PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle recently purchased nearly 100 children’s books thanks to funding from a national foundation and donors.
In July library staff found out that The Pilcrow Foundation, based in Oregon, had selected their children’s section to receive 73 new books valued at a total of $1,200. Two individual donors — Hal Berenson and Laura Ackerman — allowed the library to purchase 24 math and science children’s books valued at $403.
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- The Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library recently received a $1,200 grant from The Pilcrow Foundation to purchase nearly 100 new children’s books. (Staff photo/Melissa Lizotte)
The library received their chosen books in August and on Friday, Oct. 11, celebrated with snacks and refreshments and a special storytime. Children’s librarian Melissa St. Pierre read “There’s a Dinosaur on the 13th Floor” by Wade Bradford, one of the books they chose through the grant funding.
St. Pierre said that The Pilcrow Foundation’s grant is especially poignant for the Presque Isle library given the foundation’s focus on giving to libraries in rural public communities.
“Like a lot of libraries, we run on a small budget, so we’re always looking for grants that suit us,” St. Pierre said. “It’s wonderful to see kids get excited about books that catch their attention.”
