“It likes me, what should I do?”
“I think you should kill it.”
Andrew Carnegie probably never envisioned such a conversation taking place in the libraries he helped found. But the exchange, rather than being a reason to call the police, is just a part of life at the modern library. Two clean-cut boys sit side-by-side at computers at the new Northeast Harbor Library on Mount Desert Island, playing an online Hobbit-esque adventure game. Their decision to shed blood turns out to be a bad one, because in a moment one of them quietly says, “Where did all those spiders come from?” At the nearby circulation desk, a library patron asks for Barack Obama’s first book. The librarian says it’s out, but she has it on her iPod if he wants to borrow it. In an adjacent reading room, another patron drowsily reads a stack of magazines, undisturbed by the technological revolution. The new library building opened its doors in December with a gala held in a foyer specifically designed for community gatherings. Operations director Anna Carr says the library was built to hold concerts, events, and meetings. It’s hoped the library will anchor the far-flung village neighborhoods of the town of Mount Desert.
“We’re becoming more of what we hope to be is a commons,” Carr says.
Mount Desert Elementary School principal Scott McFarland, who gave a speech at that gala, can’t say enough about the new library’s expanded services for his school. The old library building was built across from the school in 1951, and the new library was built in the same location. Thanks to its proximity, the library actually serves as the school’s library, with weekly services for the younger children and a more flexible schedule for the upper grades. It’s not uncommon to see a fifth-grader popping into the library during school hours.
“The older children come and go as they need,” McFarland says.
McFarland liked the old library, but he says it was growing too small, despite multiple additions.
“It was definitely more cramped,” McFarland says.
The new children’s room, spacious, colorful, and bright, is perhaps the most beautiful part of the library. It was designed with whimsical touches to make pint-sized patrons feel at home, including small rocking chairs, beanbags, and creative toys. It’s a meld of modern and old-fashioned, with wide-screen computers humming unobtrusively in the corner and a collection of brightly colored chairs inviting toddlers and stuffed animals to tea. The bright chairs came from the old library and are decades old, but were restored with fresh coats of vivid paint.
The new library design needed to mix elements from the old library building, says John Ackerman, one of the project’s architects. Members of the community were emotionally invested in the old building and many had misgivings about tearing it down, despite the fact that a stream sometimes ran through the basement. To win the community over, the architects went through multiple design drafts. Ackerman says it was especially tricky to find homes for each piece of the library’s extensive artwork collection.
“I told them there would be a perfect place for everything,” Ackerman says.
The new design also incorporates furniture, cabinets, and boards from the old library. Architects elected for a cedar shingle exterior so the library will blend with the rest of the neighborhood, as well. Ackerman says the architects were inspired throughout the project by the passion of the library board of directors and volunteers.
“These people we worked with were so dedicated,” he says.
At the same time, starting from scratch with a new design will help the library serve the modern needs of its patrons. Carr says book circulation is down throughout the country, but DVDs and audio book circulation is booming. The audio-visual section of the library was expanded to reflect this new reality. Also, the main computer area was enlarged and set apart from the book collection, so readers and would-be computer adventurers won’t necessarily have to rub elbows. The new library also provides more space for meetings, administration offices, and librarian work desks. And perhaps learning from past mistakes, the designers built in room for expansion.
At the same time, there are still plenty of cozy nooks and crannies where one can sit down with a good book. And specially designed lighting illuminates the volumes so bibliophiles don’t have to strain their eyes to see what’s on the bottom shelf. Both the lighting and the new radiant-floor heating are energy efficient, which has helped keep the library’s energy bills in check despite the sharp spike in oil prices.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about the new library is that it was constructed almost entirely with private funds. While the town of Mount Desert pays some 10% of the library’s upkeep costs and the school contributes an additional $24,000, the rest comes from donations.
“We depend on appeals,” Carr says.
The new library construction was mainly funded by large contributions from a handful of donors. Apparently, there are a few good souls out there who still know the value of a good read, and a place to unsheathe one’s virtual sword.
