Since 1982 the American Library Association (ALA) has promoted a week-long event at the end of September known as Banned Books Week. The purpose of this event is not only to showcase books that have been banned or challenged on religious, racist, political and/or sexual grounds over the years, but to promote the right of an individual to make his or her own reading choices based on a wide range...

The Justice Action Group (a collaboration of the Maine Court System, Pine Tree Legal Assistance, the Volunteer Lawyers Project, Maine Libraries and the Maine Bar Foundation) is working to increase citizen access to reliable sources of legal information. To that end, four workshops were presented to librarians across the state in July and August. Workshops were held in Bangor, Portland, Lewist...

The Stephen & Tabitha King Foundation continue to support the work of Maine libraries through their foundation. Many libraries in Maine have benefited from their generosity over the years. New buildings have been built, bathrooms installed, roofs replaced, and book collections expanded. This summer has been no different.

The district consultants, along with the leadership of the...

Ste-Agathe – The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation of Bangor has awarded a $50,000 grant to the Long Lake Public Library (LLPL) with the understanding that it continue with its “good work.” Librarian Sr. Jackie Ayotte made the announcement Wednesday, saying, “The Board, volunteers and I are delighted with this grant that will enable us to continue providing this very needed service to t...

Governor John Baldacci has appointed Beth Edmonds of Freeport as the new Chair of the Cultural Affairs Council. Maine’s Cultural Affairs Council is an alliance, authorized by the state Legislature, of Maine’s seven statewide cultural agencies.

Five of these agencies are public:

- Maine Arts Commission - Maine Historic Preservation Commission - Maine State Archives - **...

Congratulations to the Maine Historical Society (MHS) for being awarded yet another Institute of Museum and Library Services grant. Funding of this type is essential in these days of economic turmoil, and MHS seizes every possible opportunity to bring in outside funds to Maine. Access to the Central Maine Power (CMP) collection will open new avenues for students, researchers and Maine citizen...

How proud we Mainers should be that from hundreds of national entries, Falmouth Memorial Library came in second in the “Library Outreach” contest sponsored by the Institute of Museums and Library Services and the History Channel. Congratulations Falmouth Memorial, Lyn Sudlow and staff, for demonstrating once again that Maine libraries stand out!

On July 16 the [Falmouth Memorial Li...

The following press release from Brian Sylvester of Thomaston Public Library demonstrates how that library is serving its community in a novel way. Congratulations to Brian and to all the other Maine public library directors who are reaching out in unique ways to serves the needs and interests of their local citizens.

The Thomaston Public Library has been awarded a $10,000 grant fro...

On Friday July 2 Maine State Library was awarded a $1.36 million Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) grant for the Maine Public Library Information Commons Project. This award came from the Public Computer Centers category administered by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment A...

"Reading is one of the best ways parents can help their children develop a love of books and reading and prepare them to learn to read. However, access to books and the parent’s own literacy level can be barriers to making that happen. A new partnership between Raising Readers, the Maine Family Literacy Initiative(MEFLI), and select public libraries is designed to help overcome those barriers.....

It was a pleasure to attend the HSLIC annual meeting during which Emily Scriber received this prestigious award. Maine's medical libraries are invaluable to staff, patients and their families. Congratulations, Emily - and HSLIC.

Thanks to HSLIC's Past Chair, Happy Copley for sharing the following tribute:

In her soft-spoken way, Emily Scribner powerfully and loudly advoca...

The world of books was my world when I was a child. I often wonder what I would be doing today had my mother not loved books and libraries. It is thus with particular pleasure that I congratulate, Kelley, the committee members and the authors who were honored during Reading Roundup 2010. Thank you all!

Linda Lord, State Librarian

*Kelley McDaniel's Lupine & Katahdin A...

The Central Maine Library District Association on behalf of the Maine Regional Library System, part of the Maine State Library, recently received a $50,000.00 grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation to automate small public libraries in Maine. Approximately twenty small libraries will be selected and will receive two computers, a two-year subscription to LibraryWorld software, along...

Each year publishing houses send thousands of review copies of new children's and young adult books to the Maine Examination Collection in the Southern Maine Library District Portland office. Local librarians review the books and a Cream of the Crop Collection of the best titles is prepared for the Maine Regional Library System’s Reading Round-Up Conference in April.

The Cream of th...