For more than a century, some of Maine’s smallest libraries have operated entirely with volunteers. These volunteers help patrons find
books, organize community events, run children’s programs and host local groups in shared spaces. Most of the libraries have limited hours — some are open as few as three hours a week, others closer to 12 — depending on how many volunteers are available.
On Monday, the Maine Library Commission is expected to consider a proposed agreement that would require all public libraries to pay their directors and other staff members, and to remain open at least 12 hours per week. Libraries that fail to meet these requirements would lose access to interlibrary loan services — including e-books — as well as internet access and technical support.
The deadline for libraries to sign the agreement is Jan. 1, but the Maine State Library is offering a three-year grace period for compliance. Libraries must show they are working toward meeting the new payroll and minimum-hours requirements to qualify.
Twenty libraries in Maine now operate with unpaid directors, and several others offer minimal stipends ranging from $1 to $100 per year. Directors say the proposed requirements would strain already tight budgets and create hardships for their communities. Many fear being forced to choose between paying salaries or losing access to essential services — and possibly shutting down altogether.
Colin Windhorst, chairman of the Lincoln Memorial Public Library in Dennysville, also serves as its unpaid director. He said it takes “blood, sweat, toil and tears to run a library in a small community,” and the proposed requirements for paid directors and expanded hours create “a set of standards for the haves, not the have-nots” across the state.
Read what other directors have to say and look through our list of libraries that will be impacted by the new requirements.
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