In this special summer series from Give Back NH, we explore how local libraries across New Hampshire strengthen communities, support lifelong learning, and build trust—through the people, programs, and stories that make them essential.
On the corner of Baboosic Lake Road and the Daniel Webster Highway, at a bend that follows the Merrimack River, sits a small but mighty hub of community.
This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
Lisa Gary: I'm currently at the Merrimack, New Hampshire Public Library.
Lisa has just wrapped up two hours with about 20 fellow knitters and crocheters. It's a rowdy bunch.
Lisa: We meet every Thursday from 2 to 4. Newcomers are always welcome and it's an amazing group of people. Everybody here is more than happy to help you out with that. No one's going to point and laugh unless you want them to.
Her latest crochet project is tucked into her bag. She takes it out to show her work.
Lisa: [This] started out, believe it or not, as a scarf. And I thought, 'you know what a great scarf, but it'd be better as a poncho.' And then I put it as a poncho, and I thought, 'you know, it really needs arms.' And so I went and I added sleeves to it because, you know, it gets cold here at times in New Hampshire. And then I thought, 'you know, it's not quite long enough.' So I added another four rows last night.
So that's the vibe here at the Merrimack Public Library. I'm Emily Quirk, and this is the second stop on our Give Back New Hampshire library tour.
Full disclosure: this was my library when my now 13-year-old was a toddler. We'd wander the picture book aisles, plop down for story time, and later, he crushed those summer reading challenges.
Though hanging out with Lisa— I now I realize it's been a while. And yeah, my library card has lapsed. Luckily, Yvette Couser, the library's program director, is here to welcome me back guilt free.
Yvette Couser: You know, we who are in the library and worked in libraries and certainly library users know the vast variety of resources that libraries can provide. And I think when people come in after being away for a couple of years, they are surprised that we are much more than books.
Yvette shows me a window just inside the library entrance that displays rows and rows of pictures of items, all sorts of random things that cardholders can check out from karaoke machines to gaming consoles...
Yvette: ...And we have folding tables. We've got a wheelchair. When winter comes along, we've got snowshoes that you can check out. We have acoustic guitars, electric guitars, bongo drums, and one of the most popular items in the library of things is our power washer. There's a very long hold list on on, uh, people waiting for you for using the power washer.
Moving past the Library of Things display, Yvette takes me downstairs to the children's section of the library. We enter a big activity room where a group of kids are drawing comic book characters. Guided by prompt cards, Becca Laidlaw is leading this improv exercise and pulls me in to draw the next card.
Becca Laidlaw: So you pick which side that you want them to do. So which one are we doing?
This one.
Becca Laidlaw: Okay, so we're going to do an artist. Okay. What are they doing?
Adorable.
Becca: Oh, they're an adorable artist. Okay. And then this is the chaos.
Club Participant: Now, what's the twist?
Becca: What's the twist?
Underwater.
Becca: Underwater. Underwater artists. Adorable underwater artist. What do we got?
Club Participant: If you're going to do something weird, you might as well do something absurdly weird.
Becca: That is true. That's very true.
The idea of joining a comic book club does sound pretty appealing. But renting a power washer for free? That sounds pretty good, too. But first, I'll need to do the thing I've been meaning to do for a while. And that's renewing my library card.
Yvette: Okay, you're good for three years.
Great. Awesome. Thank you so much!
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