Most public libraries in Maine have a Maine collection – books about Maine, and books by Maine authors. My guess is few of them have as nice of a reading nook as our island library has – two comfy chairs and reading lamps in a cozy little alcove, where one can leisurely explore all sorts of books about our beloved state. The Long Island Community Library has a wonderful selection of Maine books, including fiction, non-fiction, biographies, and children’s books.

Our books range from obscure authors to more famous authors, such as classic authors (Sarah Orne Jewett, Elisabeth Ogilvie, Kenneth Roberts, Booth Tarkington, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Robert Peter Tristram Coffin, Louise Dickinson Rich, Gladys Hasty Carroll, Mary Ellen Chase, Ruth Moore, May Sarton, Ben Ames-Williams, Henry Beston, E. B. White) and contemporary authors (Stephen King, Paul Doiron, Cathie Pelletier, Carolyn Chute, Tess Gerritson, Charlotte MacLeod, Richard Russo, Elizabeth Strout, Julia Spencer-Fleming, Monica Wood). We also have Long Island authors, such as Alix Kates Shulman, Peter Kilgore, and Dorothy Herbert.

Our children’s books authors and illustrators include Margaret Wise Brown, Ashley Bryan, Barbara Cooney, Robert McCloskey, and many other classic authors and contemporary.

Non-fiction subjects include maritime/nautical/sailing, environmental, flora and fauna/gardening, cookbooks, art, crafts (knitting, rug hooking, etc.), poetry, and history.

We also have a nice collection of more ephemeral materials related to local history, including Long Island.

So, next time you are at our island library, take a minute to peruse the shelves in our nook, and perhaps sit in a rocking chair to enjoy a bit of Maine.