During the COVID-19 crisis, you may obtain a temporary library card so that you may access our online resources. The card will expire once we reopen. Fill out this form to receive your library card number.
In light of the Governor’s relaxing of more rules and moving into a Safer at Home reopening stage, the library will open up to computer users three days a week by appointment only.
Patrons must call the library at 603-863-3430 to make an appointment on one of the three computers set aside for public use. At the time of their appointment, they must ring the doorbell to the right of the door for admittance and be checked in. Patrons must wear a mask. If they do not have one, we will provide it.
The appointments will be for one hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30, 1:00 and 2:30 and on Saturdays at 10:30. We will close the library building to clean between the appointments.
Beginning Tuesday, June 2, 2020, Richards Library will offer contactless curbside pickup. This service will be available by appointment only. Pickup times will be between the hours of 11:30 AM and 5:30 PM on Tuesdays through Fridays and 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM on Saturdays.
You can find out all you need to know regarding Curbside Pickup on our website.
Our regular monthly knitting group will be meeting virtually this month. Join us on May 19 at 6:00 in a social chat while knitting or creating other yarn projects! Email us at rfl@newport.lib.nh.us to receive a Zoom meeting invitation.
If you’re searching for Miss Mo’s storytime videos on our Facebook page, you can find most of them here.
The April 29, 2020 edition of our Newsletter is here!
Are you interested in researching your family history? We can help! Check out our new section on our website on Genealogy. We have a detailed guide on how to get started, links to online research and newspapers, and much more. Email the library at rfl@newport.lib.nh.us if you have questions.
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Richards Free Library Board of Trustees will hold their regular monthly meeting on
May 18, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
For accommodations to attend this meeting please contact Andrea Thorpe at
603 863-3430 or athorpe @newport.lib.nh.us.
The Richards Free Library is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
The Richards Free Library may be closed, but we are still here to help! As part of #nationallibraryweek, here’s a story you might enjoy.
Last week our Archivist received a request for detective services.
In 1972, 48 years ago, a wallet was found in the Sanbornton, New Hampshire rest area. Although the finder tried to locate the owner at the time, contact was never made. The wallet contained a birth certificate, a Social Security card, and some high school photos. The person who found the wallet kept it all these years, hoping some day to return it to the owner.
Using resources available from our website (Family Search and Ancestry) and starting with the birthplace and birth date of the owner, a family tree was created for the wallet’s owner going back to 1887. With this solid background about the family involved, research was then conducted on the internet. After hitting a few brick walls, the owner, who was 19 at the time she lost her wallet, was contacted by telephone and told her wallet had been found. She was shocked to hear of it after all these years, and with good humor asked, “Did they find the $1,000 I had inside?” The response: Unfortunately, no, but your Social Security number was never stolen!
Here is what the daughter-in-law of the man who found the wallet has to say:
My father-in-law said that one of his crew members found the wallet on the ground in the rest area parking lot. Inside were also photos of high school age boys and girls, mostly looked like yearbook pictures, all with very fond notes on the back. The notes all followed the same format: “to a sweet (or wonderful, or funny) girl,” followed by something about what fun they had doing something, and then a farewell, hope to keep in touch. One boy said he would look her up when he needed “a beautiful secretary.” There was one prom photo, and one photo booth photo of two girls.
The woman asked for my father-in-law’s address, and I’m sure she will soon send a thank you to finish this story for him!
So, please remember that the Richards Free Library is here to serve you in many ways besides providing books, movies and programs. You can still contact us with reference questions, new or old…even 48 years old!
