Dear Friends,
Did you know that tomorrow, March 13th, is the one-hundred-and-twenty-first anniversary of Skidompha’s incorporation? I sit here both astonished at that fact and shining proudly that I have the privilege of being a part of that history.
It’s well understood that Libraries have been with us for a very long time. As Vicky Chilton wrote in her Brief History of Libraries:
“It is believed that the first libraries appeared five thousand years ago in Southwest Asia’s Fertile Crescent, an area that ran from Mesopotamia to the Nile. The world’s oldest known library is believed to be The Library of Ashurbanipal. which was founded sometime in the 7th century B.C. for the “royal contemplation” of the Assyrian ruler Ashurbanipal. Located in Nineveh in modern day Iraq, the site included a trove of some 30,000 cuneiform tablets organized according to subject matter. The library, named after Ashurbanipal, in fact the last great king of the Assyrian Empire, is a collection of more than 30,000 clay tablets and fragments containing contemporary texts of all kinds, including a number in various languages.”
These older libraries (Ebla and Ugaritt ex.) obviously operated under different than modern free libraries and were primarily repositories of cuneiform records.
Skidompha, not quite that old, carries on with the tradition, and boasts its own unique history. At incorporation, it made available its collection of 1,476 books to Damariscotta, Newcastle, and Nobleboro. The library was established over the Charles M. Jones Grocery Store on Main Street. In 1922, the Library Association and Women’s Club of Damariscotta purchased the Stephen Coffin House, which served as a library and meeting place until 2001, when we moved to our current site next to the Coffin House at 184 Main Street.
I occasionally think about our profession’s history, how extensive it is, how it is a mix of ugliness and honor, and I am humbled. Not many institutions survive five millennia. I can’t know how history will view us in the future—I hope kindly—but I know libraries will be here. Regardless of how things change, at our core libraries are here to help, and Skidompha will be here to do just that. We have been supporting our community for well over a century and aim to continue for the next century and beyond.
Skidompha Public Library Mission and Values Statement:
Skidompha Library’s mission is to support and enrich our community by fostering literacy, providing ready access to information and resources, encouraging lifelong learning, and promoting cultural and social interactions.
Skidompha’s core values and beliefs are to be respectful, curious, socially aware, and inclusive. We honor the privacy and confidentiality of our patrons and aim to provide a safe and accessible environment.
Skidompha serves the community both in person or through outreach, including partnerships with community organizations, in-person, and virtual learning opportunities, technology assistance, and the provision of meeting spaces. Our collection is diverse, expansive, and evolving. We commit to the continuous reassessment of the programs and services we provide.
Be well,
Matthew
BTW, “SKIDOMPHA” is an acronym formed from letters in the names of Skidompha’s
founding club members:
- S – Ellie Stetson
- K – Judie and Addie Kelsey
- I – Ida Benner
- D – Mrs. James David
- O – Mrs. Osman Plummer
- M – Mr. and Mrs. Charles Merry
- P – Mary Pinkham
- H – William K. Hilton
- A – Jennie Ames
Matthew Graff
Executive Director
Skidompha Public Library