Santa at the Library enjoyed another fabulous run this past Saturday, Dec. 2. A big thank you to the Chamber of Commerce for decorating the Great Room and coordinating this event, to the Boothbay Harbor Public Works department for stringing the lights on our tree, to the community band for playing carols for the lighting, and to our volunteers for wrapping more than 200 books for the children who came to see Santa.

For two years now, our Library has wrapped books to give to the kids after they tell Santa their wish lists. We write the title on a sticky note to place on top, then sort into board books, picture books, and chapter books, so that we can try to match each child with a book they might like.

We only have a few seconds to make a decision when those kids round the corner from the Great Room to the circulation desk, but on Saturday, Executive Director Joanna Breen and I got into a good rhythm and were handing out books like it’s our job. (Because it is our job!)

Then a little boy rounded the corner with a brother or sister, I can’t remember, and Joanna decided that one of our Thomas the Tank Engine books would be just perfect for him. She handed it to me, and I passed it along to him.

Later that afternoon, the little boy’s mom came back to the Library. The Thomas book Joanna had picked out for him was the very thing he’d asked Santa for just moments before!

He was so happy!

We were happy too, with a little bit of goosebumps thrown in on top. So thank you all again, for giving us here at the Library a chance to participate in a little Santa magic.

Santa’s visit also means that winter weather is on its way, and that in turn means slippery roads and walkways. In the past, the Library has defaulted to closing whenever the schools did. However, since we have the luxury of not having to make a decision well before the sun rises, we’re no longer automatically closing when the schools do. Instead, we’ll watch road conditions and give some extra time in the morning for the weather to figure itself out. Cancellations will be posted on our website and shared via social media, so be sure to like our Facebook page and bookmark the website (bbhlibrary.org).

Please remember that though we do our best to keep the parking lot and walkways clear and salted, they ice up quickly. Please be careful, especially near the book drop.

And don’t forget that there’s nothing better than a magazine or newspaper on a blustery day, so be sure to visit us for reading material or high-speed WiFi whether or not the flakes are falling!

We’ve got lots of great programs lined up for this winter, including “Books and Bites” a new book group that meets at St. Andrews Village, and our first “Author Afternoon” with Sandra Neily, author of “Deadly Trespass, A Mystery in Maine.” Starting in February, we hope you’ll join us for the Maine Humanities Council series “Refreshing the Whodunit: Moving Beyond Christie and Doyle” facilitated by Larissa Vigue Picard, a Maine native, and current executive director of Brunswick's Pejepscot Historical Society.  Details about all these events will be forthcoming in the paper, and can be found on our website.

Upcoming events

Book Focus Group: Wednesday, Dec. 20, 4:30 p.m., upstairs Community Room. “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis. Facilitator John O’Connell: jwoconnelll@gmail.com.

Books and Bites: Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2 p.m., St. Andrews Village common area. “Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk” by Kathleen Rooney.

Story Hour: Fridays, 10:15 a.m. Hear a story, make a craft, and sing a song!

December Artists of the Month: Betsy Bass and Pam Logan, photography on display in the upstairs Community Room.

Author Afternoon with Sandra Neily, “Nature-themed Mysteries & Thrillers and...Truth”: Saturday, Jan. 13, 12:30-2 p.m. (Weather date: Saturday, Jan. 20)