MARS HILL, Maine — Mars Hill’s WTA Hansen Memorial Library has an eclectic mix of events in store for this summer, as well as a shady, air-conditioned space for people to cool off and engage their interests.
“I think libraries have changed a lot,” said Amber Wood, who leads programming at the library.
“It’s not just a place for people to read books. People need a place to go.”
Surrounded by tall red pines and white cedar hedgerow, Mars Hill’s small-town library is open six days a week and draws people in with a growing book collection and regular and special events.
The library often brings in more people and more youth during the summer months, Wood said.
In mid-June, the library started its Bikes for Books program in collaboration with the town’s Masonic Lodge, which will give the top readers a free bike come August.
The library’s youth section this summer has a book nook designed in the form of a NASA space station, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the U.S. moon landing.
Other events this summer include Tim Caverly of the “Allagash Tales” series presenting “So you think you know Maine,” on the evening of Tuesday, July 9. On Thursday, July 18, Roger Libby of the Masonic Lodge and the Francis Malcolm Science Center is giving a guided talk on exploring the night sky. And on the morning of Saturday, July 27, the library is hosting its third annual Alice in Wonderland Tea Party.
The library also hosts ongoing group activities, including a craft club that meets Monday nights, a book club that meets Thursday nights, toddler story readings, and a Hometown Heroes series where locals share their stories.
“They come in, read a book, and tell us about their work,” Wood said. “If they don’t think they’re a hero, we tell them why they’re a hero.”
For harvest break, this fall, the library is planning to host a coding class for younger students who aren’t working farm jobs, Wood said.
The library also hosts a range of local historical records and free use of genealogy resources like Ancestry.com. “When you can come in and find your great grandmother’s birthday, death date and place of burial, that’s really neat,” Wood said.
Throughout the year, the library benefits from volunteers who do everything from mowing the lawn to reading to toddlers. “We couldn’t do what we do without them,” Wood said.
For information on library events and hours, visit wtahansenlibrary.org or call (207) 429-9625.
