Over the past several months, we’ve been working hard to plan an awesome 100th Birthday Party for York Public Library. We’re pretty happy with how it turned out–and we hope you are, too!
Over the course of the day, those of us who were at a service desk, manning a booth, or otherwise interacting with partygoers heard a constant refrain: “This is an awesome event!” “We have the best library ever!” “Wow, I can’t believe how much fun this is!” Aw, shucks!
Our Birthday Party, held on July 15, saw more than double the number of people we see on the busiest of summer days, pre-COVID. But none of it could have been done without the teamwork and support of SO many people.
Thank you to York Public Library Association for formally incorporating and making sure this town had an amazing library, along with its annual Members who, for a hundred years, have allowed this organization to thrive and expand past the bounds of taxpayer funding.
Thank you to the current Board of the York Public Library Association for all their hard work and support in ensuring we can offer not only a top notch birthday party, but also all the essential programs, materials, and services needed to support this wonderful community.
Thank you to all the volunteers who helped support the Centennial Birthday Party, from the early morning T-shirt sorters to the late night clean up crew and everyone in between. We couldn’t have done it without you. And a special shout out to our book sale volunteers. It’s a months-long process to cull and sort all the books that you love to browse, and we’re so thankful we’re able to offer our sale once again.
Thanks to Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows for honoring YPL with a visit – all the way from Augusta – and presenting a certificate in acknowledgement of our 100 years of incorporation!
Thank you to the musicians (Eric Fernald, Dan Morgan, and Lynda Nelson) and other vendors who added flavor to our day, including Nono’s Kitchen who made our delicious birthday cake!
Thank you to library staff for flexibility and understanding as we reconfigured normal operations for a day.
Thank you to the greater York Community for coming out in droves to support us. We see your support every day we’re open and with each vote for us on the Town Referendum, but having a large event culminating in the biggest crowd we’ve had plus so many thoughtful and kind comments was truly special.
Thank you to Steve Burns for designing a beautiful centennial woodcut to commemorate this special anniversary. (We still have some tote bags and t-shirts that feature the design for sale at the front desk!)
Thanks to WRAD and the Recycling Committee for assisting us in reducing the waste produced by this event through coordinating composting and compostable materials, as well as co-sponsoring our visiting artist.
Thank you to Kim Bernard, our artist-in-residence, for standing outside in 90 degree heat for two days while she instructed the community on how she’s reimaging plastic waste into works of art (now on view in the library’s lower lobby).
Thank you to all the groups and individuals who lent us what we needed for the day: tables, chairs, and lawn games, oh my!
Thanks to Bull Shirt for printing our beautiful shirts and bags on time despite supply chain issues and shipping snafus!
Thank you to the Centennial Committee for its tireless dedication to celebrating YPL and inviting everyone to celebrate with us!
Thanks to our beautiful building for serving our community wonderfully, right in the heart of town.
And thanks to our fearless leader, Michelle Sampson, who always makes sure we’re doing the best possible job to support the York community. We couldn’t do it without your astute guidance.
We’ve tried to be thorough with this list – our most abject and humble apologies if we forgot you. Know that we love you.
Centennial fun isn’t over… visit yorkpubliclibrary.org/centennial for more information!
