Library Director: Emily Martin
librarydirector@newgloucester.com
Assistant Librarian: Ellie Marsh-Meservier
assistantlibrarian@newgloucester.com
Interlibrary Loan Technician: Alice Wheeler
illtechnician@newgloucester.com
Chair: Paul Morin
Vice Chair: Peg Becksvoort
Carol Gillis
Dawn DiFiore
Kathleen Potter
Youth Trustee:
Select Board Liaison: Colleen Strickler
The New Gloucester Public Library promotes literacy, lifelong learning, and cultural enrichment by providing quality information resources, services, and programming to all members of the New Gloucester community.
A library card in every pocket and opportunity with every card.
Access and Accessibility: We thoughtfully develop collections, services, and programming that are freely available, accessible, and meet the needs of all of the people of New Gloucester.
Community: We provide a gathering spot where all people feel welcome, comfortable, respected, and safe.
Curiosity and Creativity: We support our staff and users in exploring ideas and trying new ways to improve our library, community, and world.
Equity: We provide equitable service and access to people of all races, colors, religions, national origins, citizenships, immigration statuses, genders, sexualities, ages, abilities, appearances, socioeconomic statuses, education levels, political affiliations, and ideologies.
Service: We prioritize the needs of users and provide professional service and a pleasant and rewarding experience.
Sustainability and Fiscal Responsibility: We are responsible stewards of resources entrusted to us, actively seek out and cultivate funding sources, express gratitude to our supporters, assess our activities, and demonstrate our value to the community.
Confidentiality and Intellectual Freedom: We support the freedom of individuals to use the information resources which they choose, protect their privacy, and will all attempts to censor library resources.
Outreach and Engagement: We actively communicate with users, stakeholders and the community; connect with underserved populations; and foster collaborative relationships with partners to meet evolving community needs.
Diversity and Inclusion: We provide resources representing a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints so that all members of the community can both see themselves in our collections and learn about people who are different from themselves.
Enjoyment: If we’re not having fun, we’re doing it wrong.
by Clair Tisdale and Sasha Nyary
Origins
Maine was still a part of Massachusetts when New Gloucester’s first library was started, about 1798, and it was not a public library. Following the trend at the time, the original collection was a private social library, located in the Bell Tavern in the Lower Village and later moved to the Stevens School.
Beginning in the 1730s, most libraries in what was to become the United States were social libraries, essentially a joint stock company. They were proprietary collections or private associations meant for members only, or as in New Gloucester, subscription-based. New England in the late 18th-century was home to more than 50 social libraries.
In New Gloucester, members were charged a $1 fee, along with occasional assessments in order to purchase additional books. A member had to be paid up in order to take out a book. They could only borrow one book at a time and the library was only open on Saturday afternoon.
According to notes from a meeting on May 5, 1806, Ezekiel Whitman was to be paid $4 a year for his service as librarian, along with $20 for past service.
Nathan Weston was appointed librarian in May 1808. Records for the next few decades are scarce but they do indicate that Samuel Fessenden was chosen to be librarian and inspector of books on April 5, 1817. A social library was listed as one of the town’s public facilities in 1824.
The public library is launched
Public — tax-supported — libraries in the United State first emerged in the 1840s and by the early 1880s, industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was beginning to fund the construction of 2,500 public libraries across the country.
New Gloucester chose to pay for its library itself. At Town Meeting on March 15, 1888, voters passed a resolution to establish a town library. A committee of seven was chosen to buy books, draw up rules, and make decisions. The library was located in what is now the Town Manager’s office and supported by an annual poll tax of 50 cents. The first librarian was Helen A. Moseley, who was paid $50 a year and stayed in the position until 1920.
The cost of running the library that first year was $521.65. The first three books offered by the library were The Pictorial Field-book of The Revolution, volumes one and two, by Benson J. Lossing, and Lossing’s Pictorial Field-book of the War of 1812.” They are currently on display in the library’s New Gloucester History Cabinet.
The collection began to grow. Two years later, in 1890 the Library Committee, with the school supervisor at its helm, purchased 96 books at an average cost of $1 per book. “We have purchased such books as seem to be in popular demand, carefully avoiding, as far as possible, all books of immoral or questionable tone,” the committee reported.
By 1892 the library contained 1,048 books and the Library Committee was suggesting that larger quarters would be needed. As a way to raise funds, the catalog listing the available books could be purchased for 10 cents a copy.
By 1895 the library had grown to more than 2,100 volumes. The committee requested that “some of the patrons of the library exercise more care in the handling of books. It has been necessary to rebind seventy-nine books this past year.”
A home of its own
Eight years later, in 1896, Town Meeting voted to buy a lot and build a library building. H.G. Mann, J.M. Thompson, and J.I. Sturgis were appointed to the building committee. The town paid $100 to F.H. Merrill for the lot and the total cost of the building was just over $1,800. Some residents contributed their labor. The Sabbathday Lake Shaker community sawed and donated hemlock lumber for the building. What is now called the Meetinghouse was to be the town library for the next 100 years.
By this time the library was open two days a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays. A patron could borrow a book a week. They would select it from the catalog, which numbered about 3,000 volumes, and the librarian would get it from the stacks. About 150 books circulated weekly to New Gloucester’s residents, who numbered about 1,300, or about six books per person per year.
The original library was heated by a wood stove. There was a reference room where patrons could play checkers or read magazines and newspapers, if they brought wood for the stove. Moseley used a slant-top desk that was later rescued from storage in poor condition and was restored in 1986 as a gift from Dennis Novak and his wife.
The interior walls were dark, with tall bookcases. William Greeley donated $25 in 1901 to purchase pictures for decoration.
In 1907 a third day was added to the library hours. It was now open Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturday. A physical card catalog was installed and patrons could use it to choose their weekly book. The stacks were still closed to browsing.
In 1909 the library poll tax was raised to $1. That same year, Stephen H. Cummings created a library trust of $1,000 that generated interest of approximately $40 a year and went toward the purchase of books. Those funds were later rolled into the Library Endowment Fund, which are held by the town and governed by what later became known as the Library Board of Trustees.
The mid-century library
In 1919 a plaque honoring the soldiers of World War I was placed on the front of the library. The next year, returning soldiers did not have to pay the poll tax.
In 1920, Louise True became the next librarian. The Library Committee was now known as the Library Board of Trustees. They, along with the librarian, selected the books to purchase and the annual town report carried the list. That practice ended in 1964. The Trustees also oversaw library repairs.
In 1930, Herbert Berry, an industrial arts teacher in Portland, gave a $500 bond to the library with the stipulation the interest be used for library work. Those funds have since been rolled into the Library Endowment Fund. Berry’s wife, Celia Valentine Berry, had been a library Trustee and served as founder and president of the Women’s Literary Society. Also that year, Berry built and donated a model of New Gloucester’s Block House that is now on display in the children’s reading area.
The borrowing rules changed In 1931 and patrons were allowed to take out two older books and one new book, along with back issues of magazines.
The threats of the Great Depression
The financial turmoil brought by the Great Depression affected the town. In March 1931, the library was almost closed, when the Town Manager suggested at Town Meeting that the library budget be cut entirely. That request was overridden by the citizens but the budget was cut by 20%.
Maintenance and improvements continued to be made. In March 1937, the Library Board of Trustees reported that among the repairs, the ceilings had been whitened and the walls re-tinted, along with another coat of varnish on the floors.
That same year, the library suffered a financial blow, however, when the Casco Mercantile Trust Company failed. It had been the location of the Stephen Cummings Trust Fund. The bank only paid back 50%. The $500 was reinvested and it took until 1960, nearly 23 years, until the Cummings Trust Fund was rebuilt to the original $1,000 amount.
Improvements continued. In 1943 a book drop was installed and a reserve book list begun. The ladies organization of the local Farm Bureau donated a fluorescent lamp.
Challenges of World War II and beyond
Heating and light expenses remained a problem in the 1940s. The cost of heating closed the library from December 1944 through May 1945. Residents instead used the State Traveling Library, and the Shakers gave them access to a collection of books at their farm. The library was open during the winter 1946 but only one day, on Tuesdays. In March 1947, an oil burner was installed at the cost of $135 and the library poll tax was raised to $1.25.
By 1948, the library was again open two days a week, Tuesday and Saturday, year-round. That year the librarian’s pay was raised from 19 cents to 24 cents per hour. At the March 1950 Town Meeting, $475 was approved for library support and the lighting issues were finally resolved.
By 1955 circulation went down, and the Trustees, according to the annual town report, “felt the decrease is due to the new popularity of television.” Other libraries were experiencing the same problem.
Library hours were changed to Tuesday and Friday and Saturday hours were dropped. The collection grew by 225 more books, half from donations. The library acquired a typewriter in exchange for some discarded books. A year-long re-cataloging of the collection was begun with the help of four volunteers.
The issue of heat reemerged in 1955. A door was cut into the children’s room to aid circulation. A large oil heater was installed in the library’s main room and the original, smaller heater transferred to the children’s room. When the ceiling in the children’s room fell down, Lloyd Morrison re-shingled part of the roof. A back door was added in 1959.
In what may have been the first of the Friends’ bi-annual book sales, discarded books were placed on sale at the library to draw in a bit of extra income.
Recognition beyond the town
The library’s accomplishments were recognized outside of the town in 1961, when the Maine State Library rated it as a well-above average country library.
Residents and local civic groups continued to support the library through donations. In 1961 the Lend-A-Hand Club donated the magazine rack in use today. In 1962, the Evening Extension Group gave money for improvements to the children’s room. Repairs were done to the cupola and the foundation and the floor was sanded and refinished. The ongoing problem of overdue books was addressed by establishing a free week when books could be returned and overdue charges waived.
In 1964 a subject card catalog was added. In 1966 a new checkout counter was added at the cost of $110 and the front steps that were damaged by town snow plows were repaired. The local Historical Society held its monthly meetings at the library. In November, a tea was held to honor the Memorial School teachers with the hope of sparking more interest in the library.
School groups began to visit the library to learn how to use it. A special time was made for those visits when the library was not open to the public. The library was now open three days a week.
Modernizing in the 1970s
By 1970, the library was open 16 hours a week and circulation had risen to the highest of the last five years. A $1 non-resident annual fee was established.
A display of local art works was featured that year. Book sales were held and the proceeds used to purchase new reference and non-fiction books. The Trustees were also focusing on improving and updating the children and youth sections of the library. A May Ball in 1970 netted $110 for the purchase of children’s books.
The 1970s were a time of maintenance and renewal for the library. The outside of the building was given a fresh coat of paint. A bathroom, a telephone line, and a slot for returning books were installed. State money paid for a movie projector in 1974. Total circulation that year was 8,846 items. By 1975 it was up to 10,239.
Margaret (Peggy) Stevens-Becksvoort became the librarian in 1975. In 1976, she entered a Maine State Library contest and won the library 250 children’s books.
Other maintenance included a railing for the front steps, a card catalog, replacement of fire extinguishers and a great deal of insulation. Smoke alarms were installed in 1979, the year that the Gray-New Gloucester Industrial Arts students built bookcases for the library — the library provided the materials. By the end of the decade the library was open 24 hours a week.
An issue of governance emerged in 1976, when the Selectmen changed the Trustee selection process. The Library Committee, now known as the Library Board of Trustees, had been selecting their members for more than 80 years. Now the selectmen decided that the trustees would be chosen by town government. Any citizen who wished to serve as a trustee was required to apply at the Town Office. Additionally, unfortunately, the Town Manager often ordered goods and services for the library without Trustee knowledge, often duplicating efforts.
The library moves again
It was clear by 1979 that the library was outgrowing its 980 square feet in the Meetinghouse. Two doors down, the building that had housed the high school from 1902 to 1962 was empty and the idea of adapting it for the library was considered at the earliest stages. It was to take 20 years to bring the vision to fruition.
Usage was growing. The 1981 circulation had increased 8.4% and interlibrary loans had doubled from the previous year. New bylaws were approved after several years of hard work by the Trustees. They included policies for book selection, challenged materials, and a librarian job description. An updated operations manual was also created.
Upgrades at the Meetinghouse continued. The library building underwent a major renovation in 1982. The rising cost of fuel led to energy conservation efforts, including installing ceiling fans to bring heat down. Window quilts were added to all the windows and the back door was replaced with an insulated one. The librarian’s work area was renovated to make more efficient use of space.
Jean Haskell
Jean Haskell, a Trustee and an ardent supporter of the children’s section of the library, resigned due to illness. After her death, a memorial fund was set up with donations used to purchase a large oil painting by artist Dahlov Ipcar of Georgetown. The painting, “Baroque Carousel,” is displayed in the children’s section.
Suzan Hawkins became the librarian in 1982. That year the state legislature passed a confidentiality law affecting library patrons. Names were removed from the sign-out cards and each patron was issued a numeric library card.
In 1983, open hours expanded to include Thursday evenings. Circulation rose again, this time 6% over the previous year. When the town kindergarten moved into the old high school building, the proximity meant teachers could walk the children to the library’s story hour every week until 1997 when the program was relocated.
Maintenance to the building was ongoing. When the Garden Club of Gray and New Gloucester disbanded in 1987, a share of their assets was given to the library, which used the funds to add a post lantern outside the building, reproducing the original walkway lighting of the building. Owen Thurston and his son rebuilt and restored the front steps and did some needed repairs to the foundation. More shelving was added in 1987 and a new card catalog was purchased to house the growing listing of circulating material.
The community comes together
By the late eighties, the little library building held the dubious honor of being the most overcrowded library in the state. The Trustees began working on plans for an expansion of some kind. They reached out to contractors and architects to compare the cost of revamping the old high school versus new construction. And they started a campaign to make the town aware of the lack of space.
Patrons and staff had just 50% of the floor space mandated as minimum standards set by the Maine Library Association. It was difficult to find a comfortable space to read or do research or homework.
The results of a public survey found that over 60% of respondents supported an expansion of library facilities. They wanted a larger children’s room, a quiet study area, and an adequate space to expand the collection of books, reference materials, magazines, audio materials, and videos. A space was also needed for public access computers.
In the spring of 1991 the town approved $10,000 for architectural services for the library expansion and renovation. A committee was appointed to select and work with an architectural firm.
That year the town’s Capital Improvement Projects Committee identified the library expansion as one of three high-priority projects. A Building Planning Committee joined the Trustees to begin the task of planning and overseeing the expansion. Some advocated expanding the current library building, but they hit a snag with abutting landowners. The decision was made to use the old high school building.
A turning point came in 1994, when architect Dick Reed’s preliminary plans were submitted. Town Meeting in May allocated $550,000 to the Capital Reserve Fund for the new library.
The entire community became involved. Fundraising began in earnest with the recently reorganized Friends of the Library, which held multiple fundraising events. The Library Building Committee organized a spirited advertising campaign to promote the need for the expansion, which included holding multiple fundraising events. A town-wide mailing was sent requesting donations. Two large, prominent signs drew attention in local newspapers.
Donations came from the local business community and plaques in the new library display the contributors’ names. Selectman Robert Leighton gave money in his mother’s memory. Fred Thurston of Conifer Industries donated both cash and chicken to help fund-raising efforts at fairs.
Selectman Ann Thaxter launched a campaign selling library heart pins. Stephen and Tabitha King donated $520,000 through the King Foundation. About 30% of the funds needed for the library relocation were raised through private donations. The rest came from the town’s taxpayer-funded capital reserve planning account.
On June 21, 1997, after several years of hard work, Selectman Leighton, aided by his wife, along with seven youngsters from the Kid Readers Program, led the ground-breaking ceremony. With the Wright Ryan Construction company in charge, local contractors Doug Bowie, Bill Kiley, and Fred Hunnewell began to dig the foundation.
The big move took place six months later, just days after the Ice Storm of ’98. An army of volunteers, mostly women, put all the books in the old library onto carts and pushed them across the winter parking lot and up the ramp into their new home. Another set of volunteers placed the books on the newly purchased shelving.
Adding staff
The 1991 annual report from the Trustees noted that the library’s high circulation numbers warranted two full-time librarians but a dedicated crew of volunteers was filling the gap. They included Mabel “Mal” Greeley.
Mal Greeley
Mal Greeley volunteered at the library from 1947 until her death in December 2005. She volunteered her time for so long people took her being there for granted. She had a great knowledge of library science and was an invaluable asset to the library.
In 1997 the library’s expanded hours necessitated the need for an Assistant Librarian. Veronica Chaya was hired.
The 21st century
By the turn of the century the library was using Athena integrated software to track its circulation, cataloging, inventory, and scanning needs. The collection needed to be given a scan coordinating number and entered manually into the library’s database. Cathy Cooper undertook the arduous task.
Robert Leighton Sr.
Selectman Leighton, one of the library’s strongest supporters, died suddenly at the end of 2002. Among his visions still unrealized was a gazebo to be used by the library and other community events. The gazebo was completed in 2008 and includes a plaque honoring the selectman.
In September 2002 the Selectman changed the number of Library Trustees from four to five. They also changed the number of years each Trustee served from four years down to three years.
Early in 2003 the Trustees felt that the part-time librarian’s position should be made full time. The library now had two full-time employees, plus numerous volunteers. Carla McAllister began working as the Assistant Librarian in January 2009.
Under a cloud from the COVID-19 pandemic, budget disagreements closed the library in September 2020. Library Director Suzan Hawkins and Assistant Librarian Carla McAllister were laid off. A few months later a town special election funded the library again and the two staff positions were posted. With 38 years of service, Hawkins retired and McAllister reapplied but did not get the position.
Lee Shaw, Library Director, and Emily Martin, Assistant Librarian, were hired in February 2021. The library reopened with curbside service on February 23. The public was allowed back into the building on March 30, 2021.
But the building was closed again. On September 14, when mold was detected in the basement. The annual book sale of the Friends of the Library was postponed. The library staff relocated many of its most popular books to the Meetinghouse and reopened there on September 15.
When test results showed the air quality was safe, the staff and volunteers moved the books back and the library was reopened on September 23. At this time the basement remains closed while the Town explores mold remediation.
Shaw reorganized the collection and added to it with new purchases, including new laptops. Under Shaw, programming at the library included children’s story-time in the gazebo, run by Martin; visits from animals and their handlers; and a program co-sponsored with New Gloucester United Against Racism.
With Shaw’s resignation in October, Jay Campbell was hired as the Library Director. He began on December 14, 2021.
The public library now has over 17,000 items in its collection. Audiobooks, DVDs, large print books, kayaks and other materials are also available to borrow. The current budget is $102,033, a far cry from the $521.65 in 1888 when it first opened its doors.
The Friends of the New Gloucester Library
While the library has always had a core group of volunteers, the formal group known as the Friends of the New Gloucester Library was established in 1989. The members have supported the library in numerous ways over the years.
They run book sales in February and October, with proceeds going toward new books, AV materials, library shelving and equipment, and funds for programming. Donated books in excellent condition and of interest to readers are shelved upstairs, at a value estimated in 2020 at between $11,000 and $12,000.
They maintain the gardens, sponsor the library’s free museum and park passes, and organize the delivery of books and materials to homebound patrons.
In 2019, the work of the Friends received the Spirit of America Foundation Award, a tribute presented to Maine municipalities, individuals, and organizations for commendable community service. Sen. Ned Claxton presented a Legislative Sentiment to the Friends in recognition of the award, after which he and Rep. Amy Arata gave the group a tour of the Senate and House chambers.