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Home > For Libraries > Districts > Excellence > Maine Library Excellence Award 2008

Maine Library Excellence Award 2008

The Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library (Presque Isle) and the Waterville Public Library have been selected as the winners of the 2008 "Maine Library Excellence Award". A panel of judges from Massachusetts and New Hampshire choose these applicants based on three factors: 1) demonstrated benefit to its community; 2) creativity and innovation; and 3) leadership in creating programs that can serve as models for other libraries.

Winners of Excellence 2008

Winners of Maine Library Excellence 2008; Sonja Plummer-Morgan (left) for Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library and Kathleen Kenny, Children's Librarian (right) for Waterville Public Library

The Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle won the award in the 10,000 and under population category for its "Passport Services Program". Before the library program was initiated, many residents had to take time off from work or take children out of school in order to apply for a passport since passports could only be obtained at the local post office which had limited hours. The library offers services during the day and evening, with Saturday and Sunday hours, making it possible for people to apply at their convenience. This is particularly important to residents of northern Maine in light of upcoming changes to border crossing requirements which will make passports or passport cards mandatory effective June 1, 2009. Community feedback has been very positive, plus the library has earned over $1500 in the process!

The Waterville Public Library with its "BookBike Program: Riding for Reading All Summer Long" won the Maine Library Excellence Award in the 10,000 and over population category. Through this program, the library sends a staff member on a bike with attached book cart one day a week through the summer to the town�€™s largest park. BookBike visits were scheduled to correspond to the busiest day and time at the park, when several Parks & Recreation programs were using the facilities, when the municipal pool closed for lunch, and during food distribution under the summer free and reduced lunch program. Children had the opportunity to select and checkout books to take home with them until the BookBike returns the following week. According to library director, Sarah Sugden, "the Waterville Public Library has always been committed to summer reading. Research has shown that reading over the summer months is critical to avoid 'summer slide,' the loss of reading skills for elementary students during the summer." Sarah and her staff see the library as a community leader in promoting reading skills after the school year ends. If children couldn�€™t get to the library, the library would go to them. According to Sugden, the BookBike has been an ideal solution for the Waterville community.

Each winning library receives a specially-designed plaque, an Excellence Award banner, and a $500 cash award. The Maine Library Excellence Awards are sponsored by the Maine Regional Library System, the Maine State Library, the Maine Library Association, the Maine Library Trustee Association, and the Friends of Maine Libraries.