It is April! With the return of daylight and warmer temperatures, the library is preparing for spring events. We are installing new story walks at Little Ponds Preserve and Anna M. Tondreau Preserve, along with Cliff Trail. By developing relationships with the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust and the Harpswell Recreation and Community Services Department, Cundy’s Harbor Library can reach readers with this flexible and fun program.
Our story walks were developed to align with the spaces along the trails. We have presented “Sheep on a Ship” and “The Wildlife Tree,” as well as information about bird adaptations. We have used the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s BirdSleuth materials to answer such questions as “Does the color of your feeder matter?” As a matter of fact, it does! As the ground thaws, we will once more pound our stakes along the trails with our partners here in Harpswell. If you are interested in more books or activities, look for a QR code on the story walk to direct you to those resources.
This month we received a letter from the Maine State Library reporting that Cundy’s Harbor Library completed more than 100 interlibrary loans in 2023, “which demonstrates your commitment to that service on behalf of your patrons and community.” Based on the State Library’s requirements, Cundy’s Harbor Library now qualifies to receive one day per week of van delivery of interlibrary loans for the 2025-26 fiscal year, from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. This service will be paid for by the State Library.
Wow! What a wonderful letter for us to receive! For years, our past board president has championed this service, and with recent changes in the delivery contractor and the state director’s campaign for smaller, local libraries, Linda Prybylo’s goal has been accomplished.
On the book front, we have new titles arriving. In addition to bestsellers and book club recommendations, we are investing in more nonfiction books. This investment was spurred on by a donation from Scott Merryman. The buyer of the former Harpswell Coastal Academy donated books from its library, including Time-Life series and volumes about everything from electricity to oceanography. The library has reached out to nonfiction readers for feedback as we gather more for our shelves. We now have the complete Time-Life collection for gardening, from bushes to containers.
Some of our most popular books include “The Queens of Crime,” by Marie Benedict; “The Titanic Survivors Book Club,” by Timothy Schaffert; the Neapolitan series, by Elena Ferrante; and the latest from JoJo Moyes, “We All Live Here.” Our shelves include our past book club selections, as well as staff and board picks.
In addition to books, we are starting to offer periodicals such as Marine Technology and Time. Yankee and The Atlantic are donated, along with Better Homes and Gardens. Come sit and watch the harbor while you enjoy articles and recipes.
Finally, this month, David Perrier and I have been revisiting all the maps, articles and personal journals that relate to our community. In our archives we found an article titled “Maine coast town says no to planning,” by Gloria Hutchinson, dated 1970. That was the year when Harpswell began looking at ordinances and how they would impact current landowners and their heirs. Does this sound familiar? I invite you to come and read this article, which includes familiar names such as Leeman, Burbank, Frost and others. The article provides historical context for our current town concerns. This is what a community library provides: knowledge and sources. The maps we have include 1909 transportation schedules for summer residents, along with written accounts from family descendants documenting such things as who got the “High Boy.”
Between Patriot’s Day, Easter and deadlines for taxes, I wish for all that April comes in like a lamb. (Patten and Curtis libraries provide assistance with taxes, so make an appointment!) As for us, we will be here to provide books, periodicals, a gathering place for readers, and, of course, a backyard with a big view, complete with Wi-Fi and picnic tables.
“Library Connections” is a monthly column that rotates among the three libraries that serve Harpswell: Cundy’s Harbor, Orr’s Island, and Curtis Memorial.
