From Our Director

Dear Jesup community,

With our elevator now approved, we’re nearly ready to start moving into the new addition. The town’s open inspection will take place early next week, and we look forward to welcoming you for our “soft opening” after that. Thank you to the Bar Harbor Garden Club for refilling the planters in front of our Mount Desert entrance with beautiful flowers for the season.

Pedestrians along School Street will notice that our new parking lot is paved! We’re excited to be able to offer two handicap-accessible spots, one fifteen-minute spot, and seven regular spots, as well as two spots reserved for staff. The lot will be available for library parking from 10am - 9pm all days of the week, with a two-hour time limit. 

Tomorrow, the library will be closed for professional development as our staff participates in an Equity Foundations training facilitated by the YWCA of Greater Maine. On Sunday, a mighty crew of volunteers will start to help move books into the new Youth Room. When we open our doors, it will begin a new era for the library, and we’re eager for you to help us test-drive our new space.

We look forward to joining Island Readers & Writers on Wednesday for two events with Mac Barnett, the Library of Congress’s National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. And on Saturday, the AIGA Poster Show will open in our new gallery space. Lots of excitement abounds.

Read on!

Megan

June’s Featured Artist: Laura Markey

Laura Markey is a mixed media artist. After moving to Maine over six years ago, she has focused her art on the beautiful landscapes of this area. Her artwork includes whimsy, 3D elements, geometric shapes and bold graphic lines. Inspired by the psychedelic art from the 60s, as well as comic books, her pieces show you the geometry and whimsical elements of what would otherwise be an ordinary scene of nature. Laura assists you in seeing beyond what it is directly in front of you. You may have seen Laura’s work displayed previously at the Blue Hill library, Northeast Harbor Library or featured in the Ellsworth American.

Laura will host an artist’s reception in the Periodicals Room on Saturday, June 6th at 2:00pm.

Booksale looking for more donations 

We are working on the layout for the 56th annual Jesup Booksale, which will begin on Saturday, August 15th. We have the beginnings of a terrific sale but look forward to many more donations from our community. You can bring items to our sorting location on Tuesdays from 4 to 5:30pm, Saturdays from 1 to 3pm, or by appointment. (Please don’t just leave your donations in front of the building.  It is a shared space, and we don’t want to get in the way of the other tenants.) We will accept donations through August 5th, so check your shelves, storage units, and under your beds.   

If you are on our list from working in a previous year you will get an email in a couple of weeks to begin scheduling when you can help.  We will need muscle-and-will for some tasks (moving boxes) and connecting-books-and-people-love for helping with the setting up and sales.  If you haven’t helped before but would like to join the fun, let us know. 

We have received a number of donations that we think would actually sell optimally online. If you might be interested in joining the small crew that works on this, please let Ruth know. We’re looking for a few people to evaluate the selected titles and help list them on our sales websites. Experience in either the book trade or online sales would be really helpful but isn’t necessary.  The work can be done from your home after we get you set up.   

This long-standing community event to support our library is eagerly anticipated by many, both locals and visitors. One couple stopped Ruth at the sale last year to confirm the date for this year so they could reserve their hotel space right then! For all Booksale-related questions, contact Ruth Eveland: reveland@jesuplibrary.org, or text or call 207-610-2355. 

Due to popular demand, Mr. Drew will offer the same presentation at 10:30am and 2:00pm.