This writing group offers prompts, writing time, support, and resources to hone your craft.

Writers in all genres and all levels of experience are welcome. Drop in! 

Join us for a monthly speaker series presented by the Hamilton-Wenham League of Women Voters.

All are welcome; no registration required.

Join Portsmouth, NH Poet Laureate, Diannely Antigua for a generative writing workshop! Attendees will receive prompts and inspiration to write during this workshop, and leave with seeds for several new poems. There will be opportunities to share and to ask questions along the way!



Emerging writers are welcome, and no previous writing experience is necessary.

Registration is required. Click here to register.

A look at how this reservoir forever changed life in the Swift River Valley of Massachusetts. There will be a brief discussion after the film.

All are welcome; no registration required.

Join us on ZOOM for a panel with your favorite romance novelists! Authors Ali Hazelwood, Nikki Payne, and Denise Williams will discuss their latest romance novels in this unforgettable panel discussion followed by audience Q&A.

Registration is required. Click here to register.

Join Kevin Figueroa from KevTech Services for a introductory technology class. Attendees will learn how to use devices to take notes, create to-do lists, and manage calendar events. You will also learn to use Siri, the Apple digital assistant.  

Registration required. Please click here to sign up.

Join author and photographer Margie Patlak for a virtual discussion. Within a short span of time, Margie Patlak lost her mother, sole sibling, and father. While in mourning and writing about the environment in Maine, Patlak uncovered many lessons the natural world was teaching her about the nature of life. Patlak will share vital lessons that helped her heal from loss.

Her talk will be illustrated with striking photos of the Maine coast, followed by an opportunity for discussion.

The program will be recorded and a link to the recording will be shared with everyone who registers.

Registration required. Please click here to sign up.

Join us for our Friday film series!

February 2: The Holdovers (2023, R, 2hr 13min)

February 9: Past Lives (2023, PG-13, 1hr 46min)

February 16: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023, PG-13, 2hr 38min)

Water & movie snacks will be served.

Registration is not required, drop in!

Patton Homestead Book Club will meet at the library on Tuesday, February 6 at 3:00pm to discuss Travels with George by Nathaniel Philbrick.

Wednesday Night Book Club will meet at the library on Wednesday, February 7 at 6:45pm to discuss The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts.

Literary Luncheon will meet at the library on Tuesday, February 20 at 11am to discuss Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane.

Book clubs are open to all and copies of these titles are available to check out at the library.

Twenty Write the Hook stories were submitted to the teen story writing contest at the end of December. The contest was open to teens in grades 6 to 12, who are residents of Essex County in Massachusetts. Teens entering the contest were required to write the start of a story, "the hook," to create interest in reading further.

Congratulations to the contest winners! Click here to read the winning entries.

And, it's a wrap for 2023. Fantasy and Romance genres were favorites last year. Realistic/Contemporary fiction ran a close second.

Do you need a book for your Independent Reading assignment? This list of the top 16 reads of 2023 has some great titles. Come browse or put one on hold.

May you have happy reading adventures in 2024!

Tuesdays, 11:30am - 12pm: Baby Bookworms

Wednesdays, 6 - 7pm: Process Art

Thursdays, 10:15 - 11am: Bouncing Babies

Put your imagination & building skills to the test at this self-directed drop-in LEGO build program.



All ages welcome with a caregiver. No registration required.

Join us in the Children's Room! Play fun family games, complete a new scavenger hunt & enter a special raffle to win a gift basket full of fun prizes!



All ages welcome! No registration needed.

Join Therapy Dog Keeva and her trainer, Ms. Fleming, to practice your reading in a relaxing & non-judgmental environment. Reader time slots are 10-minutes in length.

Registration is required. Please visit our calendar to sign up. Designed for children in grades K - 3.

Celebrate Lunar New Year, the Year of the Dragon. Our special guests will share stories, crafts, foods, and traditions of the new year. 

Families of all ages are welcome. No registration necessary.

We’re back for another exciting session! Experiment, build & explore at this STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) program that will spark interest and engage creativity.

This program is open to children ages 6 - 12 years; registration required. Click here to register.

Celebrate National Random Acts of Kindness Day as we share stories and songs and share a sweet treat together!



Designed for children ages 2 and up. No registration needed.

Families of all ages are invited to join acclaimed storyteller & musician, John Porcino, for a mix of stories and songs from around the world that come to life with warmth, humor and audience participation. Includes a 40-instrument "Musical Instrument Petting Zoo."

No registration required.

Do you have what it takes? Join us for a variety of 1-minute STEM challenges and compete for prizes.

Designed for ages 5 and up.



No registration required.

Join us for a morning of sensory exploration and fun at this self-directed drop-in play program.



Designed for ages 2 and up with a caregiver. No registration required.

Celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month with local dentist, Dr. Priscilla Magnuson of Green Willow Dental. Enjoy stories and songs about teeth & dentists. Children will each have a chance to practice their brushing skills on Skyler the horse!

All ages welcome. No registration required.

We invite you to join in this online personal reading challenge! Open to children ages birth to 5 years-old. Read a book (any book) to your child and then log it on their Beanstack account. The goal is to have read 1,000 books before your child starts Kindergarten. Logging books will earn virtual badges & fun prizes throughout their reading journey

Registration is required. Click here to sign up.

Visit us to enjoy the stunning works of Phyllis Follett!

Phyllis and her husband Dick are newcomers to Hamilton. She learned to quilt after she retired as a high school French teacher. Starting out with traditional quilts, Phyllis branched out to art quilts when she joined a group whose members were interpreting the works of James MacNeil Whistler. With the skills she learned there, Phyllis felt free to interpret art that inspired her.

Her love for the North Shore has given her the desire to interpret its rocky coast, vast marshes and beautiful waters in fabric. Her quilts have been displayed at various exhibitions in the US.

Please give us your BOOKS, CDs and DVDs in good condition to sell at our book sales. Donations are limited to 4 bags at a time. If you have a donation larger than 4 bags please email the Friends at fohwpl@gmail.com.

Jessie Palm, Social Worker for the Eastern Essex Regional Public Health Coalition, will hold open office hours at the library every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. All are welcome to seek support, information or resource referrals in a confidential setting. No appointment necessary.