TO WELCOME,
TO INSPIRE,
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Friends
of the Library
We work to foster close relations between Stowe Library and the Stowe community by developing human and financial resources, sponsoring activities and programs, and promoting knowledge of Library resources.
Donations support library programs for children, teens, and adults, and provide items like DVDs and children's audiobooks for circulation. Thank you for supporting our community space!
Beyond Our Own Backyard
Interested in foreign affairs? Ready to move beyond the headlines? “Beyond Our Own Backyard” invites community members for engaging conversations about recent foreign policy actions by the United States.
Pulling from nonpartisan foreign policy think tank panels, thought-provoking readings, and expert presentations, we examine not just current actions but the historic relationships and cultural contexts that drive them, and how they affect our daily lives.
On June 17th from 5:00-6:00PM we begin this season with The U.S. and Iran Conflict. Watch for background information, and future sessions on the third Wednesday of each month.
Adult Summer Reading Program
School is in session… and this time, it’s for grown-ups!
As adults, we often miss the chance to explore ideas, ask big questions, and learn simply for the joy of it. We believe learning shouldn’t stop after school, it’s part of our mission to support lifelong education for our community.
That’s why we’re excited to announce Adult Summer Reading: Summer School Edition—a low-pressure, just-for-fun series of classes designed for curious minds taught by awesome teachers. No homework, no grades… just great conversations, new perspectives, and the joy of learning together.
This summer’s classes includes:
Science – Evolution and Biodiversity in a Changing World
English – A Study of The Odyssey
Philosophy – An Introduction to Philosophy by Way of Existentialism
Theatre – Improve Your Improv
History – Advocating for Change in America
Science
Classes held on Mondays from 5:00pm to 6:00pm
July 6, 13, 20, 27
August 3
Evolution and Biodiversity in a Changing World
English
Classes held on Wednesdays from 5:30pm to 6:30 pm
June 17, 25
July 1, 8, 15
This summer, The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan, will hit theaters. Not only will it be interesting to see how Nolan frames the wily Odyssseus, it presents an opportunity to read or re-read this Greek classic. Because it is impossible to trace the exact origins of the epic — scholars continue to dispute how was the oral stories were organized and who might have of penned the pages — more questions arise from the text than answers.
The story, however, (simply put) is about a man who wishes to go home. As translator Emily Wilson writes, “Odysseus is a man who longs to recover his own identity.” He is also a man who fails as he does not successfully guide his men home from Troy; they perish along the way. These summarizing bits raise a series of questions, including: Who is Odysseus? How can we understand his adventures? And what is the meaning of home?
Please join us this summer at the Stowe Library on Wednesday evenings @ 5:30pm for a deep dive into Homer’s The Odyssey (translated by Emily Wilson). We will read, discuss, and compare the epic “song” with contemporary film.
Philosophy
Classes held on Tuesdays from 6:30pm to 7:30pm
July 7, 14, 21 28
August 4
The Big Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy by way of Existentialism.
This class will use the ideas of 20th century artists, writers, and thinkers to examine the big questions that have animated philosophic inquiry for thousands of years: what does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be alive? How should one live?
Authors covered might include: Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus, Franz Kafka, Ralph Ellison, Judith Butler, Martin Buber, Hannah Arendt, Jean Paul Sartre, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Martin Heidegger.
Theatre
Classes held on Wednesdays 5:30 to 6:30pm
June 3, July 1, August 12
Improve your Improv
In this playful, low-pressure class, participants will explore the fundamentals of improvisational theatre through games, scenes, storytelling, and group exercises.
About your teacher:
Molly Mitchell is the Founder and Artistic Director of Stowe Children's Theatre, LLC. Molly recently earned her Master's degree in theatre education from VTSU. With a deep passion for creating opportunities for folks of all ages to access this performance art. In addition to her work with Stowe Children's Theatre, she serves as a board member for the Stowe Theatre Guild and shares her expertise through various workshops, including this exciting "Improve Your Improv" series at the Stowe Free Library. Molly is thrilled to be welcomed back to the Stowe Free Library, as it is the first place she taught theatre. She's also excited to teach improv to adults! It's time for the grown ups to get in on the theatre fun!
History
Classes held on Thursdays from 5:30pm- to 7:30pm
June 11, 18, 25
July 2, 9
Advocating for Change in America - This course will explore five times in US history during the 20th century when American citizens joined forces with politicians to advocate for everyday Americans.
Advocating for American Workers: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911) and the workplace reforms it inspired; recommended reading Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
Advocating for American Consumers: Recommended reading Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle (1906) and the food protections it inspired.
Advocating for American Senior Citizens: The Great Depression and Beyond and the development of Social Security (1935) and Medicare (1965); recommended reading: Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray and Fearless: A Novel of Frances Perkins and Social Security by Jonna Higgins-Freese.
Advocating for People of Color and other Marginalized Groups: Brown vs. the Board of Education (1954) Overturning Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896) and the fight for equality in the US (Civil Rights Act, Voting); recommended reading Fire From the Rock by Sharon Draper and Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattilli Beals.
Advocating for Women: The Suffrage Movement (1920) and how this led to the Women’s Rights Movement of the 1960s. Recommended reading: The Women's March: A Novel of the 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession by Jennifer Chiaverini.
The 2026 Annual Book Sale is July 4th to July 25th
Donations welcome until July 1, 2026
Support your local library! The Friends of the Stowe Free Library are looking for your used book donations for our annual summer sale and largest fundraiser!
Donations can be brought to the rear door of the Library on Pond Street, during Library hours, and left at the foot of the half flight of stairs found to the left of the door.
Please remember that books should be in good, sellable condition. Due to changes in buyer demand the below are no longer being accepted:
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Encyclopedias
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Reader's Digest Condensed Books
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Textbooks
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Magazines
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Music CDs and cassettes
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DVDs
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Audiobooks (DVD/Cassette)
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Computer books
Most importantly, please know that all of the proceeds benefit the Friends of the Stowe Free Library, a 501(C)(3) non profit organization that supports Stowe Free Library resources, activities and programs for all ages. Support goes towards funding for children's, young adult's, and adult activities and reading programs, museum passes, travel books, DVD's and other special activities, events and needs of the Library and librarians.
For information, visit https://www.stowefreelibrary.org/friends, or email stowelibraryfriends@gmail.com
Friends of the Stowe Free Library
Annual Meeting
July 19, 2026
Stay tuned for more information!
Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 7pm
Legends and Haunts of New England
Join the Friends of the Stowe Free Library in welcoming Tom D'Agostino on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 7:00 PM in the Stowe Free Library Community Room.
Tom is an educator and the author of 18 published books on ghosts and legends of New England. He has been a paranormal researcher and investigator for 43 years, with over 2,000 investigations to his credit in both the public and private sectors.
Tom will be sharing his experiences and research into the legends, ghosts, and folklore of New England. You’ll be taken on a virtual journey to some of the region’s most haunted locations, including Bara-Hack, Belcourt Castle, the John York House, and more.
These stories—along with videos, photos, EVPs, and even a few amusing moments—create an immersive experience that becomes your personal tour of the paranormal… without ever having to leave your seat.
Books will be available for sale at the event.
Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 7pm
Author Thea Lewis
Join us in the Community Room at 7:00 PM for an evening with bestselling Vermont author Thea Lewis, owner of Queen City Entertainment and creator of the popular True Crime Burlington and Queen City Ghostwalk tours.
Featured in Yankee Magazine, the Hartford Courant, and Vermont Magazine, Thea has also appeared on the CW television network, as well as numerous programs and podcasts throughout the United States and Canada.
Free and open to the public.
Bear Pond Books will have a selection of Thea’s books available for
purchase following the talk.
?
New True Crime Book Coming This Fall!
Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 7pm
Author Katherine Arden
Join use at 7pm in the Community Room for a talk with New York Times best selling author Kathrine Arden. Katherine will be talking with us about her newly released book called The Unicorn Hunters. This book is about an orphaned duchess who must journey into a world of myth and discover a power that may be her salvation—or her demise.
Born in Texas, Katherine studied French and Russian at Middlebury College. She has lived abroad in France and in Moscow, among other places. She has also lived in Hawaii, where she wrote much of her Winternight trilogy. She currently lives here in Vermont.
Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 7pm
Author William Alexander
William Alexander is a National Book Award-winning, New York Times best-selling author of middle grade fantasy and science fiction.
Awards include the Eleanor Cameron Award, the Earphones Award, two Junior Library Guild Selections, two CBC Best Children’s Book of the Year Awards, a Mythopoetic Award finalist, a Cybils Award finalist, and an International Latino Book Award finalist.
His novels include Goblin Secrets, Ghoulish Song, Ambassador, Nomad, A Properly Unhaunted Place, and A Festival of Ghosts.
He studied theater and folklore at Oberlin College, English at the University of Vermont, and creative writing at Clarion.
He now teaches at the Vermont College of Fine Arts program in Writing for Children and Young Adults.
Join us in the Community Room at 7pm.
Free and open to the public.
Bear Pond Books will have a selection of William's books available to purchase after the talk.
Thursday, October 29 at 7pm
Author Ann Davila Cardinal
Join the Friends of the Stowe Free Library for a special evening with award-winning author Ann Dávila Cardinal on October 29, 2026 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Stowe Free Library.
Ann is a two-time International Latino Book Award–winning novelist, a Nuyorican, Vermont-based writer, and an educator with an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She comes from a long line of Puerto Rican writers and brings a rich cultural voice to her work.
She is also a founding faculty member of University of San Francisco’s newest program—the MFA in Writing for Young Readers, launching in June 2026.
Ann will be talking about her new book, Hear the Dead—an edgy, genre-bending thriller following a retired photographer who begins to hear the murders of women she knew in her punk youth, forcing her to reckon with the past she’s desperate to forget.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a dynamic and inspiring literary voice right here in Stowe.
Bear Pond books will have a selection of Ann's books for sale after her talk.
What/Who are the Friends of the Stowe Free Library?
The Friends of the Stowe Free Library, a 501(C)(3), was formed in 2006 by the Library Director at that time and several devoted library volunteers to raise funds to support library activities, events and the collection. The Friends mission is to work to foster close relations between the Stowe Free Library and the Stowe community by developing human and financial resources, sponsoring activities and programs, and promoting knowledge of Library resources.
Volunteer a Little or Volunteer A Lot and Meet Your Community!
The Friends is 100% volunteer run! We love new members and encourage interested persons to reach out. You can be an active Friend by giving a few hours a month or a few hours a year. There are lots of different areas to volunteer for. We have financial, marketing, publicizing, writing, set up and/or breakdown for events (we love chair unstackers and stackers!), poster distribution, decorating and un-decorating for various holidays and events and, of course, our annual book sale, plus more!
Coffee with Connie:
Reach out for a Coffee with Connie meeting today (she started with the Friends by dusting shelves!) and see how much we can offer you! We also offer Community Service Credits for high school students.
Annual Activities:
Overtime the Friends has taken on the annual book sale, started by the Library Trustees, growing it to the not only the Friends largest fundraiser but truly an epic sale that people plan their vacations around. The book sale celebrates it's 41st year in 2026! The book sale has started having small pop-up sales as well. Look on the Library's website, Facebook and Front Porch forum for announcements.
The Friends recently partnered up with Vermont artists to create book bags for sale. There are 5 unique bags featuring a local artists work. They are only sold at book sales or special Friends events. 100% of sales go to the library. They are great for books, groceries, farmers markets, the beach and any other ways you use your bags. Buy one of each! $10.00 per bag.
In Our Own Backyard:
Early on in the Friends formation they developed an ongoing event called In Our Own Backyard where they bring in authors, speakers, small business owners, artists and other unique community members to share with us what they do, why and how. Our community is overflowing with creative people and this program has been active for over 15 years. Check out our Website, Facebook, and Front Porch Forum for upcoming speakers.
Partnerships:
The Stowe Free Library loves to work with community members and businesses. In the summer of 2025, the Friends created a family friendly scavenger hunt and worked with over 20 small businesses and non-profits for people to figure out from Jeopardy style questions, visit the business and earn a stamp at. It's hard to say who had more fun, the creators, the businesses or the people doing the scavenging. Every location was within biking distance. We got lots of positive feedback about fun family bike rides!
Past Activities:
In the summer of 2026, the Friends worked with the Stowe Free Library and multiple Stowe businesses who generously provided snacks and prizes, to hold a monthly family friendly trivia night. Trivia night was held inside or outside, weather dependent, and developed a devoted following. The planned three (June, July and August) trivia nights were expanded to also include Halloween and the winter holiday season due to popular demand.
Watch out for more partnerships with the Friends of the Stowe Free Library. We love working with community members and highlighting what makes them special!