Catch Up With the Jesup - August 2020

A Note from Our Director--Book Sale Changes

This year August 15 will not be our 51st annual book sale. It is a significant loss, one of many this year. This would have been my 27th year of participating. Obviously it will affect the Jesup's financial situation, since the book sale is our largest fundraising event each year. Do keep an eye on our front yard--we are experimenting with a limited, ongoing offering and hope that over the month of August it will both make books and other items available to our community and visitors, and it will raise some revenue. Please be as generous as you can as you find your treasures. And if you are not able to take advantage of this, consider simply making a donation to the library for what you usually give at the book sale and the bake sale.

The biggest loss is actually to the spirit of the annual event and the heart of the Jesup. Our book sale involves more than a hundred volunteers each year, from receiving and sorting the donations year-round, to moving the books and tables and setting up the tents, to baking and arranging the books, to taking the donations and chatting with booklovers from all over the world, and then to taking it all down and putting it away. We have people who have helped with this book sale for decades, and who have passed their commitment to this annual community event down to another generation. We are honored that there are people who schedule their annual vacation around that weekend. We cannot tell you how much we miss working with you all!

Finally, please understand that it completely goes against the grain of our service to place limits on how we serve our public and we are struggling with this as is everyone. We are working hard to provide community leadership and to model best practices during this COVID-19 time. It is a hallmark of the Jesup that we ground our services in the most recent and reliable scientific information. This is particularly important to us because about five years ago the Jesup was involved in a national program to help public libraries become centers for science information. We were selected to be the "small" library in Maine, and we were successful in establishing solid partnerships with both The Jackson Laboratory to help provide genetic information, and with Acadia Astronomical Society to promote astronomy.

We are still here to serve our community. Let us know how we can do that.

Ruth Eveland

Reopening Updates

Inter library loan is back! You can now request items through both Minerva and MaineCat. Most libraries are open for requests but there are a few libraries not taking requests. Someone at the library will directly contact you to set up an appointment to pick up your items after they are delivered.

Also, we are open for browsing by appointment and you can still request books from the library for rotunda pickup. To make an appointment to browse call the library at 207-288-4245. For rotunda pickup, you can call the library to make an item request, send an email, fill out this request form or request books directly from the Jesup through Minerva. Finally, we are quarantining all items for 96 hours before they are checked in. If you have brought back an item and you receive an overdue notice during this time please disregard it. You will not be changed overdue fees.

The library hours have changed slightly, the library is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and until 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Everyone entering the library must wear a mask at all times. There is hand sanitizer to use in the library as well and there are gloves to wear when browsing items. If you have any questions please contact the library at 207-288-4245.

Farewell to Kathy

Kathy Woodside has retired after 20 years at the Jesup. While we couldn't celebrate with a big party we wanted to share her story and some of her Jesup memories. If you would like to send her a message please click here. Kathy was initially hired to work the circulation desk by former director Nancy Howland, but then added cataloging, program publicist and procurer of supplies to her ever growing list of tasks. For the past few years she has been cataloging and managing the library's main adult collection and expanding our archival collection. We asked her a few questions about her time at the Jesup and her plans for the future. Also, check out the video above about some of her favorite moments at the library.

How did you become the library's cataloger? After I had been at the library for two or three years, the Jesup had an opportunity to join Minerva, which is a consortium of libraries throughout the state of Maine. Until that time our cataloging was being done by Clare Lambert, a former director of the library and Nancy, the director at that time. The availability of a grant through the Maine State Library made it possible for the Jesup to automate its library catalog and circulation functions. Nancy asked if I was willing to learn the new cataloging system and train our other staff so I got the job!

Do you have a most memorable book or item you have cataloged? "A Year After Henry" by Cathie Pelletier. We did a program at the Jesup with Cathie when she first published this book. It is a really funny story that involves a funeral service, so we actually borrowed a casket from Fernald's Funeral Home and did a funeral spoof as part of the author's talk. Cathie was blown away by our efforts and we have been email friends ever since.

Are there any final messages you would like to send to the library's patrons? I have loved meeting and working with the people I have encountered over the last 20 years through my work at the library. We have had some fun...sometimes shed some tears....and shared our stories and our love of books. I feel truly blessed to have met each and every one of you. I believe the Jesup Library is a special and unique place. It is a place where you can participate in everything from community forums to concerts and author talks. The building is an unsung gem in our community that is both historic and beautiful. But it is the spirit of the place that really finds its way into our hearts. It is a place of welcome and caring...a place to come when you need to get out of the rain, to share a story, or just see a friendly face and hear a cheerful voice. It is a place where you matter regardless of where you come from or what your name is...everyone is welcome.

Finally, what are your retirement plans? For the month of August I will be at my camp on Donnell Pond in Franklin, Maine. But once we are able to travel again, I hope to travel to Italy and perhaps Greece and the British Isles if the opportunity arises and the world is healthy enough to make traveling a possibility. I have long list of house and camp projects and I hope to spend more time with my family and friends. I do a lot of volunteer work now but maybe I will expand my volunteer work once I have determined where I want to put my efforts.

"Pop-Up" Summer Book Sale at the Jesup Memorial Library Happening Now

Emma Peterson, Summer Intern at the Jesup, helps display some of the books and magazines at the "Pop-Up" Summer Book Sale

The Jesup is proud to announce our "Pop-Up" Summer Book Sale is happening now, while book supplies last! The Jesup is excited to be able to offer a pop-up book sale during the month of August and continuing into the fall on the Jesup 's front lawn areas, offering quality books to the public for simply a donation.

Patrons, visitors, neighbors and friends are invited to stop by and check out the books, cookbooks, puzzles, magazines and more that have been chosen for this special sale. There is everything from classics to best-sellers to books you probably have not seen anywhere else. The selection will continually change so make sure to stop by often to see what's new. We bet you will find something you cannot resist.

We currently have an excellent selection of puzzles and games, cookbooks, paperback best sellers, gardening books, mystery books and magazines on display. Famous name authors will be displayed next along with science and nature. All purchases are by donation and all donations will help to support day to day library operations and purchase new books for the library's collection. We have donation boxes located on the tables outside where you can leave your donation. The "Pop-Up" Summer Book Sale is currently open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it is highly dependent upon the weather. If the sun is shining the "Pop-Up" Summer Book Sale will be open, if it is raining we will be closed. We ask that Book Sale shoppers take proper COVID-19 safety precautions, including wearing masks when shopping and using the hand sanitizer or gloves that are available when looking at the items. Please also follow safe social distancing guidelines and only handle items you intend to purchase. Thank you for your continued support and we hope to see you soon! Please note, we are sorry, but unfortunately we cannot accept any additional book donations at this time. We do not have the additional storage space needed to quarantine additional donated books. We will be sure to let the public know when we are once again able to accept donations of books. According to Peterson, there is a great selection of nearly new books both paperback and hardcover, waiting for someone to discover at the "Pop-Up" Summer Book Sale!

Online Events with the Jesup

Join the Jesup for three great events in August. Registration for all these events is required to attend. To sign up for these virtual events please fill out forms linked below or email Kayla. We are happy to let you know that we now are posting recordings of many of our programs on our website here.

Wed., Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. - Author Q&A with Lily King "Writers & Lovers"

Join New York Times-bestselling author King as she reads from her book and answers your questions. "Writers & Lovers" was a New York Times Book Club Pick of the Month, an Indie Next List March pick, the Amazon Spotlight of the Month, the Today Show's "Read with Jenna" March pick and on the New York Times Best Sellers list. The book follows Casey Peabody at a time when every element of her life comes to a crisis. Blindsided by her mother's sudden death, and wrecked by a recent love affair, Casey has arrived in Massachusetts in the summer of 1997 without a plan. When she falls for two very different men at the same time, her world fractures even more. Casey's fight to fulfill her creative ambitions and balance the conflicting demands of art and life is challenged in ways that push her to the brink. King says that this is the novel that she wished she could have read as a young, struggling writer. King is the award-winning author of five novels. Her 2014 novel "Euphoria" won the Kirkus Award, The New England Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Award. Fill out the form here to receive the Zoom link. This event is co-sponsored by Sherman's Books and copies of the book can be purchased at any Sherman's location or on their website.

Mon. Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. - "Christina's World"--Author Christina Baker Kline and Chief Curator of the Farnsworth Museum Michael K. Komanecky in Conversation

Join Kline and Komanecky as they discuss the painting "Christina's World" by Andrew Wyeth, during a conversation moderated by art writer Carl Little. Kline will discuss her interpretation of "Christina's World" as an author and Komanecky will focus on the painting's and Wyeth's impact from the art world. Kline is the author of bestselling book "A Piece of the World," a work of fiction that focuses on Christina Olson, the woman hauntingly depicted in "Christina's World." Kline spent three years researching Olson, Wyeth and immersing herself in "Christina's World" as she wrote "A Piece of the World." Komanecky is the Chief Curator of the Farnsworth Art Museum. The Farnsworth owns the Olson House, which is the subject of numerous works of art by Wyeth including "Christina's World." The Farnsworth has more than twenty-five works by Wyeth as well as examples by other artist-members of the family. Fill out the form here to receive the Zoom link. This event is co-sponsored by Sherman's Books and copies of Kline's new book "The Exiles" are available to pre-order through Sherman's and copies of "Christina's World" can be purchased at any Sherman's location or on their website.

Tues., Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. - Primary Source Speaker Series: "Sleep and Alzheimer's Disease: New Insights into Causes and Effects" with Cliff Singer from Northern Light Acadia Hospital

Learn more about how sleep affects Alzheimer's disease and its importance to healthy aging with Dr. Singer, the chief of Geriatric Mental Health and Neuropsychiatry at Northern Light Acadia Hospital. Dr. Singer also is the principal investigator of the Northern Light Health Alzheimer's Disease Research Program and is the president of the Dirigo Maine Geriatrics Society. He received the Eastern Maine Medical Center Annual Award for Clinical Research for his achievements in improving the care of patients with Alzheimer's disease and their families in Maine through research and clinical work. The Primary Source Speaker Series, which is a partnership with the Jesup and The Jackson Laboratory, highlights current research in a trusted and comfortable setting where questions may be directed to the primary source--the research scientists. This series of talks will use Webex which is a videoconferencing system that is similar to Zoom. Fill out the form here to receive the Webex link.

For the Kids--A Note from Miss Mae

Hi to all of my children's room users. I sure am missing seeing all of you. I know you are reading even if I don't see you. I have been talking about new picture books on my weekly Facebook storytimes but wanted to share some books for older kids too. There are many more new books but these are some that have grabbed my attention as well as some important awards.

As long as you are reading, why not become a part of our 2020 Summer reading Program "Imagine Your Own Story"? Click here to sign up. Once you have registered and met your challenges, come into the library and pick a free book.

You can also schedule a 15 minute visit to browse by calling 207-288-4245 and setting up a time. That way you can see all the new books for yourself and I will get to see and talk with you!

Thank You to Our Business Council

We want to thank our Jesup Memorial Library's Business Council Members for their generous support. We are extending 2019 Business Council Membership through the end of 2020 even if they are not able to continue their support at this time. We understand that the coming year may be difficult for many of our local business sponsors and want to do as much as we can to help them. If you are able, please visit, call, order take-out or refer these businesses to your family and friends as you need products and services in the coming days and weeks.

Visionary (5,000+)

Machias Savings Bank (open)/ Bar Harbor Bank & Trust (open)

Champion ($2,500-$4,999)

Sherman's Books & Stationery (open)

Vanguard Level ($1,000-$2,499)

Henry Hotels, Inc. (open) / Bar Harbor Campground (open) / Window Panes (open) / Mystery Writers of America: New England Chapter (open online)/ Fiore Artisan Olive Oils & Vinegars (open)/

Bar Harbor Savings & Loan (open) / First National Bank and First National Wealth Management (open)/ Coston, McIsaac & Shea (open)/

Bar Harbor (MDI) Rotary (open online)

Trailblazer Level ($500-$999)

G.F. Johnston & Associates (open)/ Hannaford (open)/ Shannon Cottage /

Acadia Corporation (open)/ Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company (open)/

West Street Cafe (open)/ Reel Pizza Cinerama (open)/