Mission & Vision

The Friends of the Maine State Library support the program goals and objectives as defined by the Maine State Library.

In doing so, The Friends will help to increase the use of the Library through public awareness and programming; advocate for consistent and meaningful State funding of the Library; and to provide private funding opportunities that advance the library’s goals and objectives.

Vision and Values:

While supporting the Maine State Library, The Friends seeks to specifically enhance access to quality library services for all Maine residents by supporting state-wide library initiatives. The Friends will do so creatively and innovatively, and with inclusivity and integrity.

The Friends core areas of support are defined as follows:

Reading and Literacy:

  • Support library programs that extend literacy and reading to all Maine citizens with an emphasis on literacy and learning activities for children.
  • Help support projects that link community residents to global library information sources. Encourage projects that extend and improve electronic access to reading devices, collections and other evolving forms of telecommunications technologies.

Historical Resources and Digitization:

  • Support local and statewide projects that conserve unique community historical resources, endangered, and/or irreplaceable documents.
  • Help create more efficient and effective access to historical resources through digitization projects designed to both preserve and broaden access.

Public Library Development:

  • Assist in exploring funding resources for grants and consulting that support local library construction and renovation.
  • Support and promote development of strategic plans that prepare public librarians for change and to meet future challenges facing tomorrow's libraries.
  • Support market strategies and programs that promote the unique value of Maine's public library resources.
  • Support projects that supplement economic development through universal access to world business data, and research in marketing and export strategies for Maine products.