The freedom to read is essential to our democracy and supports an informed citizenry, yet it faces continuous threats. This article examines the historical and contemporary challenges to this freedom. It discusses the resurgence of book bans, the motivations behind these efforts, and the responses from various stakeholders. By highlighting recent trends and legislative actions, the article aims to inform policymakers and concerned citizens about the importance of protecting the right to read in Maine libraries.

The author of this commentary describes the Maine Shared Collections Cooperative and its efforts to address members' concerns about their commitments as library needs and functions change.

With many small and rural communities and a high percentage of low-income and older residents, Mainers face a variety of barriers to digital inclusion. By sharing stories from this state, we hope to help decision-makers and community leaders in Maine, as well as those across the United States, to gain a deeper understanding of the ways that libraries are embedded in connectivity concerns. Given the depth and breadth of their engagement with digital inclusion work since its inception, libraries stand ready to help the nation adapt to the latest requirements of our digital society—one in which the stakes of being unconnected are increasingly high.

Public libraries exist across every state and territory in the United States and are charged with serving the public good, including community lifelong learning needs, inclusive of STEM education. In this context, the profession of librarianship has developed new thinking to articulate how public libraries can embrace the core value of sustainability, including a Na alClimate Action Strategy for Libraries. This strategy calls on public libraries to harness the transformative power of education for climate justice by developing relationships with local community organizations. This article introduces the framework that has been developedaround this topic; some of the work individual public libraries have accomplished; and points out opportunities for enhanced success of climate action plans and policies when public libraries are included.

Special Issues Editor Linda Silka reviews the book The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen.

As keystone community institutions, libraries are keenly aware of the increased interest in and heighted concerns about the impacts of climate change in their communities. This article examines how libraries are responding to these concerns, providing pathways for their patrons to engage in climate work, and stepping up to lead by example. The article focuses on work underway through a collaboration with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and initiatives by libraries to make their footprint more sustainable. The article will provide stakeholders with insights into how to leverage and partner with the library community to address local, regional, and state climate priorities.

This article explores the preliminary findings of the first year of the Remote Work Through Libraries Initiative, a three-year project investigating how libraries’ remote work services impact community and economic vitality. The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a significant shift in work habits, prompting libraries to continue evolving beyond information repositories to dynamic hubs, now offering tailored services to remote workers, thereby fostering community cohesion and bolstering local economies. Remote work support is a nascent frontier for library services, with limited existing research. A novel initiative led by the Maine State Library, in partnership with the Department of Economic and Community Development, allocated over $1.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to 39 public libraries. This endeavor, aligned with Governor Mills’ economic development plan, will fortify libraries with tools needed to attract and assist remote workers, including updated physical spaces and technologies to accommodate workers' needs.

University of Southern Maine libraries contain two special collections that document communities that are traditionally underrepresented in historical narratives. The Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine documents the history of activism and diversity in Maine, focusing on African American, Jewish, and LGBTQ+ communities. The Franco-American Collection collects materials related to the culture and heritage of Maine’s Franco-American population, those descended from French-Canadian immigrants. While both collections document immigrant experiences in Maine’s history, they do not adequately represent contemporary Maine experiences. This article explores the work of understanding who we represent, who has access, and how we should respond to a developing landscape of interests and needs, and provide a roadmap for cultural heritage institutions to reach these goals as well.

Based on interviews with public library staff from across the state, the authors find that Maine library workers are increasingly serving as frontline responders for people with unmet basic needs and addressing intensifying behavioral issues. This results in “social work creep”, in which libraries inadvertently take on roles traditionally filled by social service agencies. Libraries are responding by building partnerships with social services agencies, reassessing library policies and enforcement methods, and seeking training in de-escalation and overdose response, but at a significant cost to staff wellbeing and core library services. The authors recommend that policymakers focus on systemic solutions including housing initiatives and local, direct support for people in crisis.

College students face a wide number of unexpected financial obstacles in their pursuit of an education – one of the most difficult being the high cost of course materials, such as textbooks. Many textbooks cost more than $200, leading to an additional cost per semester that can approach or exceed $1,000. Facing the costs of housing, food, health care, and other necessities, many students do not purchase needed materials, leading to poor educational performance and outcomes. This commentary explores this issue along with one viable solution – open educational resources (OER), or alternative textbooks and materials for college courses that are free of cost and access barriers through open licensing. These materials are largely produced by faculty in universities. The use and creation of OER has been supported by universities and colleges in Maine and throughout the Northeastern states, with libraries playing a crucial role in both the discovery of existing OER and support in the creation of new materials. We argue that Maine stands poised to take a more active role in the use and creation of OER within our colleges and universities.