Bangor Public Library
Encyclopedia
The Bangor Public Library is the public library
serving Bangor, Maine
. The library was first founded in 1830 as the Bangor Mechanic Association's private library. In 1873, several other associations' libraries combined with it to form the Bangor Mechanic Association Public Library. In 1883, former U.S. Congressman
and lumber baron
Samuel F. Hersey
left the City of Bangor a $100,000 bequest
, which the City used to form a municipally-owned public library
. The Mechanic Association's 20,000 books formed the core collection. In 1905 the small membership fee was abolished and the library became truly open to all.
that destroyed most of the Bangor Business District. The library reopened in May 1911 with the handful of saved books and the 1300 others which had been on loan. The library is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as part of the Great Fire of 1911
Historic District.
, opened its doors in 1913.
Unlike the previous building, which was located in the center of the business district, this one was located by the new high school.
and Tabitha King
.
The Bangor Public Library shares the URSUS online cataloging system with the University of Maine
and other Maine libraries.
was inspired by his 10-year-old son's expressed fear of returning overdue books to the Bangor Public Library because of "the library police".
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
serving Bangor, Maine
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
. The library was first founded in 1830 as the Bangor Mechanic Association's private library. In 1873, several other associations' libraries combined with it to form the Bangor Mechanic Association Public Library. In 1883, former U.S. Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and lumber baron
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
Samuel F. Hersey
Samuel F. Hersey
Samuel Freeman Hersey was a politician and "lumber baron" from the U.S. state of Maine. He served in the Maine State Senate and as a United States Congressman from the district which included his home-town of Bangor....
left the City of Bangor a $100,000 bequest
Bequest
A bequest is the act of giving property by will. Strictly, "bequest" is used of personal property, and "devise" of real property. In legal terminology, "bequeath" is a verb form meaning "to make a bequest."...
, which the City used to form a municipally-owned public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
. The Mechanic Association's 20,000 books formed the core collection. In 1905 the small membership fee was abolished and the library became truly open to all.
1911 Great Fire
By 1911, the library's collection had grown to 70,000 books, yet all but 29 were burned in a great fireGreat Fire of 1911
The Great Fire of 1911 took place in Bangor, Maine. A small fire that started in a Downtown shed went out of control and destroyed hundreds of commercial and residential buildings.-History:It started in the afternoon of April 30, 1911 on Broad Street...
that destroyed most of the Bangor Business District. The library reopened in May 1911 with the handful of saved books and the 1300 others which had been on loan. The library is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as part of the Great Fire of 1911
Great Fire of 1911
The Great Fire of 1911 took place in Bangor, Maine. A small fire that started in a Downtown shed went out of control and destroyed hundreds of commercial and residential buildings.-History:It started in the afternoon of April 30, 1911 on Broad Street...
Historic District.
Early History
The present library building, designed by the Boston architectural firm Peabody and StearnsPeabody and Stearns
Peabody & Stearns was a premier architectural firm in the Eastern United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the firm consisted of Robert Swain Peabody and John Goddard Stearns, Jr...
, opened its doors in 1913.
Recent History
The library was significantly renovated and expanded with the addition of a new wing in 1997, thanks to a donation from StephenStephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
and Tabitha King
Tabitha King
Tabitha King is an American author and activist. She is married to writer Stephen King.-Family:King met her husband, author Stephen King, in college through her work-study job in the Fogler Library. Their daughter Naomi Rachel was born in 1970. They married on January 2, 1971...
.
The Bangor Public Library shares the URSUS online cataloging system with the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
and other Maine libraries.
In Popular Culture
Stephen King's story The Library PolicemanThe Library Policeman
The Library Policeman is a novella by author Stephen King. It is the third story in his 1990 collection Four Past Midnight.It tells of Sam Peebles and his battle against an age-old fear.-Plot summary:...
was inspired by his 10-year-old son's expressed fear of returning overdue books to the Bangor Public Library because of "the library police".