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Monhegan Memorial Library is a beautiful space, old-fashioned and cozy, with many curtained windows, a gas furnace, and card catalogue still in use.

During the busy tourist months, this island library opens six days a week.

Visitors to the building never fail to exclaim, “How lovely; this is what a library should be!”

Monhegan Memorial Library

As Monhegan is an island of serious readers, Monhegan Memorial Library has a first rate collection.

Born of Tragedy

In August of 1926, the tragic drowning of both a young girl and teenage boy who attempted to rescue her, both summer residents, became the impetus for the present Monhegan Memorial Library. Some three months after this sad occasion, twenty-one people sponsored a letter sent to many summer visitors requesting a donation of books or money with which to establish a children’s library. Packages began arriving, and local resident Ernest Brackett offered the parlor of his home to accommodate the first collection. Soon the little library outgrew its quarters and, in l928, Frank Pierce, fisherman and hotel owner, donated a small plot of land for the construction of a building, completed in l930. The library was named Jackie and Edward’s Library, for the two children, and remained so until 1956 when the name changed to Monhegan Memorial Library. Today, however, each bookplate, attached to each volume, bears the name Jackie and Edward’s Library. In l946, Dr. and Mrs. John Cabot presented to the library three albums of photographs, postcards, newspaper clippings and other memorabilia of Monhegan. These were copied and preserved for posterity. The three original albums expanded to nine over-sized volumes, popular browsing material for visitors and islanders.

Our Library Today

In l977, a bequest enabled another wing to be added to the building, enlarging the reading area and providing needed bookshelves and a stack room, making the current library three times its original size. It’s a beautiful space, old-fashioned and cozy, with many curtained windows and a gas furnace, card catalogue still in use, and sign-out cards. Though we have two computers for general use, we still run things the traditional way.

Today the building houses some 8100 volumes selected by a book committee. As Monhegan is an island of serious readers, ours is a first rate collection. For many years, solely volunteers managed the library, but today we have a paid year-round librarian and an additional summer librarian. During the busy tourist months, the library opens six days a week. Though open “officially” only two days a week in winter, to ease Monhegan’s isolation, the library operates on an honor system, allowing its some 65 residents to peruse the shelves at any time and check out their own books.

As a private library, administered by a Board, the operating budget is made up from memberships and donations, and, over the years, events such as costume balls, the creation and sale of cookbooks, T-shirts, artist-designed bookmarks, art auctions, and a formal Tea By the Sea, held in summer. A yearly letter goes out to all members, containing pertinent information, bits of island news, and membership renewal cards. This year, memberships approached 400. We have book discussion groups and a children’s reading hour, availability of interlibrary loan services, and a facility open for community gatherings. Visitors to the building never fail to exclaim, “How lovely; this is what a library should be!”