Jesup Library Looks for Feedback as Expansion Takes Shape
BAR HARBOR—The Jesup Memorial Library wants to hear what you think.
“The Jesup Memorial Library wants to hear from you! Please share your ideas for the future of your community library by taking our anonymous survey,” said Maya McDonald, program coordinator and A/V technician at the library. “Whether you are a long-time regular, an occasional user, or someone who has not yet stepped foot into the library, we want your input."
The reason for that, she and Director Matt DeLaney said is because the library is about the community and the people who make up that community. To serve the community the best way it can, it needs input.
“At its core, and throughout its 100+ year existence, the Jesup has helped to create a sense of belonging among this island, its residents, and its visitors, while connecting people, inspiring new ideas, and building social capital,” DeLaney said.
For board members like Victoria Conner, the survey is a really good opportunity to make sure the library knows about all the parts of the community.
“Receiving feedback from a wide populous of the community is super important because we don’t know what we don’t know. Serving and understanding the needs of those who already use the library is very important, but it’s critical for us to tap into those who are not using the library at all (or very little), and to understand why. Are they aware of the resources available to them?” Conner said.
Conner used the example that a library patron has free access to all the New York Times offers, including games, news, and cooking. She also said that there’s an extensive e-book catalog available through the library’s online resources and it’s free to join.
“There’s so much potential with the building expansion,” Conner said. “We want to craft services and experiences that will reach, attract, and benefit all members of our community, and bring awareness to what the future of the Jesup can be, collectively. It’s very exciting!”
One of the exciting things that the whole community can witness is the building’s new addition that’s currently under construction. The Jesup's multi-million dollar expansion will open to the public in late 2025 and is a result of a $12.5 million capital campaign.
“This project is the collective work of well over hundreds of community members working for over a decade, and the result of years of conversations, focus groups, surveys, and many design iterations,” DeLaney said.
Since 1911 the library has served generations of people on Mount Desert Island. The expansion modernizes its spaces and preserves the original building.
According the American Libraries Association’s data brief, “The average public library building is more than 40 years old, including hundreds of buildings that are more than 100 years old. Over time, these buildings must be renovated, expanded, or replaced to serve growing populations, meet new community needs, and protect the safety and health of library users and workers.”
The Jesup is one of those libraries that have been serving adults and kids, building minds and friendships and curiosity and empathy for over 100 years in the same location. It, like libraries all over the country, changes lives.
“I grew up in a small town in central Maine and remember getting my first library card. I thought it was so cool and powerful. I’ve seen how community libraries bring people together in very simple ways—for people new to an area, especially,” Conner said. “When I was a nanny after college, in an unfamiliar town, the first thing I did was research the library, its services and attended regularly with the children. This introduced me to other people quickly while providing a venue for growth, connection and socializing—for me and my charges. Above all, libraries are safe, accepting and welcoming to all. This is incredibly important for individuals to have a place to go where they can share their ideas safely, build trust and confidence, and be inspired along the way.”
The American Libraries Association says that there are about 17,000 libraries in the country. “Americans visit these public libraries more than 1.3 billion times per year,” it says.
The Jesup’s expansion uses cross-laminated timber (“CLT”), which is, according to the library’s website, “a green building product made of sustainably harvested soft wood that it is nailed, glued or doweled together to make sheets similar to plywood. This new building material will save 37% on the carbon footprint of the building. Even better, it represents a new market for Maine softwood timber, such as hemlock.”
It’s the first project in the state to use local CLT.
“If you walk by today, you can start to see the new space taking shape; you can look from the current children's room's south window out across what will be the commons and the youth wing,” he said. “As we prepare to open our doors next year, we are thinking about this expansion in the broader context of a changing Bar Harbor and a changing world. Of course, we will be rallying around the successful completion of our construction project, and we also want to use this time and project as an opportunity to ignite more conversations about what’s next for our community.”
TO GIVE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE LOCAL LIBRARY, YOU CAN GO HERE:
https://www.jesuplibrary.org/2024-survey
To learn more about the expansion, click here.
To learn more about its services, click here.
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Thank you so much for this story... we at the Jesup really do want to hear from our community as we share the excitement of our addition taking shape!