submission deadline for 4-Way Test Speech Contest nears

Submissions for the Rotary Club of Bow’s annual public speaking contest for high school students are due by Monday, March 24. 

The contest helps students develop their public-speaking skills and to explore how they make decisions that affect other people. The basis of the contest is Rotary’s “Four-Way Test,” a tool to encourage ethical decision making. The contest challenges youth to use Rotary’s Four-Way Test to analyze their decision making. All four tests are to be included in the topic of their speeches.

Bow Rotary awards cash prizes to the top three speakers and sends the winner on to compete against winners from other clubs in our district, which includes much of southern New Hampshire and Vermont.

Contest details and an application form can be found at bowrotary.org.

The contest will be held in person at the Baker Free Library on March 31 at 6:30 p.m.

Bow Rotary Club Foundation Scholarship Program seeking submissions

The Rotary Club of Bow annual Foundation Scholarship Applications are now available. The Foundation will award more than $20,000 in post-secondary scholarships and $5,000 in camperships in 2026.

The scholarship program is for graduating high school seniors who either attended Bow High School or who are Bow or Dunbarton students who attended other area high schools. Bow High School tuition students must be from a town/city either without a Rotary club or with a Rotary club that doesn’t offer college scholarships.

There are three different types of scholarships available: Traditional for students who are currently a graduating high school or homeschooled senior or have been a student attending college within the last four years; vocational school or certificate program scholarships for students who wish to attend a technical/vocational school two-year program or wish to attend a certificate program; and and adult scholarship for older adults, who have not attended school in the last four or more years.

Applications for both programs are available in fillable PDF format for download at bowrotary.org under the Scholarships/Grants menu. 

The campership application deadline is March 13 and families can expect to hear back by March 27. The deadline for scholarship submissions is April 6.

Bow Young at Heart

Bring your own lunch at 11:30 with the club providing dessert. Presentations begin at 12:30. For more information about the club and joining us for our meetings or how to become a member contact Peter Cherici at (603) 774-7682 or email at fairfield_a@hotmail.com

March 11, 2025 | 11:30 am - 2:30 pm

Dr. Mary Kelly will present “A Nation Once Again: Ireland’s Road to Independence, 1169-1999,” which details the struggle of the Irish people from the time of the Gaelic chieftains until today. The discussion describes the key players, contending traditions, and political forces that made Ireland “A Nation Once Again.” 

March 25, 2025 | 11:30 am - 2:30 pm

The club will present the film Monadnock, which describes the cultural and geological significance of Mount Monadnock

Town Updates

The Town of Bow has worked diligently in providing up to the minute notification of all that is happening in the community. In order to stay informed, visit the website Town of Bow or follow on Facebook @bownewhampshire.

Baker Free Library

509 South Street

Bow, NH 03304

(603) 224-7113