Why did someone from Boston have the Bangor Library on the "must see" list while in Bangor for two…read morenights? After searching online for things out of the ordinary, I learned that Hannibal Hamlin's "death couch" is in the library. I also learned that he was Lincoln's first VP???!!! Who knew? Whatever you do, don't sit on the couch!!! Look up at the ceiling, the architecture is amazing

I had the pleasure of visiting Bangor Maine in September and I'm so glad I ventured into their…read morelibrary. The citizens are so fortunate to have such a beautiful and historic library. They have over 400k books in circulation and the children/young reader space they have created is swoon worthy. The staff was friendly and very knowledgeable. I appreciate the time they spent answering my questions and sharing the library's history with me. I don't know if it's all the books, the fascinating history of the building or how they have managed to blend old and new flawlessly but it makes the library feel magical!

This is a completely biased review since I married a local girl decades ago. Nevertheless this is…read morea quaint Maine town that has worked hard to survive the loss of the local shoe mill. Adjacent to one of the most beautiful lakes in Maine (Wassokeag), this small town is home to the official Red Hotdog Festival every August, as well as a great historical society, quaint downtown.historic buildings and churches. Well worth a visit!

We have lived in Dexter just 18 months after moving back to Maine following living near relatives…read morefor several years in Florida. I was born and raised in Bangor, so of course I was aware of Dexter, though I hadn't spent any time here before moving to southern Maine for decades. But we are here now and we really love Dexter for its small town ways and friendliness. It is Maine after all, the way life should be. You can find most of what you need locally: there is a Hannaford with its pharmacy; Reny's great department store, which reminds me of lost stores like Zayre's; Ace Hardware, the best hardware chain; a few banks/credit unions; Family Dollar; auto service shops; library, post office, a few restaurants -- well, you get the idea. Once in a while we go to Bangor or Waterville to hit a few other stores/businesses not available locally. And as someone who worked in the service industry most of my life in Maine, service is still more efficient and friendly than say, Florida. There are plenty of hills here in town to exercise your legs and get you puffing, and for the winter or for other forms of exercise, there is a 24/7 gym across from Reny's. And while I am singing Dexter's praises, I will add that they sponsor outdoor free concerts in the summer, and also in summer the local ice cream shop and restaurant awaits you on the shore of the lake where you can relax or swim. In the interest of balance, I guess I should point out less positive aspects of living here. Thankfully there are few of them. I find the winters are a bit more severe here than they were all those years in southern Maine, obviously, And I won't bring up Florida winters for comparison, because we have decided we prefer cold, brutal winters to hot, brutal summers. Plus as a lifelong Mainer, I don't feel the cold like I did the heat. Also, the local hills make it harder for us to ride our bikes, and the local trail is overrun by ATVs on weekends. And you have to take your trash and recyclables to the transfer station yourself -- how retro! (I don't see tht as a negative but I recognize that some people may.) And let's see, it is sometimes more difficult to find people to come and do work for you, such as carpenters or electricians, as they are either very busy or disorganized. There was more competition in the Portland area or Florida, I think. But those are small things in the scheme of life. Overall we are very happy to have settled here. In fact, I could go on with more positive reasons to live inDexter, but it wouldn't be fair to not let you discover some of them for yourself!

Staff helped this tourist out by recommending the Bog Walk (Bangor next to City Forest), river walk…read moreparking and several local restaurants ~ for bfast, lunch & dinner!!! Plus a not to be missed shop: Ampersand, an "everything store"!! It was!! The staff member said, "Our library is the soul of this town" & I believe her!!

This is the main, and only, library for the picturesque town of Orono - home of the beautiful…read moreUniversity of Maine campus - which is almost adjacent to the city of Bangor, the big player in the area and which many might not know has an important international air hub. While Bangor's library building has a neoclassical bent, Orono's apparently newer library is a simpler structure that's perfectly suited to New England. The Orono Public Library has everything most patrons will need. There are the typical stacks intended for adults, a children's area, a decent DVD movie collection, a conference room or two, computers, and comfortable upholstered chairs. So, while it may look like a big house from the outside, there are all sorts of areas for specific collections and purposes once inside. One might give the Orono Public Library 3 stars for doing what a library is supposed to do. However, two other things stood out about this library and take its rating up to 4 stars. The first was how clean and well maintained it was. The second was how friendly and helpful the staff was. Library employees from sea to shining sea will help you, with a good many of them having smugness issues they can't seem to shake. That wasn't the situation here. They were genuinely interested in the patron. Perhaps that's because, being in the state's main college town, they flex with a broader demographic base. I appreciated the way I was treated as a visiting guest to the library while in the "vicinity" of Acadia National Park. Clearly, the Orono Public Library is an enjoyable and productive library to patronize.

I went to the Belfast Free Library to join a knitting circle…read more It was a gathering of local knitters taking place in a community room to the right of the entrance. All local knitters in attendance appeared to be wearing something amazing and beautiful that they had knitted themselves. It was a very nice way to spend two hours, among fellow knitters. I wish I lived closer.

Utilizing wifi at the Belfast Free Library on this windy rainy day during covid 19 quarantine! A…read morefoot of wet snow took out our power/phone lines 3 days ago...Thanks BFL for leaving the wifi on! Can't wait to step through your doors again when this is all over!

Absolutely beautiful building from 1901. Incredible variety of books. Great architecture within the…read morebuilding. It's like walking through a time capsule into the early 1900s. The library is great with kids as they do parties for youth often. This library has been important to education for the town of Fairfield since it opened. Very good service with customer needs from books, DVDs, audio and/or ebooks. Also enjoy the art on the ceiling when you walk in the main entrance. Good place to take pictures of history.

So we went to Searsport for the day, and if I was a seasonal or year round resident, I would find…read morerespite in this gorgeous setting. From the exterior, the beautiful stone building is attractive, but when you go inside...prepare to be awed. I loved the sitting room which had comfortable chairs and a great table. The computer stations were fully utilized and I understand they also have laptops for use there. The collection seemed quite extensive for this little town of 2.5K people - I was especially attracted to the broad choices in books on CD/Tape. Stop in and check it out, and stay awhile if you are lucky enough to live here!

While on vacation in a cabin on the lake with terrible internet connection, I had a work emergency…read moreback home that needed immediate attention, so I loaded up and headed over. I fell in the love with the library before I even walked in. It's beautiful, and there were kids walking home carrying their books under their arms. Once inside, I signed in and was able to use one of the 4 computers (there may have been more, I just went to the first set I saw). I was able to get my work done in a quiet space with reliable and quick internet. The young gal working would softly call customers and tell them that the book they've been waiting on was available. She spoke to everyone by first name as if they were old friends. At one point, some moms and little ones emerged from the back after a story time session. They all stopped to chat with that gal working, in hushed tones. There were some, shall I say "well experienced in life" age range gals and guys there working on a project for the library and preparing for that annual cook book sale. I couldn't help but chuckle over their planning in those deep Mainer accents. I loved every single minute of being in there. Being from a larger city with a VERY stressful job, I felt as though I was in a movie, from a more simple and beautiful time. What a wonderful gem this place is.

I love audiobooks and have become a big fan of the Libby app. But the selection at some libraries…read moreis really disappointing. If I have a few minutes when I travel I sometimes stop to see if I can get cards from other libraries in the hope that that can broaden my Libby catalog. But this is a tiny library. An itsy, bitsy, little library. When I asked at nearby libraries if I could get a library card they politely explained that because I wasn't a local taxpayer I sadly could not. When I asked here the gal said "Sure!". She whips out an index card and asks me for my contact info. When I hand it back to her she puts a bar code on it and explains that this piece of paper is my new library card. "So this index card is my library card?" "Yep." "And it stays in the library?" "Yep." The gal explained that they did not have on-line audiobooks and were not associated with the Libby app but she encouraged me to check out their books on CD selection. A little disappointed, I came across Alice in Wonderland and chose that. She checked me out and told me the date it was due. Then she whispered "Bring it back whenever you can. There's no fines." Alice in Wonderland was a weird book and I wouldn't recommend it. But the New Vineyard Library is a joy. The gal was wonderful and it was a pleasure to visit. And when I dropped off the CDs a few days later I discovered that they leave their wifi on even when the library is closed. In a region where cell service is rare and 4G even rarer 24hr wifi may be the best feature of this library!

The people and atmosphere are extremely pleasant. The library is abundant and organized.read more