Over the past 14 months, Portland Public Library staff have worked with the leadership of the Friends of the Peaks Island Library and with City staff, particularly in the Recreation Department, to develop a new vision for the Library/Community Center. We have discussed various strategies for increasing and enhancing functionality, efficiency, and enjoyment of services. We have incorporated the great energy and ideas from the Community Forum which we held on Peaks in April 2013, have analyzed the current condition of the building, and have begun developing a plan for the Center.
Our goal is to maximize internal space, update necessary systems to meet all codes, resolve ergonomic problems, and – most importantly – create a comfortable and welcoming space for reading, exploration, and learning. At this point, our plan is to begin renovation in Fall of 2015.
Thanks to the generosity of the Friends, we have contracted with architect Dick Reed to develop a preliminary design that captures these ideas. We will pursue this design with the City shortly but would love more community input as we finalize the plans. Please join us for another Community Forum, on Wednesday, September 10 at 7pm. We look forward to your thoughts, reactions, and input. If you cannot attend but have questions or suggestions, please call 871-1700 x759 or send email to librarydirector@portland.lib.me.us
The Peaks Island Library and Community Center is a special part of island life, and we are excited to build its future.
The Burbank facility, created in 1995, is the 6th busiest library location in Maine, operating well beyond the capacity imagined twenty years ago. In order to reflect changes in how our loyal Burbank patrons use the library, to address building infrastructure issues, and to solve long-standing ergonomic challenges for library staff, PPL is undertaking a renovation to reconfigure and update the branch. We are thrilled to have the chance to provide a healthier environment for our staff and an improved experience for those who use and love the Burbank branch.
The renovation will be funded through an allocation of $255,000 from the City’s Capital Improvement Program. Scott Simons, whose firm was responsible for the 2010 Phase I renovation of the Main Library, is the project architect. You can see the current renovation drawings by clicking here for a PDF.
Once the bidding process for the project is completed this fall, the branch will be closed for six to seven months while construction takes place. We expect this closure to begin in November 2014 but look forward to updating you on the specifics and to serving you at our Main Library, Riverton, and Peaks Island locations during the Burbank closure.
And of course, we look forward to celebrating with you when we open a beautifully renovated Burbank branch!
July 31 update: Online sales have now closed. A limited number of physical tickets are available at the Main Library lending desk and at Longfellow Books for purchase. Only 100 tickets will be sold at the event when the doors open at First Parish Church at 6:30 pm. If you have will-call tickets, please check in at the door at First Parish Church at 6:30 pm.
Portland Public Library and Longfellow Books present a book talk and signing by Louise Penny on Thursday, July 31st at 7:00pm at First Parish in Portland. Penny will speak about her newest in the Gamache series, How the Light Gets In. Ticket holders will receive 20% off one Louise Penny book at the event. Tickets are available online at Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/735793 or at Longfellow Books and the Main Library in Monument Square.
About the book
Christmas is approaching, and in Québec it’s a time of dazzling snowfalls, bright lights, and gatherings with friends in front of blazing hearths. But shadows are falling on the usually festive season for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Most of his best agents have left the Homicide Department, his old friend and lieutenant Jean-Guy Beauvoir hasn’t spoken to him in months, and hostile forces are lining up against him. When Gamache receives a message from Myrna Landers that a longtime friend has failed to arrive for Christmas in the village of Three Pines, he welcomes the chance to get away from the city. Mystified by Myrna’s reluctance to reveal her friend’s name, Gamache soon discovers the missing woman was once one of the most famous people not just in North America, but in the world, and now goes unrecognized by virtually everyone except the mad, brilliant poet Ruth Zardo.
As events come to a head, Gamache is drawn ever deeper into the world of Three Pines. Increasingly, he is not only investigating the disappearance of Myrna’s friend but also seeking a safe place for himself and his still-loyal colleagues. Is there peace to be found even in Three Pines, and at what cost to Gamache and the people he holds dear?
About the Author Louise Penny is a Canadianauthor of mystery novels set in the Canadian province of Quebec centered on the work of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. Penny’s first career was as a radio broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. After she turned to writing, she won numerous awards for her work, including the Agatha Award for best mystery novel of the year for four consecutive years and the Anthony Award for two novels. Her novels have been published in 23 languages.
Portland Public Library and Longfellow Books present a book talk and signing by Louise Penny on Thursday, July 31st at 7:00pm at First Parish in Portland. Penny will speak about her newest in the Gamache series, How the Light Gets In. Ticket holders will receive 20% off one Louise Penny book at the event. Tickets are available online at Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/735793 or at Longfellow Books and the Main Library in Monument Square.