Castine library issues survey to guide 5-year plan

Witherle Memorial Library in Castine was Maine’s first library established for a municipality. Photo courtesy of Witherle Memorial Library.

March 9, 2026

By staff

CASTINE—Witherle Memorial Library in Castine has released a community survey to help guide its five-year strategic plan.

The survey can be filled out online and will run through Friday, April 3. 

The library invites the public’s perspectives on current services, programming, digital resources, partnerships, facility needs, and future priorities, according to a press release.

“The library wants to hear from families, students, Maine Maritime Academy community members, local organizations, and anyone who values the library's role in Castine,” according to the release. “They’re aiming for an ambitious 20 percent participation rate from the community.”

To aid in the goal, participants who provide their email will be included in a prize drawing for gift certificates of $25 to Compass Rose and the Auxford Market. 

Printed copies of the survey are also available at the library for those who prefer to respond in person.

Witherle began as a private collection of books accessible only by paid subscription in 1801. The town of Castine took over the collection in 1827, and in 1855, became the first community in Maine to establish a library for a municipality, according to the library’s website.

In 1901, the library moved its books to the town hall until the completion of a new building in 1913. George and Mary Witherle, local ship chandlers, donated the land and the building. Today’s library is named after the couple.

The library is part of the historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it contains over 16,000 volumes that circulate 20,000 times a year to almost 1,400 registered borrowers.