As we kick off 2025, we’re excited to share some exciting programs coming up at the library. Whether you’re looking to learn a new skill, explore the outdoors, or simply connect with neighbors, there’s plenty to look forward to this winter.

Adult Programs

Coffee & Chat for Seniors | Every 1st and 3rd Monday at 10am, starting February 3rd: Seniors, enjoy free coffee, tea, and snacks while catching up with friends and neighbors! Each get-together will include easygoing conversations and a chance to hear about interesting topics from a special guest. 

Red Cross Home Safety | January 30th at 2pm: In this workshop with the Red Cross, you’ll learn about simple steps you can take now to help prepare and protect yourself, your loved ones, and your home against fires and natural disasters. You’ll also be able to sign up for free in-home smoke alarm installations and to create a fire escape plan! Want to join on Zoom? Email Nicole Brennan at programs@millinocketlib.org for the link.

Nature Book Club | Next meeting February 15th, 9am: Join Maine Master Naturalist Cassandra Knudsen one Saturday a month between January and October for an hour-long guided discussion on a hand-picked book about the natural world, followed by an hour-long guided hike to get real world experience with the topics you’ve read about! Want to join? Email Cassandra at cassandra.knudsen@hotmail.com. 

Beginner Snowshoe Outings | January 18th at 9am & February 12th at 5:30pm, meeting at the Katahdin Gear Library: Join us for an easy snowshoe outing on Jerry Pond! Snowshoes and hot cocoa will be provided. Our snowshoes fit most adults, and our youth snowshoes are suitable for kids 10 and up. Youth under 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. What to bring: warm layers, gloves, water bottle. The February outing will be at night, so bring a headlamp. 

Youth & Teen Programs

Nature Play Group | January 17th, February 28th, and March 21st at 3pm: Ages 5 and under are invited to join a Maine Master Naturalist for an exciting series exploring the wonders of the natural world! Each session includes a themed story and fun activities. Resources will also be available to help families enjoy the outdoors in all weather. Big siblings are welcome, too. Themes: January 17th: Winter Twigs, February 28: Snow Tracks, March 21: Birds. 

Teen Crafter Collab | Every Tuesday from 3:30-4:45pm: At our weekly Teen Crafter Collab, teens can try out new crafts, make cool creations, and hang out with friends in the library’s Teen Lounge. Supplies are provided—just bring your creativity!

February Kids Vacation Camp | February 17th-20th: This camp is a great way for kids grades 2-5 to spend time learning new skills and having fun outdoors. This year’s camp will focus on nature art, woods and waters, wildlife, and more. Registration will open in early February– stay tuned! 

You can find information about all of our upcoming programs by following us on Facebook or Instagram, viewing our online events calendar, and in the Community Calendar section of the Katahdin Region News. If you have any questions about these programs or have program ideas to share, please be in touch with us at info@millinocketlib.org or 207-723-7020. 

Mark Rosario and his wife, Tiffany, moved to Millinocket from New Jersey in 2018 in search of a simpler life. But it wasn’t until 2021 that Mark found his way to the library. It was shortly after the birth of his son, Eli, and Mark was finding himself increasingly isolated as a stay-at-home dad.

Stories like Mark and Eli’s highlight the vital role the library plays in fostering connection at every stage of life. As a community hub, we strive to create a space where people can connect not only to books, information, and learning opportunities, but also to each other. This means providing a safe space for teens to hang out after school, hosting community conversations on important local issues, helping seniors set up an email account to share photos of their grandkids, supporting job seekers in preparing a resume, offering place-based learning opportunities for youth, or connecting readers with a new favorite author. Though they may seem small, these moments help build a community where everyone can find support and connection. This is at the heart of our work.

The library is funded through a combination of grants, fundraisers, our contract with the Town of Millinocket, and donations from people like you. In 2024, we aim to raise $30,000 by the end of the year to support our continued efforts to build a stronger, more vibrant, and more connected community for everyone. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift of *|Donation range|* to support your library. This year, a percentage of contributions will support our Katahdin Gear Library program. To donate, you can:

1.    Send us a check payable to “Millinocket Memorial Library” to 5 Maine Ave, Millinocket, ME 04462.

2.    Donate online by clicking the button below:

Warm wishes,

Diana Furukawa, Library Director

As fall begins, I’m excited to announce that our interlibrary loan (ILL) service is back as of September 3rd! This means you can once again request books, audiobooks, and DVDs from around the state with the click of a button or here at the library. While we were still able to meet many ILL requests this summer by partnering with Bangor Public Library, we apologize for the inconvenience, and we thank you for your patience. Are you new to interlibrary loan or need a refresher? Learn more on our website or stop in at the library. 

In other news, I’d like to share some photos and statistics from another great summer at MML. With expanded summer hours, it was one of our busiest summers in recent years. We saw about 8000 people come through our doors this summer, offered 94 programs, and had 55 participants in our Summer Reading Program. And as a site for the National Summer Lunch Program, we distributed over 600 free bagged lunches to local youth– over double the number we distributed last year.

One of our most well-attended programs was a visit from “Mr. Drew and His Animals Too”, where kids got to learn hands-on about many different types of exotic animals. For adults, we hosted several author talks, workshops, and events, including a lively discussion with Kerri Arsenault, author of Mill Town: Reckoning with What Remains. 

Through the Katahdin Region Outdoor Collective, the Katahdin Gear Library was able to help offer free, immersive outdoor experiences serving over 50 local youth, including a hike to Gulf Hagas, a paddling trip on the Penobscot, and mountain biking outing at Hammond Ridge. Our goal with these programs is to connect young people to where they live and give them the skills and confidence to thrive here. 

Stay tuned for upcoming programs this fall, including our Candidates’ Forum, where you can learn more about local candidates who will be on your ballot and our annual Halloween Party in October. The best way to stay up to date with all of our upcoming events is by following us on Facebook or Instagram, viewing our online events calendar, or checking out the community calendar section of the Katahdin Region News. 

As I look back on the summer, I’m grateful for everyone in the community who made this summer such a success. And if you haven’t been to the library in a while, I hope you stop in sometime soon and see what we have going on. 

Take care,

Diana Furukawa, Library Director

MILLINOCKET, Maine– The Friends of Millinocket Memorial Library non-profit has decided to continue its fundraising and other activities under the umbrella of the Millinocket Memorial Library (MML). After ongoing discussions this spring, members of FMML finalized their decision on July 15, 2024 to cease operations as a separate non-profit organization and channel their activities through the Library going forward. 

The Friends of MML was established as a volunteer group in the 1990s to support and sponsor activities like the Library’s Summer Reading Program. The Friends took on a much larger role in 2015 when the Library lost most of its municipal funding, rallying hundreds of community members to advocate for MML’s future. From 2015 until about 2017, the Friends operated the Library, keeping the doors open and paving the way for the Library to bounce back. 

“Over the past decade, the Friends have demonstrated the power and dedication of volunteers. Without the vision, leadership, and hard work of our Friends, the Library would not be here today,” said Library Director, Diana Furukawa. 

In recent years, the Friends have organized many fundraising efforts on behalf of the Library, including book sales, bake sales, raffles, and their annual dinner auction, contributing an average of about $20,000 per year to the Library’s operating budget. 

“Ultimately, we came to a joint decision to work together within one organization, the Library, to increase efficiency and decrease confusion,” said Furukawa. “The Friends aren’t going anywhere. They will be able to participate in the Library’s Fundraising Committee and continue to volunteer and advocate for the Library in many ways.”

In addition to its annual fundraising appeal in the fall, the Library plans to host a special dinner auction event in 2025. “The event will be a chance to acknowledge the incredible work of the Friends over the past 10 years and to invite the community to contribute to the Library’s future,” said Furukawa. 

“It’s a sign of our success that we’re now able to hand over the reins to the Library. It means we’ve done what we set out to do,” said Friends of MML President, Ben Barr. “I want to thank the many people who worked tirelessly in the background now and in the past to make our work possible. It’s been an honor to be a part of this effort,” said Barr. 

Millinocket Memorial Library is a non-profit organization and public library. Its mission is to enrich lives, inspire imaginations, and empower community. To learn more about the Library or how to get involved visit: www.MillinocketLib.org/support. 

Members of the Friends of MML at their final meeting as a non-profit board on July 15, 2024. Front row, left to right: Yolanda Bulley, Barbara Riddle-Dvorak, Kitty St. John, Albert Fowler, Marian Fowler, Louis Pelletier. Back row, left to right: Bernadette Friel, Shorty Cummings, Anne Jackson, Margie King, Terri MacDonald. Image courtesy of Millinocket Memorial Library. 

Interlibrary loans (ILLs) are one of our core services, enabling you to access books, audiobooks, and DVDs from over 100 libraries in Maine and beyond. Unfortunately, there will be an interruption in ILL service for a couple of months due to factors outside our control. 

Why? The delivery of ILLs is managed at the state level, and the state library is in the process of switching to a different delivery company. While this transition occurs, which is expected to take at least 2 months, ILL service will be unavailable for all Maine libraries including MML.

In the meantime, you you can still:

• Place holds on books owned by MML
• Borrow ebooks and audiobooks with your MML card on Cloudlibrary.
• Borrow books and other items in-person at other participating libraries with your MML card through the Reciprocal Borrowing Program

If you have questions or would like to learn more about this process, give us a call at (207) 723-7020, visit the Maine State Library Van Delivery FAQ page, or contact Beth Crist from Maine State Library at (207) 816-2999 or Beth.Crist@Maine.gov. 

We apologize for the inconvenience and will be sure to let you know as soon as ILL service is restored. 

All the best,

MML Staff