LIMESTONE, Maine — Staff and supporters of the Robert Frost Memorial Library recently celebrated the institution’s 75th anniversary on July 1, 2016 as part of the town’s Independence Day weekend festivities.
A legislative sentiment was read and presented to Librarian Lisa Dale by Senator Peter Edgecomb and his grandson, Representative Anthony Edgecomb.
Patricia Thompson, the library’s historian, read excerpts from the library’s history, explaining its humble beginnings and evolution over the years.
“In the sentiment that was read, in the Limestone’s centennial history, the warrant for the March 22nd, 1899 town meeting had two articles related to the library. One was to see ‘what sum of money the town would vote and raise for a public library,’ and the other was to see ‘what action the town will take regarding the books for a new library.’ It was voted to accept the library donated to the town by the honorable Thomas Thayer. In addition, the town voted to raise $25 for the library.”
While current librarian Lisa Dale has only recently moved to Limestone, she says her experience with the library has been fantastic so far, and is proud of the town for maintaining the library for 75 years.
“It’s wonderful that a community has had the history of a library for that long,” said Dale. “The library was up before the (Loring Air Force) base was here and has survived its closing. We serve the community in a way that I think other organizations and groups can’t. We run children’s programs and try to do them once a month, and also try to run adult programs. People use the computers to search for jobs. A lot of organizations use our space for meetings, from Cub Scouts, alumni groups, and cemetery communities. Anyone in the town is welcome to use our building for no charge. Like most libraries, we are more than just books at this point.”
Looking ahead, Dale plans on expanding the library’s existing programs and encouraging more community members to use its facilities.
“We are working on updating our computers and hoping to get more children and adults involved in our programs,” Dale said. “We hope to add a story hour on Saturdays during the fall, and we’ve added a new reading nook. We want people to understand that the library is open to everybody. You just need to live here, and even if you don’t you can still come in and use the equipment. It’s a very important part of the community, often more than people realize until they come in and see what we do.”
