History

The progressive folks in Guilford started a Library Reading Club in
1903 and incorporated the Library Association soon after. Daniel R.
Straw gave land and Andrew Carnegie provided matching funds to build
the original brick building in 1908, which is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. A new parking lot and entrance were added
in the 1970s. Limited space and lack of handicapped accessible
facilities resulted in a successful building expansion starting with a
Capital Campaign in 1998. Groundbreaking took place in 2001 and the new
addition was dedicated in 2003. With the additional space and
renovations to the interior of the existing building, the library is
busier than ever. Credit for the expansion project goes to all those
who helped and also to past generations who worked hard to ensure the
library fulfilled its mission. The Board of Trustees of the library is
a dedicated and talented group of volunteers. Without their hard work
and vision, the library would not be the vital and attractive place it
is today. Librarian Linda Packard was named Maine's Outstanding
Librarian of the year in 2005.

Library Mission

It is the primary objective of the Guilford Memorial Library to support
the interests of the community through the acquisition of books and
other media, provide access to technology, and to promote activities
and programs. To this end, the Guilford Memorial Library will be freely
available to our citizens of all ages to meet their information needs
and enrich their lives.