Maine Last Copy Center

Located on the former campus of the Bangor Theological Center, the Moulton Library building was purchased in 2009 by the Bangor Public Library to use as a Last Copy Center for all types of libraries in Maine.

The Last Copy Center concept: a "Last Copy Center" is a shared offsite storage facility designed to free valuable space in libraries across the state so libraries can have newer or more frequently-accessed materials on their shelves.

Example Use Case: instead of every public library in the state keeping shelf copies of the works of a given author with lasting importance but diminished demand (e.g. Agatha Christie novels, John MacDonald's Travis McGee novels, the earlier works of Danielle Steel, etc.) there would be one copy (the LAST COPY) available at the Center for any library in the state to borrow for their patrons' use. Libraries across the state could then weed these titles from their collections, freeing valuable space.

A number of questions remain, and are currently being explored:

Is there interest and demand for such a service and facility in the state?
What libraries would be interested in participating?
What models for sustainability are there? (membership dues, fee structures, usage fees, etc.)
What kind of material should be collected in the Last Copy Center

For the Public

For Librarians

Maine Last Copy Center