“Working as a page in the Caribou Library was my first real job, (besides picking potatoes and babysitting),” said Sen. Susan Collins. “I worked here all through high school and even during the summer after my first year of college.”
Aroostook Republican photo/Barb Scott
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins was a special guest at the Caribou Public Library on Feb. 25, helping the institution celebrate 100 years of service. The young audience proved to be a very captive group as the senator read the story, “Antlers, Forever,” by Maine author Frances Bloxam. Sen. Collins also exchanged favorite book titles with the young readers.
The U.S. Senator shared these hometown memories recently, not with her political colleagues but with a very captivated audience of young library members during a special storytime at which the senator was the guest reader.
With the young readers in a semi-circle around her, Sen. Collins read, “Antlers Forever!,” by Maine author Frances Bloxam. After the story was finished Sen. Collins and her audience discussed the titles of some of their favorite books, finding that even though they were still in elementary school, some of their favorite books were well known by the U. S. Senator, including, “Harry Potter,” American Girl titles and of course anything by Dr. Seuss. Sen. Collins informed her young friends that when she was elected to the Senate 15 years ago, she had received a copy of, “Oh, the Places You Will Go.”
Aroostook Republican photo/Barb Scott
Diane Dubois, left, director at the Caribou Public Library, surprised Sen. Susan Collins with a special gift during a recent visit to the local library. Besides receiving her own, updated library card, a 1899 copy of a book once owned by the senator’s great-aunt Clara Collins Piper was presented.
As the children easily chatted with Sen. Collins, she told them about her job as a page at the library, relating that, as in any job, she started out doing just minor things, gradually being allowed to assist readers to find the titles they were interested in, to actually checking books out and assessing the two-cent fine when books were returned over due. One part of her job that impressed the children was that she had been the one who read during the Saturday morning story time program.
Sen. Collins remarked to the room full of storytime participants (children and adults), “I would like to congratulate the library staff and the board of directors on the fabulous job they have done in making sure that the Caribou Library has kept up with everything including all the new technology. It is such a wonderful resource for our community.”
Aroostook Republican photo/Barb Scott
It’s not every day that the reader at the public library for story time is a U.S. Senator. Caribou native and U.S. Sen. Susan Collins shared her love of libraries and books as she read “Antlers Forever,” during a recent visit to the Caribou Public Library. The special visit by Sen. Collins was part of the 100th anniversary celebration taking place this year.
As the special visitation, part of the 100th anniversary celebration taking place this year at the library, neared it’s end, Diane Dubois, library director, presented Sen. Collins with her own, updated library card to her hometown library as well as a surprise gift for the avid reader. Dubois presented the senator with a book, copywritten in 1899 of “Rubaiyat of Khayyam.” The even bigger surprise was extended when Dubois explained that the book had been donated to the library from the personal collection of a former librarian, Clara Collins Piper — Sen. Collins’ great-aunt.
When closing out the morning storytime Senator Collins and her visit to the Caribou Public Library, she reminded the young readers to, “Keep reading. Work hard, get a good education and — believe in yourself. You can be whatever you want to be.”
Aroostook Republican photo/Barb Scott
Following a very special storytime at the Caribou Public Library on Feb. 25, during which Sen. Susan Collins was a guest reader to a group of young book enthusiasts, the hometown senator also received a very special gift from Diane Dubois, library director. Dubois presented Sen. Collins with a book which had been donated to the library from a personal collection belonging to former librarian and great-aunt of the senator, Clara W. Collins Piper. The book, “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam,” copyright 1899, contained the handwriting of Mrs. Piper.
