“It was great to experience the statewide effort. We knew we were part of a larger group. It was impressive that the sixteen counties were involved.” - Participating Librarian
Read ME is a statewide program presented in partnership with Maine State Library that gets Maine’s adults all reading the same books—by Maine authors and recommended by a Maine author. View this year’s list of participating libraries!
Last year’s pilot of Read ME was a great success, with 62 libraries participating across the state. We know each featured title circulated over 400 times! There were several book groups, author talks, and other awesome programming that connected with the Read ME titles. Find out below what we have in store for this year!
Maine author Paul Doiron selects books by two lesser-known Maine authors for Read ME.
Goals
- Connect Maine’s adult reading community through shared reading experiences.
- Support libraries in their work to provide quality adult summer reading initiatives.
- Elevate upcoming Maine authors.
Logistics
All participating libraries need to do is showcase and make available two books (one fiction—River Talk by CB Anderson, one nonfiction—Settled in the Wild: Notes from the Edge of Town by Susan Hand Shetterly ) recommended by Paul Doiron (Knife Creek, Poacher’s Son, Trespasser). We encourage participating libraries to run programs related to these texts throughout the summer months. The season will culminate with an episode of Maine Calling, aired in front of a live audience at Maine State Library.
Paul’s picks
Fiction
River Talk
Price: $13.88
“The short stories in CB Anderson’s River Talk are about Mainers: folks you went to school with and have known forever, others you hear speaking in foreign tongues on the street, newcomers, neighbors, maybe even yourself. What makes this book so special, so moving, is Anderson’s passionate commitment to making all of these people not just recognizable but relatable. If you’re looking for a book about the ways people in Maine actually live, now, today, you need to read this small masterpiece.”
Non-fiction
Settled in the Wild: Notes from the Edge of Town
Price: $11.75
“More than in other places, Maine people live close to nature. Some by accident, others by design. Susan Hand Shetterly’s collection of lyrical short essays, Settled in the Wild: Notes from the Edge of Town, is therefor a book intended for all of us. It’s about watching deer drift through the field at dusk and about leaving the window open in April to hear spring arrive with the first piping of the peepers. It’s about the familiar, the secret, and the strange, written by an artist whose gift it is to help us see our shared environment as we’ve never seen it before.”
What we expect of participating libraries
Based off of the feedback we received last year, we have made improvements to this year’s program.
- Registered libraries will be added to a private FB group. This will allow everyone to share ideas, connect, and get special updates about extras we’re offering.In order to help everyone better plan for the big end of summer event, we have already scheduled the LIVE Maine Calling, which will be held at Maine State Library on August 22
- We have preordered enough books from the publisher to provide us with a discount just for registering libraries. Susan’s book was even reprinted just for this! Our grand plan is to get books and publicity materials to libraries in April not May!
- MSL and MHC have purchased several copies of each title to help in your quests to access enough copies for your book groups. These will be processed and made available through ILL.
- We will provide several discussion questions to registered libraries to go along with each book.
- AND, we will again be offering a few author visits and facilitated book discussions to participating libraries.
- Must be willing to purchase at least one copy of each recommendation. We are offering book purchasing through MHC/MSL to get bulk ordering discounts.
- We will provide posters and bookmarks.
- Use posters to promote Read ME and connect your library with the statewide community.
- Distribute bookmarks to your patrons.
- Promote the final culminating statewide event to your patrons.
- Help promote other participating libraries’ special events
- Track circulation of featured texts and program attendance if any are offered.
- Complete and submit end of summer survey/evaluation.
Timeline
Participating Libraries
| Acton Public Library |
| Alvan Bolster Ricker Memorial Library |
| Auburn Public Library |
| Bailey Public Library |
| Bangor Public Library |
| Berwick Public Library |
| Bonney Memorial Library |
| Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library |
| Brewer Public Library |
| Camden Public Library |
| Carver Memorial Library |
| Cary Memorial Library |
| Casco Public Library |
| Casco Public Library |
| Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library |
| Cumston Public Library |
| Cumston Public Library |
| D.A. Hurd Library |
| Denmark Public Library |
| Dorothy Webb Quimby Library, Unity College |
| Edythe Dyer Community Library |
| Ellsworth Public Library |
| Freeport Community Library |
| Fryeburg Public Library |
| Gardiner Public Library |
| Guilford Memorial Library |
| Harrison Village Library |
| Hartland Public Library |
| Henry D. Moore Library |
| Hollis Center Public Library |
| Ivan O. Davis-LIberty Library |
| Jesup Memorial Library |
| Julia Adams Morse Memorial Library |
| Kennebunk Free Library |
| Libby Memorial Library |
| Lithgow Public Library |
| Lithgow Public Library |
| Long Lake Public Library |
| Louis B. Goodall Memorial Library |
| Lubec Memorial Library |
| Ludden Memorial Library |
| Madison Public Library |
| Maine Charitable Mechanic Association Library |
| Maine State Library |
| McArthur Library |
| Mechanic Falls Public Library |
| Naples Public Library |
| Newport Cultural Center |
| Norway Memorial Library |
| Orono Public Library |
| Peavey Memorial Library |
| Pittsfield Public Library |
| Portland Public Library |
| Rangeley Public Library |
| Rice Public Library |
| Rockland Public Library |
| Rockport Public Library |
| Salmon Falls Library |
| Scarborough Public Library |
| Shaw Public Library |
| Soldiers Memorial Library |
| South Berwick Public Library |
| South China Public Library |
| South Portland Public Library |
| Southwest Harbor Public Library |
| Spaulding Memorial Library |
| Stockton Springs Community Library |
| Stonington Public Library |
| Thompson Free Library |
| Topsham Public Library |
| Vassalboro Public Library |
| Vinalhaven Public Library |
| Walter T.A. Hansen Memorial Library |
| Washburn Memorial Library |
| West Paris Public Library |
| Windham Public Library |
| Winslow Public Library |
| Winterport Memorial Library |
| Witherle Memorial Library |
| York Public Library |
