Blue Hill Public Library5 Parker Point Rd.Blue Hill, Maine 04614

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Ellsworth, ME 04605

BBlue HHill LLibrary NNotesVol. 13 #1 Spring / Summer 2011

For more information about programs, services, hours of operation, etc. please see our web site, www.bhpl.net, or call us, 374-5515

LIFE IN THE STACKSSara Groves, a recent UMF graduate, currently works as one of our Library Assistants. As she is about to leave for graduate school, we asked her to refl ect on her life (so far) at the library.

My earliest memories of the Blue Hill Library are of shutting my brother into the cupboard of the circulation desk and climbing the carved bear statue during our family’s visits to the library. That pre-renovation library seemed to be deep mahogany everywhere, the bookshelves a dim maze punctuated by high windows and glinting statuary. The biggest mystery to me was the card catalogue area, which I avoided as a dark, unfathomable hole in the library. My parents were often in there, so when I needed to fi nd them I’d pluck up my courage and creep into the room, stare up at the bulky fi ling cabinets and stacks of old, crackly papers, and tug on their clothes until they were ready to leave.

As I grew older I began to enjoy exploring the library, discovering the thrill of perusal as I started taking books off of the shelves to look through them rather than just tossing them atop the piles I’d already started in my mother’s arms and on the fl oor. A series of Time Life books particularly captured my imagination. They were called The Enchanted World and they had faux-leather embossed covers and lots of gothic script. Night Creatures and Legends of

Children recently pose with their friend, Bri the Reader Dog, in the Larchwood Children’s Room. Reader Dog is a seasonal program that provides young readers with a canine listening companion.

BY SARA GROVES

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Valor remained my go-to items during library visits when I was in limbo between the children’s room and the “grown up” section of the library. They were located in a dark row around the corner from one of the window seats, and I would approach the shelf cautiously, the dusty darkness thickening as I reached up to pull one of the books off the shelf. I held it reverently, tiptoeing to the window seat where the sunlight shone full upon my lap as I turned the pages. Those books loom large in my memories of favorite reads, but I actually don’t remember any of their text – I probably didn’t try to read them, and I don’t remember ever checking them out – and the experience of discovering them on the shelves and the enveloping atmosphere of the library itself is as much a part of those memories as are the books themselves.

A few years after The Enchanted World period, my fi rst “job” at the library was typing spine labels for books and VHS tapes (although less an actual job than a favor to my mother or an exasperated concession to my pleas to be allowed to “help”). I had just started typing (forcefully, index fi ngers only) when I overheard one of the librarians voicing her concern that I wasn’t old enough to use the typewriter. I was nine years old and mortifi ed, and I worked hard to properly align those two rows of text and to evenly apply the labels. I was never sure if I had performed satisfactorily and won over my critic or not because I couldn’t decide whether culling cards from the catalogue was a promotion or a demotion. It was while I was learning these kinds of everyday library operations that I began to discover what remains one of my favorite aspects about libraries – that the more you understand how they work the more wonderful they become. So many things lose their luster when they’re explained (like when I was eleven and loved the fi lm Brigadoon until my father told me it was fi lmed on a set in Hollywood and not in the misty wilds of Scotland), but the more you know about libraries the more they open themselves to you and the more they have to offer.

I reeled in my fi rst paycheck from the library when I got an after-school job working as a shelver while I was in high school. I

think they knew I spent a lot of time browsing the shelves for personal pleasure and for school projects, but I managed to put away all the carts before the end of my shift so no one ever said anything. I usually justifi ed the habit by reasoning that since the library was closed on Mondays I had to make up a whole day’s worth of research on Fridays. During my sophomore year of high school some friends and I went to the inaugural meeting of the organization committee for the library’s Teen Night and helped choose the movie (and the snacks) for the fi rst event. I stayed on the committee and helped plan future evenings, which were popular and well-attended each week. It was through this process that I learned how important the library is as a community space and also encountered my fi rst vociferous debate about the content of the materials that were being offered at the library. Teen Night was a great effort on the part of the library and the staff, students, and parents who ran the weekly events, and it was an important learning experience for me in which I realized the elasticity of conventional defi nitions of what libraries are for and what they can do for their communities.

It wasn’t until I was in college that I realized how useful all this accumulated familiarity with library operations had become. I found myself well-prepared to navigate both the physical library stacks and the online retrieval and database systems of our college library. I missed the aesthetics and community atmosphere of the Blue Hill Library while at school; college libraries are constructed with different objectives in mind. The understanding of URSUS, MaineCat, and Marvel! that I had acquired from the Blue Hill Library defi nitely came in handy during those late (early?) hours when the library wasn’t open or when the mere sight of the library building made me feel ill (usually during fi nals). I credit much of my ability to successfully navigate my college library system to the time I’ve spent in the Blue Hill Library.

Many things have changed at the library over the years, but I believe the essentials remain the same. They persist in the qualities and people who are part of the library. I am happy to be working at the library again for the summer before I leave for graduate school, and have again been fi xing labels to our items; the labels are now printed from a computer instead of a typewriter and are being attached to DVDs instead of VHS tapes.

When I begin graduate studies in the fall I will have access to a newly built addition to one of the school’s libraries that features not only improved lighting and expanded seating, but also robots that fetch your books and articles for you. Technology is continuing to become a pervasive presence in our lives and our libraries, and while the Blue Hill Library has been successful in utilizing technology in recent years, I look forward to leaving the robots behind to come home, browse the shelves and stand next to the bear statue as I check out my books from the Blue Hill Library staff.

Sara Groves at the circulation desk.

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FROM THE DIRECTOR-RICH BOULET

PONDERING A DIGITAL PRESENT

Steve Albini, front man from the band Big Black, noted audio engineer, and all-around abrasive social critic once said “The future belongs to analog loyalists. [expletive] digital.” The thought is found on the compact disc re-issue of one of his band’s vinyl releases. That was 24 years ago.

At that time the music industry was experiencing a major transformation away from analog methods of recording, reproducing, distributing, and selling music to achieving all of the above in totally digital, essentially non-physical formats (remember record stores? They were great places to grow up). Vinyl records gave way to compact discs, which have now largely yielded to digital downloads. The change has impacted every

level of music consumption from producer to consumer.In 2011, libraries, book stores and the publishing industry

fi nd themselves in the beginning of what may be a similar transition. With the popularization of the Kindle and other eBook readers, combined with the tablet computer taking off in the form of the iPad, digital reading has become easy and comfortable. Just as with the music transition, books can be shared or bought without human interaction, they do not require physical shelf space, and they are a whole lot easier to carry.

While one obligation we have as a library is to work to serve our patrons in the format of their choosing, a transition to eBooks presents certain challenges. One major hurdle is that, apparently publishers are far less eager for our e-business than for our book purchases. They are rightly aware that digital information isn’t lent (as a paper book passed from shelf to library patron is) but rather copied from a digital master with

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ROWANTREES MAKES HISTORIC GIFT TO LIBRARY

Thanks to the generosity of Sheila Varnum, the archives and historic objects

of Rowantrees Pottery have found a new home at the Blue Hill Library. The collection includes letters, books, advertising materials through the years, and a collection of ceramics produced at the pottery from its inception to the present, including one of a kind fi gural pieces, dinnerware, vases and tiles.

Rowantrees Pottery was founded in 1934 by Adelaide Pearson, who was later joined by her friend Laura Paddock. The goal was to provide a cooperative industry that could take advantage of local resources and provide local jobs, an idea inspired by Ms. Pearson’s conversations with Gandhi, as well as the dire economic times.

The pottery used local clay and local minerals to produce its ceramics and distinctive glazes, with Ms. Paddock creating formulas for new glazes as supplies of various minerals waned and tastes changed. Art classes for local residents were also a part of the early years of the pottery. Most of the pieces were produced at the site of Rowantrees on Union Street, but some artisans worked at home, handcrafting animal fi gurines and lids decorated with blueberries, cherries, strawberries and roses, for the popular jam jars.

That the collection should fi nd a home at the library is particularly appropriate –Adelaide Pearson was not only the founder of Rowantrees but also a major force in the construction of the library in its current location in 1939. Miss Pearson was also a strong supporter of the library throughout her life, and continues to do so to this day through planned giving.

The library is also grateful to Anita Babson, Sheila Varnum’s niece, for her help in making this transfer happen and to Gregory Carroll for his generous donation to help with the cost of the display, archiving and storage of the collection.

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Over $100,000Estate of Diana Hinckley

$50,000-$99,999Town of Blue HillEstate of Jerold M. Hinckley

$10,000-49,999AnonymousEffi ciency Maine TrustFriends of the Blue Hill LibraryFrancis & Louise Nichols Foundation

$5,000-9,999Maine Historical SocietyTown of SurryTradewinds Market PlaceThe Vesper Foundation - Recommended by Elsie & Patrick Wilmerding

$2,000-4,999Becton Family FoundationClements Family Charitable Trust - Recommended by Beth & Robin ClementsAnne & Ted JohnsonTown of PenobscotTown of Sedgwick

$1,500-1,999Lynn E. Cheney (FSG)Margery & Willliam Irvine (FSG)

$1,000-$1,499The Charlotte’s Web Foundation - Recommended by Ann Luskey, TrusteeThe Merle Grindle AgencyThe Hickory Foundation - Recommended by Virginia James, TrusteeJames & Diane LyonThe Martin Foundation - Recommended by Zachary MartinLisa & Doug PetnoAlison RectorPatricia & Jack Shepard Jr.David & Joyce SnowWhitehall Foundation, Inc. - Recommended by E. Anthony Newton, TrusteeMarjorie L. Yesley

$500-999AnonymousThe Aribel Fund - Recommended by Alexandra Enders & Peter SorianoElvira BassBenedict-Miller Foundation - Recommended by Edward Swain IIIEllen Best & Geoff Anthony (FSG)Blue Hill Peninsula DentalGregory CarrollBlaise & LeslieSteve & Sandy CollierColloquy DowneastThe June Fitzpatrick GalleryLaurence GarceauJacquelynn Kaufman - In memory of Jerry KaufmanMary Tyler Knowles & Laurence FloodRobert B. ManheimerMr. & Mrs. William S. MayherJohn H. MurphyMary OffuttPat OrchardBlasdel A. ReardonRose & Samuel Rudman Library TrustArthur & Abby RyanJames Thurmond SmithgallJose M. SorianoMarcia & Peter StremlauChris & Frank WanningWilliam Webb (FSG)Wilder Family Charitable Fund - Recommended by A. Tappan & Robin WilderThe Williams Family FoundationMichael & Barbara Wolf

$200-499AnonymousDale & Nancy AlhumJoseph & Deborah AmatoMs. Hattie Barker & Dr. Beal LowenMary Barnes & Peter NeillThe Activity ShopHarry & Marie BissellThe Borealis Press (FSG)Miguel Browne & Silvija StrikisRagna BrunoMs. Basha Burwell & Mr. Peter BehrensThe Camden ConferenceMarcia W. ChapmanEric A. Chase ArchitectureSallie & Harrison ClarkMr. & Mrs. Mark S. CluettHope CobbMs. Miriam ColwellDouglas & Sophie CowanCharles & Beverly Cunningham - In memory of John Dodge - In memory of Ed SchneiderAnne Cushman (FSG)Gladys & Martyn CutlerBlue Hill Community Market & CafeAlison & Keith DibbleAlice & Robert DillonSean DooleyDowneast Chapter of Maine AudubonWade & Virginia DuymJohn F. EdwardsBurton W. Pearl, MD & Ms. Linda ElderKate EmlenExxonMobil Matching Gifts Program - Recommended by Thomas SteinBenjamin Moore & Co. Matching Gifts Program - Recommended by Yvan DupuySheila Ffolliott & Shepard Krech, IIIAon Foundation - Recommended by Tom MorrisGreenhut Galleries of MaineEdward B. GrimballRich & Susan GurinJulina Gylfe (2 gifts)- In memory of Ed SchneiderDr. & Mrs. Robert W. HamillMandana & Howard HarrisonAndrea Hendrix - In memory of Ed SchneiderMs. Carol M. Herrmann - In memory of Robert O. HerrmannMr. & Mrs. Glenn J. HillLaurel & Toni HuberNicholas Sichterman & Mariah HughsMr. & Mrs. Edwin T. JohnsonIsabelle & James KatzerRichard KeenFreddy LaFageShelley Latham & Kenton JakubNicole LawtonEllen & Ronald LegumBill Lehr, Bouzha Cookman & Alexander - In memory of Edwin Roy SchneiderAlida Lovell (FSG)Richard & Mindy MarshuetzKenneth & Cherie MasonClifford & Ann MathewsMaria Matthews & Michael ScottLinda & Jim MayCaren McCourtneyHolly MeadeJean Palmer MessexBrad & Melissa MeyerMarilyn MillerJennifer Mitchell & Berto NevinMarion & Tom Morris (FSG)Peg & Stanley Myers - In memory of Ed Schneider, Bon Vivant!Crocker & Liza NevinMarianne NewNew Surry TheaterDavid P. Dethier & Nancy A. NylenStephen & Sherry Pfi sterRebecca R. PooleMargaret E. RichardsonMr. & Mrs. Thomas F. RichardsonPenny Ricker

Ann, Paul, Polly, Julia & Gracie RittenbergMary Allison RylandsJean SalvalchakCynthia Stroud & Dr. Susan StroudE. V. SpelmanThomas & Yolanda SteinNoel & Betty StookeyNancy TarasCharles TrueheartCynthia & Walter VoigtAyelet Waldman & Michael ChabonDeborah Wiggs & Phil NorrisAugustus WilliamsonCynthia Winings

$100-199Anonymous (2)Andrew Abrams & Ann SterlingRick & Debra Alexander (FSG)Janet & David AndersonLanny & Bill AndersonMiriam & Peter AntichPamela Aubuchon-Fields & George FieldsMr. Chris BakerThe Bank of New York Mellon Community Partnership - Recommended by Glenn HillJim & Tanya Bannon (FSG)Bar Harbor Bank & TrustSandy & Robert Baroody (FSG)Jim Church & Aimiee BealWilliam Loomis & Leslie BeckerClifton Page & Lucy BenjaminStephen Benson, Ph.D.Lester & Jacqueline BernsteinEsther & Loren BerryVirginia Biddle (FSG)Mr. & Mrs. George BlagdenLynne & Farnham Blair - In memory of Ed SchneiderCarol & Peter BlybergMr. & Mrs. Thomas K. BoardmanCheryl & Richard Boulet (FSG)Lynn Boulger & Tim GarrityMr. & Mrs. John K. BrownSuzanne & Donald CarmichaelDr. & Mrs. Raymond ChaseMariner CheneyMarjory H. ChesneyDonald & Deborah ChristianEllen C. ClarkAllen & Julia ClaytonRobin & Beth ClementsThomas & Katherine ClementsHenrietta T. ClewsCoastal Eye CareDan & Kate CoitDonna & Nick ConstantinopleMerle & Bonnie CopperMoira CreaserNancy & Tom CroweJoan & Jim DarbyRonald de PaoloMr. & Mrs. Rudolph H. Deetjen Jr.Jennifer & Kurt DenlingerCharles & Maisie DethierTom Bjorkman & Roxanne DonaheyLucy Dougall - In memory of Ed SchneiderJames W. DowBlue Hill Heritage TrustJames DowdYvan & Donna DupuyRooster BrotherDeborah Jones & John EngelBetsey Peters-Epstein & Daniel EpsteinJohn & Jean EysenbachSusan & Tim FarrarMrs. Edgar C. FeltonJordan-FernaldRobert & Nina FlemingCharles & Kathy FloodMargery ForbesGeorge & Pat FowlerJohn & Annie Furrer - In memory of Cynthia Barber

Agnes & Richard GallagherMeta GoldinCarol GravesTerry & Sally GrayPamela Green & Gary LoftMs. Phyllis HamabeJune A. HardingDr. & Mrs. Gary HarmatzRebecca H. HarrickElizabeth W. HarriesJud & Gretchen HartmannCharles & Nancy Hatfi eldConstance & Lawrence HegartyWilliam & Jane HeizmannHewes & CompanyPriscilla Holmes & Robert HerzsteinBetsey Holtzmann & Abe NoyesMs. Sihaya HopkinsHoughton Miffl in Matching Gifts Program - Recommended by Deanne UrmyRich & Mary HoweVirginia Hudak-David & Mark DavidJames HugerMary Alice Hurvitt (FSG)Toini & Carl JaffeTerence JanericcoMolly & Mair JenningsAndrew & Nancy KandutschJeffrey & Shelley KehlWynn KelleyMs. Ruby KidwellJanet KingKaren KuhlSusan LeesRonald & Lisa LeskoJames LoveGlenn MacuraMr. Ariel S. Manacher - In honor of Hal ReiterMr. & Mrs. Mircea ManicatidePhillip & Sherry ManionJames & Joan MarkosFranklin & Debra MarstellerRobert & Janet Marville - In memory of Ed SchneiderHeather McCargoPatricia & Alexander McCurdyRoberta McNamaraMichael McVaughMs. Pat Whitney MesslerCarolyn Olds MikelsJohn MillerJonathan S. MillerPhil & Doris Miller (FSG)Susan & Barry MillsLorenzo MitchellNina & Bill DoakLarry MoffettDennis A. MoranLois & John MoyerDuncan & Elinor NeuhauserMerry & Tony Newton - In memory of Ed SchneiderAnthony P. NicholasMs. Molly Search O’RourkeMary & Ron PressmanBonnie Preston (FSG) Paula Preuthun - In memory of Betty PageRobert J. PublicoverVivian Pyle & Tony AnemoneJohn & Renee RichardsonClara L. RichardsonMary & Thomas RicksJohn & Rusty RobertsRichard Roelofs (FSG)Will & Maren RosboroughJeanne Rotunda & Michael WeinbergLoyda Rovere - In memory of Arturo G. ConstantinoColin Sarsfi eld (FSG)The Beaver-Schaub GroupMr. Gary T. Schiro & Mr. Robert E. BurnsMarcia & Mike SchoettleRenee & Martin SchultzMs. Margot Semler

“FSG” indicates that the donor is a member of Four Seasons Giving (see page 7)

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO MADE A 2010 F

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Curt & Barbara ShawStuart & Lesa ShawKaran SheldonMichael SinclairBob & Linda SlavenThe Soper Family (FSG)Amanda & Bill StantonRosemary & Claude StollerMary J. SullivanDorothea SulzerStephen TaberPaul & Pamela TalalayNorcross Teel, Jr.Mary Martha ThielSharon ThompsonLisa & Rex ThorsMrs. Charlotte TimbersMs. Jill TotenbergJennifer & Andrew TraubMr. & Mrs. Clinton TrowbridgeBarbara UhrVolker & Mary UlbrichTom & Deanne UrmySheila B. Varnum (FSG)Lynn VerheyKen & Anne Vogt - In memory of Ed SchneiderLansing WagnerRufus WanningPatrick & LaurieMr. & Mrs. Albert K. WebsterEllen Werner - In memory of Fern McTighe & Ed SchneiderNancy WerthMary Whiting & Rick Traub (FSG)Anthony WidmannNicholas WitteBen & Micca Wootten

Up to $99Anonymous (4)John & Getti AllenMary AllenRonald & Mary Allen - In memory of Diana HinckleySherwood & Kathleen AndersonMuriel T. AsbornsenM.E. Astbury & Son, Inc.Michael & Patricia Astbury - In memory of Edwin Roy SchneiderJeb Hallett & Linda AustinChristopher & Nancy BakerPatricia BannisterRainette S. BannonJo Barrett & Dennis KingAmy Barrett & Jonathan A. LethemMr. Wesley BartonBill & Pat BartonIngrid BatheEdward BeachMs. Siri BeckmanCarole L. BeechBeehive DevelomentMark & Martha BellAl & Deena BennerMichelle BergerNancy & Warren Berkowitz - In memory of Ed SchneiderRiva & Arnold BerleantPaul R. BernardCatherine & Scott SpringerRon & Genice BillingsHubert & Carol BillingsJane BirkJane Birk - In memory of Ed SchneiderMr. & Mrs. Michael E. BishopHolly BixbyRobert & Bundy BoitOsmond & Ann Bonsey (FSG)Nancy BosElena Bourakovsky & Bill RaitenAstrid BowlbyCarl BrillJohn C. BroeksmitPeter & Pamela BrownBruno Architecture

Jennifer & Tony BryantLawrence BugbeeKathie & Jack BurnettMarti BushnellCatherine Butcher & Benjamin PfohlMs. Dorothy CampbellJames & Dorothy CareyKenneth CarpenterGordon & Edna CarterTony & Karen ChapmanMarcia W. Chapman - In memory of Ed SchneiderMs. Shirley CheegerMrs. William Chisholm Jr.Ronald & Juliet CiminoJanet P. ClarkeCarolyn M. Coe - In memory of Ed SchneiderJessica Booth & Ethan CoitChuck CollisonBrenda & Paul ConnollySandy Cookman - In memory of Ed SchneiderJanet CooperSally & Lou CooperCamille Cooper & Kenneth RossnerMerle & Bonnie Copper - In memory of Ed SchneiderSteven CoxMarnie CrowellEllen & Bruce CummingsMr. & Mrs. Randall K. CurtisJames & Ruth CyphersBarbara Damrosch & Eliot ColemanElaine DanielsTess Daniels & James McCrackenCSM Edward L. Davis (Ret)Isabel W. DavisJoel & Ruth DavisNina Davis & Christopher DadianPeter de VriesDeborah DeBerrySuzanne & David DecrowRudolph H. Deetjen IIIFlorence deGozzaldiCharles & Maisie Dethier - In memory of Cynthia C. Barber - In memory of Ed Schneider - In memory of John DodgeNancy Dewey & Michael WoodKathryn & Andrew Dillon (FSG)James DinnanLeslie DiodatiAnnette Dixon & Philip DussaultJohn & Dorothy DodgeMr. John B. DodgeSally and Mary Doremus & Linda CampbellMargaret & Richard Dorr - In memory of Ed SchneiderAlton DownerThe Doyen FamilyFinvola Drury - In honor of George Finvola DruryPaula H. DunfeePage W. DwyerMrs. Ursula DyerEast Penobscot Bay AssociationRandy EckardPhyllis V. EckfeldtJohn & Eileen EdsonRich & Ute EichenbergEl El Frijoles, Mexican FoodBern ElliotSam & Linda EmersonJanan & John EppigJanet Baldwin Evans - In memory of Sally Ann Rives LightGail Falls - In honor of the Litwiller/Smallidge FamilyDave N. FaulkinghamJohn Ferriday & Gertrude Simmons-FerridayErnestine E. FishBarrett & Jean FlandersWilliam M. G. FletcherJohn FogartyFood for Maine’s FuturePaul & Alice FowlerBecky & Jaques GagneEvans & Ron Garber

Peter Diemond & Jeanne GaudetteErnie & Judy GelinasHendrik GideonseB. GiffordBrenda GilchristHelen T. GoodberletMary Cheney GouldMary Cheney Gould - In memory of Ed SchneiderJohn & Barbara GravesDarrell & Jeanette GrayMarjorie GrayLeda Beth Gray & David DrakeMatthew & Roberta GreanyFayal B. GreeneIrene A. GrenierElizabeth GrossSusan & Charles GuilfordEliza GuinessNancy GuyThe Haas Children (FSG)Myron & Gladys HagerMyron & Gladys Hager - In memory of Ed SchneiderCourtney Haight (FSG)Kendra HainesAnn & Brinley HallSteve & Maureen HarrisMrs. Marjorie T. HarrisonNicholas HarrisonMr. Stanley HarrisonDiane HarveyNancy HathawayCharles & Judith HauerDavid & Emily HawkinsPure PilatesKathleen HaywardSarah HeansslerMarilyn HeinemanHannah & Kris HendersonBill HendersonJean & Dud HendrickKeith HerklotzPaul HerouxEckley & Caroline HerrickJudyth S. HerrickMichael & Elaine HewesDavid & Eveyln HildrethDavid & Eveyln Hildreth - In memory of John DodgeDaphne & Thomas HinchcliffeNancy B. HodermarskyIrving Hodgkin - In memory of Ed SchneiderPamela H. HoldenDon & Lee HolmesPeter Horton & Patricia Sager-HortonLinda & Ted Hoskins - In memory of Ed SchneiderDilys HoytLori Huckel & Rob BauerAnn Humphrey & Aaron GlazerMark HurvittStacey HutchinsRichard & Lorraine HutchinsonRoss Greenlaw & Beth JacksonSean Schmeits & Amy JirsaJane & Fred JungbluthNed & Judith KeenanBetsy Strong KentLaura Anne KisburgErlynne Kitagawa & Bruce StahnkePeter KlebanGeorge & Cynthia KnappThe Rev. & Mrs. W. Christian KochScott & Maryanne KoesterM. & V. KolaKollegewidgwok Yacht ClubGary KoonsJames & Susan KosinskiW. LandonNancy & Edward LarrabeeBarbara LarsonNancy LeachLucy LedienLeighton GalleryJean & Paul LewisMelody Lewis-KaneHelena LipstadtDeborah Little & Richard Miller

Marjorie F. LobergLinda LongLoriman & Lisa LookeFrancis X. LynchCarolyn MacDonaldHydro-Photon, Inc.Maine Coast Veterinary HospitalElaine Maclean & Richard MazzurDon & Barbara MallowGinger Manna & Richard CramptonRichard & Ellen ManzoPhil & Linda Marean GlaserJay & Elsa MarshBarbara H. MartinDella Martin (FSG)Calvin & Martha MasseyMs. Suzanne Massie & Mr. Seymour PapertMarjorie MayRob & Becky McCallSarah, Mitch and Maisie McCarthy - In honor of Louise BouletDon & Jean Mckillop - In memory of Fern McTigheMoira McMahon & Jeff AllwinePaul McNultyDr. Margaret E. McVeyThe MillersSusan & David MillsW. Tabb & Rosie MooreWilliam & Carolyn MorBebe & Terry MoultonT. J. MuellerEileen & Bill MullikenMary E. MulquinRev. Roberta Nelson & Christopher NelsonSheila & Tom NicholsSusan O’ConnorEvelyn OffuttSteve, Carol & Kate OrlofskyCharlie & Kathleen OsbornPeter & Carol OsgoodPhilip & Lydia OsgoodLarry & Bobby PackwoodGail PageLen ParrottDaniel & Kimberly ParrottDave & Betty ParsonsSarah PebworthEugene & Laura PelleranoPeninsula ProvisionsThomas & Mary Ann Perkins - In memory of Ed SchneiderRebecca Peck PetersonBob & Carol PlohrVicki Pollard & Howard EvansGertrude O. Porter - In memory of Ed SchneiderBonnie Preston - In memory of Ed SchneiderDale & Karen PrinkeyMs. Janice Prior-CrofootReg & Janice PuckettElvie RamsdellThomas & Katrina RandallMelinda Reach & Jean-Paul LecomteCatherine ReesDon & Ginger ReimanDaniel & Deborah ReinkeRobert B. RettigMarilyn Byard ReuterLinnea RhodesLenette RichardsonSusan Ricker & William ZarakasRuth RobinsonNancy & Irving RockwoodJan RosatiMr. & Mrs. Zack Rosenfi eldDr. Martin S. RosenthalBarbara RossowPeter & Julie RothVirginia Royster & John ChapinBridget & Jim SaltonstallCarol Ann SawyerChristine Schutt & David KerseyArdene & Jim ScroggyKenneth & Miriam SenterSeven Sisters DowneastMr. & Mrs. Dorrance Sexton

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FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIBRARY

6

a license giving the user permission to view the work for a fi nite period. Since digital fi les are not tangible items, they don’t really wear out and thus publishers can plan only on limited revenue from future replacements. Therefore the publishing industry is still looking for a digital lending model that satisfi es these and other concerns. It also seems to me that they are looking for a more direct relationship with the reader, perhaps writing out libraries and book stores in the process.

As of right now, in order to deliver digital content to our patrons, libraries sign up with a vendor, who provides the platform (web site, authentication, etc.) from which patrons access content that we choose. The Blue Hill Library currently participates in a state-wide service, which suffers from its own popularity. At any given time two thirds of the titles are unavailable because they are checked out by other library patrons state-wide. There are also numerous headaches with device compatibility, which in my opinion is the absolute bane of digital content. While defi nite improvements have been made, and more are in store, the service has essentially not worked well with the two most popular devices: the Kindle for eBooks and the iPod for audio content.

So, with these challenges in mind we have been seriously investigating a digital content service of our own. I hope at a near-future date that we can somehow establish a more effective service that is device-friendly and has available content on a regular basis. During June, we made one important step towards making that happn with the library board establishing a fund, thanks to a bequest, to support an “opening day collection of digital eBook and audio content.”

At the moment, with some new options forthcoming, we are in a waiting game. We hope to have a great new or enhanced service up soon. Meanwhile, you will not see books disappearing from our shelves, and replaced by mere electronics anytime soon. While we are striving to keep up with the pace of change toward e-reading among our patrons, we are also committed to serving traditional formats as demand remains. SUSTAINABILITY WORK IN PROGRESS

You may already know that last fall the library converted to wood pellet heat, thanks to grant funding and a private foundation who made it possible. The project yielded immediate benefi t both in terms of environmental considerations as well as on our operating expenses, saving 40% of heating costs.

We saw that project as just the fi rst step in the “greening up” of the library. To continue working towards those goals we have established a sustainability committee comprised of volunteers, staff and board members. The committee has been working through the winter at prioritizing ways that the library can improve its environmental footprint, reducing energy use and saving money.

To da t e we have prioritized the use of cleaning products that are green seal certified (green seal develops “life cycle-based sustainability standards for products, services and companies and offer third-par ty

Barbara SeymourBlack Dinah ChocolatiersFrederick & Constance ShairJudith ShapiroAnita & Barrie ShawMs. Susan Hand ShetterlyJanet SimpsonPeter & Martha SmithPeter T. & Donny SmithLouise T. Snow - In memory of Diana HinckleyMary S. SpoonerPat & Brennan StarkeyW. Paul Starkey Foundation - In memory of Paul & Betty StarkeyPowerwiseLael & Ron StegallRobert & Kristina Stephens - In memory of Ed SchneiderRobert & Kristina StephensPeggi R. StevensCarol StevensonDawn & Gordon StewartMarilyn M. StewartNancy S. StrueverMary Ann Strugar & Paul GroellRobert & Corinne SucsySarah Talalay & James CohenMr. & Mrs. Y. TamakiKenneth TaplinDavid TaylorPhyllis & Will Taylor (FSG)Raphael & Joan ThelwellStephen & Lisa TheoharidisJudith & Lowell ThomasBob & Maureen TobinMark & Collene TorresMr. Roman TotenbergPaul A. TownsendM. Marklyn TrainorBecky Turner & Sylvia TapleyWinston & Deborah TurnerJohanna TurnquistCiona UlbrichJohn & Barbara Vanderkay - In memory of John DodgeMarianne & David VandiverBruce Vermeulen & Cheryl PelletierLouise VialleMs. Mary R. WadleighCarolyn & Parker WaiteMrs. Anne M. WalkerRobert S. WalkerRebecca Bowden Wanbaugh, Ph.D.Richard WandsSam & Connie WatsonThe Whitcombe FamilyJane Whitney & J. Richard HeroAlec & Gail WigginJohn & Alice WilkinsonEnid V. WilliamsMarguerite Williams & William FriedeSally WilsonBarbara & Robert WoodhouseGeoffrey & Margaret WoodhouseThe Reverend Dr. Deborah Little WymanCarolyn A. YoderDean & Jean YoungGeorge & Leonora ZieglerJ. F. Zimmerman

2010 donors cont’d:

Thermal imagery taken during the recent energy audit shows heat escaping from the building.

SIGN UP FOR OUR E-NEWSLETTERS!The Blue Hill Library offers a free weekly e-mail newsletter to keep you informed about library events. You can sign up at our homepage at www.bhpl.net.

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Another way to Support the Library

You can now spread out your annual contribution to the Blue Hill Library with Four Seasons Giving. This secure monthly credit card contribution will be charged to your account. You set the amount, and we will take care of the rest. To learn more or to arrange a Four Seasons Gift, please call Susan Farrar, Business Manager, at 374-5515.

Endowment Gifts Leaving a legacy to a highly

regarded institution is a time-honored way of helping to ensure that the organization, so kindly remembered, will be able to continue its important work for generations to come. Please consider leaving a legacy to the library through planned giving, bequests, or outright gifts. Your generosity will make a difference to future generations; your support of an important cultural institution in Blue Hill will be remembered and will set a standard for others to follow.

Blue Hill Public Library

5 Parker Point Rd Blue Hill, Maine 04614

(207) 374-5515 www.bhpl.net

certifi cation for those that meet the criteria in the standard.”)We are also developing product purchasing standards that reduce the impact of our

consumption.Most recently we contracted with a local builder to conduct a comprehensive energy

audit of the building. Not surprisingly, our renovated 1939 building showed signifi cant room for improvement with regard to the heat envelope. A conservative estimate showed that with a specifi c set of structural improvements, we could save in the neighborhood of 44% off our annual heating costs. While the library doesn’t have the funds to undertake that work, the dramatic results convinced the board to commit local matching funding towards some grant opportunities we are working on. As of this writing do not yet know the results of those efforts, but wish us luck!

FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT Young Sam Page and I were rushing stacks of cardboard soda trays to the entry

as the eager crowd assembled. Volunteering at the plant sale for the fi rst time, I was calmed by Sam’s confi dent instruction and the fantastic group of volunteers that Lynn Cheney and Sam’s father, Clifton, had organized for the event.

The trays and plastic sleds were to help folks schlep all of their purchases and boy, did they make purchases! It was a great gathering of the community on a fi rst day of the year that really felt like Spring. Cashiers Marjorie Yesley and Michael Donahue repeatedly urged me back to work while I enjoyed visiting with all of the wonderful volunteers and customers who emerged after a long winter.

It was a terrifi c day for our entire Peninsula community. Surry’s Tom Engel developed a following of day lily enthusiasts while Steve Collier sold bulbs. Ken Senter of Sedgwick denied expertise, telling a customer that he was simply the “transportation department” as he relocated plants with a sled.

Sarah Groves’ delightful piece reveals how she grew to appreciate the library as a community space once she abandoned her practice of stuffi ng her brother Adam into the library cabinets. A terrifi c legacy of the teen nights that she remembers, the young adult section is still packed every afternoon. Maybe some are studying, others are reading or using the computers, but they are all certainly visiting – sharing the space, the moment,

the community.The OECD

has created an i n t e r n a t i o n a l Better Life Index that lets people visualize and compare some of the key factors that contribute to well-being in OECD countries. Community is one of their eleven key factors. They say:

A strong social network, or Library supporters await the opening of the plant sale.

-TOM MORRIS

8

community, can provide emotional support during both good and bad times as well as access to jobs, services and other material opportunities.

Believe it or not, Iceland scores highest in strength of community while the US scored in the 44th percentile. I am sure, though, that our community would be number one if it was a country. Obviously, the correlation between a frigidly cold, windswept nation and our Blue Hill Peninsula is a shared fondness for hákarl (ask Brook at the reference desk).

The library is many things to many different people. It is a place to share ideas in a group, in a smaller discussion and through individual exploration of literature and scholarship. It facilitates, encourages and celebrates the act of being a community.

And, as the plant sale and Sarah’s article show, being a community is great fun, too!

PUTTING THE FUN BACK INTO FUNDRAISERSPLANT SALE: A FUN TIME AND A SUCCESS

Customers were lined up well before 8:00AM for the start of the Blue Hill Public Library plant sale on May 28th. For the third, and most successful, year of this library fund-raising effort, Peninsula residents donated over 1,000 perennial plants and hundreds of vegetable/herb seedlings. A beautiful Northern Spy apple tree from Five-Star Nurseries was the raffle prize. The sale featured an “Ask a Master Gardener” table to answer gardening questions. Also, Tom Engel from Surry brought a selection of rare daylilies that were sold at deep discounts to happy buyers.

Missed the plant sale? You can still support the library by buying bulbs from https://www.dutchbulbs.com/fg/bluehillpublic. Half the proceeds will be donated to the library.PAINT THE PENINSULA

Not to be missed this summer will be the library’s Paint the Peninsula Fresh Paint Auction on Saturday, July 16. Here’s how it works: During the morning, local artists will be busy all over the Peninsula creating plein air works at some of their favorite locations. The results

wi l l be on display at a reception to be held that very evening from 4:30-7:00 in the main reading room, where they will be silently auctioned to benefit the library. Participating artists have agreed to donate at least 50% of their sales to the library.

We ’v e h a d a n enthus ias t ic response f ro m t h e a r t i s t s we contacted, with over 50

having confirmed their intention to participate

as of this writing. Kudos to artist and library staffer Margret Baldwin for helping with her connections to the art community.

Mark your calendar now!BOOKS SALES: A WEEKLY OCCURRENCE DURING SUMMER

The Friends of the Library sponsor a monthly book sale throughout the year in the library’s basement “Book Nook.” This year the Friends have once again graciously agreed to increase the sale frequency to weekly for July and August. Therefore, every Saturday from 10:00-2;00, you can stop by the library for some great used books. In doing so you will be supporting the Friends and all of their fine work on behalf of the library.AUGUST EXHIBIT: “HOME AND AWAY”

August 5th to September 2nd. A collection of historic and local artists will show their work in our annual August art fundraiser. Each year this show contributes significant support to the library. Please join us on the second floor for the opening on August 5th, 4:30 to 6:30.WINE TASTING

Come celebrate autumn by joining wine lovers and library supporters in sampling a variety of artfully selected wines at the Blue Hill Public Library from 4:00-6:00pm on Sunday, September 18. Max Treitler, proprietor of the The Blue Hill Wine Shop, has hunted down his usual range of unusual oddities and revamped classics to share, including exciting varietals from both sides of the Spanish-French border, those from regions around the Adriatic and from the environs of Vienna. Light Mediterranean fare will be served, as well as non-alcoholic beverages, and live music will accompany the event. Max has also donated a case of selected bottles to be raffled during the evening, and will allow guests the opportunity to order sampled wines at a discount.

Summer on Morgan Bay by Margret Baldwin, one of the artists participating in Paint the Peninsula.