We have finally forged our way into the month of April in Rhode Island and I have seen many signs of Spring on the way. Bulbs are starting to peek through the soil, nice and strong from their Winter’s rest, the robins are out in full force beginning their nest building rituals and buds are starting to appear on those bare tree branches. It is amazing how the seasons change and the environment “springs” to life at the same time each year. Spring seems like the perfect time to start thinking a bit more about our environment and what we can do to help our little niche of the world, especially …

The month of March brings with it the arrival of St. Patrick's Day, and what better way to celebrate than with some live Celtic music at the Narragansett Library! On March 5 the library hosted Rhode Island Celtic musicians Mary King and Phil Edmonds. This program was generously sponsored by library patron Cindy Clancy. Using the Celtic harp, tin whistles, a fiddle, a button accordian and a bodhran (Irish drum), the musicians put on quite a show for the library patrons. There was even an Irish Step Dancing lesson and some Irish folk tales thrown into the mix and plenty of audience …

The library was filled with the mouthwatering fragrance of soup as the Friends of the Narraganset Library held their annual Stone Soup buffet Saturday afternoon. The festivities started at noon with a reading of Stone Soup by Marcia Brown. Diane Sousa, head of the Children’s Room, read the old folk tale to a rapt audience of all ages. After the reading, Narragansett High School sophomores Abby Ceresi, Hannah Ragozzino and Zach Zuchowski put on an entertaining puppet show for the crowd. Following the program, patrons lined up for some delicious soup and bread donated by local businesses Trio, …

Are you looking for a little bit of warmth and neighborhood camaraderie to help get you through the rest of this long winter? The library in Narragansett has just the thing to warm both your heart and your tummy! Next Saturday, Feb. 12, the Friends of the Narragansett Library is hosting its annual Stone Soup Event from noon until 2 p.m. This is an event the whole family can eat up! For those who are not familiar with the book “Stone Soup” by Marcia Brown, it is an old folk tale in which hungry strangers try to convince townspeople to provide food for them. However, the villagers are not so …

Believe it or not, the holidays have come and gone, and 2011 is upon us! Many people at this time of year make a New Year’s resolution of some sort, and I think this is a wonderful practice if it works for you. I have one resolution that is actually pretty easy to keep, it’s free, and it will keep you and your family happy for many years to come. Come to the library, get a free library card if you don't already have one, and embark on an exciting journey of fun and learning! Information on any new endeavor that one wants to pursue can be found in the library. For example, have you wanted to …

It's that time of year again, and the library is sharing holiday cheer in the form of beautiful decorations and lively holiday programming for both adults and children alike. I have worked at the library for five years now, and when I look around it is comforting to see the same holiday decorations going up year after year. I wanted to find out more about these traditions and share them with you. After all, patrons who come to the library often ask, "Where does this come from?" or "How did this get started?" and these are very good questions! The first thing one may notice when coming into …

It was cold outside Monday night, but it certainly wasn't inside the Maury Loontjens Library. A bit of warmth and Ukrainian culture was brought to the library Monday evening in the form of a Ukrainian Easter egg decorating class, also known as the art of Pysanky. Lisa Schipritt of Charlestown brought her years of expertise to the library, and with a thoughtful and patient demeanor, she instructed patrons in the fine art of Pysanky.  By chance 15 years ago Schipritt bought an egg decorating kit at a yard sale for about 25 cents and she has been teaching this art form all over Rhode Island ever…

Where can one go in Narragansett when looking for the latest best-selling book, a movie for a cold winter's night or maybe to spend an hour at a book club discussing the finer points of a classic novel? The Maury Loontjens Memorial Library of course!  The library has been a mainstay in town since its humble beginnings in the year 1900. At that time it was called the Narragansett Pier Free Library and it was just a one-room space in the old Town Hall, where friends and neighbors gathered to check out a book or catch up on the local news. The library has come a long way from one room to what it…