A New Chapter: Dover Library's 2025 Transformation

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Dover Public Library Director Denise LaFrance and City Facilities Project Manager Eric Sanderson about the library's renovation and temporary relocation project. The discussion covers the library's move to the McConnell Center for approximately one year while the more than 100-year-old building undergoes significant renovations and expansion. LaFrance describes key improvements, including a new entrance, expanded children's area, additional meeting spaces, and modernized facilities while preserving the building's historic character. Sanderson details the construction timeline, logistics of the temporary closure, and impacts on parking. The library's adult services will operate from the McConnell Center's cafeteria, while children's services will be located in Room 305. LaFrance explains how they've partnered with various community organizations to continue programming during the renovation and describes their plan for maintaining access to the collection through storage rounds and curbside pickup service. More about the renovation project can be found here: https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/library/about-us/renovation/

In This Week in Dover History, we learn about the development of winter sports facilities in Dover, beginning with a 1923 Dover Chamber of Commerce meeting to discuss expanding winter recreation options. The segment traces the evolution of winter sports facilities from an early ski jump at Garrison Hill and an outdoor skating rink behind the library to the development of the Dover Ice Arena in the 1970s and its subsequent expansion with the Holt rink in 2001.