In August of 2023, the library was awarded a grant from the Maine State Library and the Department of Economic Development to support “Remote Work in Libraries”. The $100,000 grant will enable the library, together with our landlord, the Town Of Bowdoinham, to make some long-awaited improvements to the accessibility of the Coombs Building. Specifically, the grant will be used for a covered entrance or “porch”, an improved ramp, and new door to the library’s second floor north-facing wall. It will also fund the sitework at the Coombs Building, improving the access to the side and rear of the building and adding to the parking adjoining the new porch and ramp area. We have wanted to make these improvements for years, knowing that access to our second floor location is impeding some people from using our available resources. Our existing resources in support of remote workers include desktop computers with secure internet connections, printers, and video conferencing equipment. We welcome anyone interested in joining a working group to improve our remote working facilities.

A giant “Thank You” goes out to Maureen Booth, who helped write the grant!