King Foundation provides lending library in Sebec

SEBEC — Sebec Village Associates, also known as the Reading Room, representatives were thrilled to learn that the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation funded their grant proposal to create a lending library at the town’s community center. Grant writer Shirley Wright said, “It was amazing to open a letter and have a $10,000 check fall out. This money will be used to serve the town in yet another pursuit by Sebec Village Associates.”

The grant was written to set up a lending library that will be open to the town at least one morning, one afternoon and one evening each week. This effort will be led by volunteers and is being created in service to the town that does not have a library of its own. Using the funding, the group will have new shelves built to hold more books, purchase new books and supplies and install heat pumps to make the building more accessible in the winter months and cool and dehumidify the building during the summer.

Louisa Finnemore, president of the group, said, “The Reading Room holds some of the fondest memories of my childhood. I and the others in the group are extremely committed to preserving the original intent of the building. When the building was given to the association, the intent was to preserve strong community ties. We are doing that now with our community dinners and potlucks, the large Fourth of July event, the fall apple festival and much, much more. The building is available for rentals to those in need at a low cost and has been used repeatedly for many of the

community’s needs. The library portion of our mission will now also come into being and will represent one more thing that will help bond the community together. It is my hope that children from all generations will think of the Reading Room and Sebec as some of their most fond memories.”

Susan Small, chairperson of the lending library project, said, “I am thankful to the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation for supporting us in our efforts to open the Sebec Village Reading Room as a lending library. The opportunity to offer our friends and neighbors this privilege is another one of the many steps the Sebec Village Associates has accomplished towards bringing our community together.”

The project is already underway. Heat pumps have been installed in the main portion of the building and are set up and ready to use. Shelving has been ordered and will be custom built by Wayne Nason, a native of Sebec Village. The library committee is getting ready to take book donations and to purchase new books and supplies for the facility. A tentative opening date has been set for mid-August.

Jeannette Hughes, vice president of the organization added, “It is wonderful to have such a generous couple in our state. They are very supportive of many libraries and organizations throughout Maine.”

Sebec Village Associates was established as a non-profit organization in the 1940s when the building and land was given to a separate association. The building was maintained for many years by the association and has held many town functions including movies, dinners, parties, and more over the years. The Big Bear Snowmobile Club maintained and improved the building for many years and now the association has become the driving force behind the building and original vision.

“The people who started this project back in the 1940s, including Frederick Rupprecht, Stacy Lanpher, Eugene Wyman, Abner Morison, Thede Burgess, Kenneth Lancaster, Carl Nelson, William Downs, Edwin Wyman and more, must be smiling down on us as they realize their vision of setting up a corporation that would carry on social, literary, educational, charitable and religious activities in Sebec Village for the community benefit and improvement has retained this goal for nearly 70 years. And, it will continue for many years to come,” Wright said.