Greetings from the Jesup! After almost two months here, I’m so excited about the present and future of this library. Getting to know the people who use, support, and work at the library confirms what I learned during the interview process: the Jesup is a special place that is fiercely loved by the Bar Harbor and greater MDI communities. What a dream job I have!

Speaking of dreams, the new wing of the building is nearing completion. The space is beautiful: the colors reflect the natural beauty of the island, the views of Cadillac and Dorr Mountains are spectacular, and the exposed cross-laminated timber showcases Maine’s eastern hemlock. The new central stairwell is stunning, the new bathrooms are gleaming, and the elevator is almost ready for operation.

The Jesup team can’t wait to welcome you into the expansion later this spring! Before that happens, we have a lot of work to do to make it function as a library. The new furniture needs to be delivered and installed. We need to move the entire children’s and teen collections into their new homes. We need to relocate the rare books and archives to their new climate-controlled room. And we need to do much, much more. We’re working with local partners and long-time Jesup friends to present two wonderful inaugural art exhibits, and we have some fantastic programming on tap that will tangibly demonstrate how usable and transformative this new space is. 

Beginning March 17, a new link will appear on the “My Library Account” login page. Click “Create/Reset PIN” and follow the prompts. You will need an email address to set up your PIN online. You may also set up a PIN in-person at our circulation desk. PINs will not be required in MaineCat, for CloudLibrary, or for databases at this time.

The Jesup's 56th Annual Booksale will be held on August 15th. We are already planning to be in the new library spaces, and to be able to have the sale last for more than the one day. We are accepting donations now. They can be taken to our sorting site on Tuesdays from 4pm to 5:30pm or Saturdays from 1pm to 3pm. We'd appreciate a heads up that you will be coming (call or text Ruth at 207-610-2355 for directions) to make sure a volunteer is there.

If you would like to help with our sale this year, please let us know.  We will need people to help with the setup before Saturday, and with selling into the next week. We appreciate the extraordinary support that our community has provided us over the decades. Books will find new loving homes, and we will all have a lot of fun and satisfaction in making this happen.