Maine’s volunteer libraries thrive with tight budgets. State rules could make that harder.
STANDISH – A fresh furnace now warms the basement of the Richville Library, a small, volunteer‑run institution that has served the Standish community for more than a century. The heating system was purchased with unexpected donations from local residents who wanted to help replace an aging electric heater that had strained the library’s tight budget for years.
Lynn Knowlton, the library’s president, said she could hardly contain her excitement. “I can’t stop happy dancing,” she told a reporter, describing the recent Saturday morning when volunteers gathered to install the new equipment.
The 103‑year‑old building, painted a soft yellow, now enjoys a more reliable heat source thanks to the generosity of neighbors who recognize the library’s role in a town of about 11,000 people. For many of Maine’s tiny libraries, such unexpected windfalls are rare, and they often operate on annual budgets under $10,000, supplemented by town contributions that typically range from $2,000 to $4,000.
However, a set of proposed regulations from the Maine Library Commission threatens to withdraw essential state services from libraries that do not meet new criteria. Under the draft rules, a library could lose access to subsidized internet, interlibrary loan deliveries, and grants from the Maine Public Library Fund unless it hires a paid director, keeps its doors open an average of at least 12 hours each week throughout the year, and completes a specified number of professional‑development activities.
The proposal has sparked concern among rural librarians who say the new standards would jeopardize the very services their communities rely on. According to an impact assessment prepared by the state’s library agency, roughly three dozen of Maine’s 257 public libraries currently fall short of the proposed requirements.
One of those libraries is the Richville branch. Its six volunteers, including Knowlton’s mother Karen McNutt—who serves as the library’s director—and her father David, who handles treasurer duties, have doubled the library’s weekly hours to 13 in the past two years. Programming now includes American Sign Language lessons, Red Cross training, a writers’ circle, multiple book clubs, and additional story times. “There’s a lot of spirit still there in that place,” Karen McNutt said, reflecting on the community’s enduring commitment.
Similar challenges face other small libraries across the state. In East Millinocket, which serves a population just over 1,500, head librarian Dylan Johnston—one of two volunteers—said the push to disqualify his library felt dismissive. “It’s very demeaning and deflating,” Johnston said. “This library has faced several challenges along the years, but I’ve kept it going. I’m an invaluable service.” His library recently received a $50,000 grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation to update furniture, signage, and the children’s area, and Johnston runs tech‑help sessions and a weekly gathering for seniors.
In Pembroke, volunteer vice president Carol Wolf noted that her library could not afford to pay a director. “Just because (libraries) don’t meet these direct criteria that the library commission wants to impose, does not seem to me to mean that they’re not effective libraries,” Wolf said. She is now leading a grassroots effort to overturn the rule and increase rural representation on the commission, which currently has five vacant seats and no members from north of Bangor.
The financial pressures on the state’s library system have also been a factor. Commission Chair Bryce Cundick explained that rising costs and funding uncertainty have driven the need for new standards. The Maine State Library laid off a third of its staff in April 2025 after federal cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, though some positions have since been restored. At an April meeting, Commission member Wynter Giddings argued that paid staff would bring “sustainability” and “accountability” to library operations. The draft also requires libraries to maintain strategic plans.
Maine law, passed in 2011, instructs the commission to establish minimum standards for library service, but it does not dictate what those standards must be. The attorney general’s office has recommended that the commission create enforceable rules, a step the agency is now pursuing. The current draft does not specify a minimum salary for a director; a payment as low as $1 could technically satisfy the requirement.
The rule‑making process is currently in a transitional phase. After the draft went through legal review in September, the commission voted to begin a public comment period that is expected to open on Thursday, with a public hearing scheduled for October 29. The agency will consider feedback and decide whether to adjust the proposal at its January meeting. If approved, libraries would have two years to begin paying a director, with the possibility of extensions.
State Librarian Lori Stockman has declined to comment on the specifics until after the public comment window closes, citing the draft’s unfinished status.
Opponents of the proposal argue that Maine’s tradition of vibrant, volunteer‑run libraries should be supported rather than restricted. “What I see is this direction to try to have all Maine libraries look alike, which is not what Maine is about,” said Sarah Redfield, a York lawyer who has spoken out against the rule.
As the debate continues, small‑town libraries like Richville remain focused on serving their patrons. From the new furnace that keeps the building warm to the wide range of programs that draw in residents, these institutions illustrate how a handful of dedicated volunteers can sustain a community’s cultural and informational needs. Their future now hangs in the balance as the state decides whether to impose the new standards or refine them in response to the concerns of the very people who run the libraries.
