Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – The Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library was recently selected as a 2008 Maine Library Excellence Award winner.
According to Valerie Osborne of the Maine Regional Library System, a panel of judges from Massachusetts and New Hampshire chose the winners based on three factors: demonstrated benefit to its community; creativity and innovation; and leadership in creating programs that can serve as models for other libraries.
The Presque Isle library won the award in the 10,000 and under population category for its “Passport Services Program.”
“I attended an Association for Rural and Small Libraries conference in Columbus, Ohio last October, and one of the presenters was a library director from Pennsylvania who had implemented the Passport Services Program at her library,” said Sonja Plummer-Morgan, Turner librarian.
“She talked about how it was not only a convenience to people who would ordinarily have to stand in long lines, but it was an opportunity for a library to bring in some extra revenue,” she said. “When I got back from the conference, we began to explore the issue and found out that we qualified to be an official passport agent, and that with a little bit of training, we would be able to offer that service to the community.”
Since the beginning of the year, Plummer-Morgan said the library has issued almost 100 passports or passbooks.
Before the library program was initiated, many residents had to take time off from work or take children out of school in order to apply for a passport since they could only be obtained at the post office, which has limited hours. The library offers services during the day and evening, with Saturday and Sunday hours, making it possible for people to apply at their convenience.
“Because the post office is also offering this service,” Plummer-Morgan said, “we tried to create hours that went opposite of theirs. The uniqueness is that we offer the service on Sunday, so that makes it more convenient to the working population.”
“This is particularly important to residents of northern Maine in light of upcoming changes to border crossing requirements which will make passports or passport cards mandatory effective June 1, 2009,” said Osborne.
It costs about $100 to receive a passport. Plummer-Morgan said of that, the library receives $25.
“That money goes back to the city as revenue,” she said, “however, since we are funded through the city, in theory, we get that money back.”
The Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library will receive a specially-designed plaque, an Excellence Award banner, and a $500 cash award. The Maine Library Excellence Awards are sponsored by the Maine Regional Library System, the Maine State Library, the Maine Library Association, the Maine Library Trustee Association, and the Friends of Maine Libraries.
“I think the program speaks well of our council and our board of trustees,” said Plummer-Morgan, “and that they’re willing to give us the latitude to create and explore new services. The leadership in our community is something I appreciate as I’m trying to create new ways of bringing convenience to people. I’m pleased and delighted we were recognized.”
