Library Spotlights

Greetings:

Library Enthusiasts & Bibliophiles:

My latest library visit brought me to the lovely Town of Portland, CT. Across the Connecticut River via the Arrigoni Bridge, it is a short distance to the Portland Public Library. The library boasts a wide selection of materials for readers of all ages. A history room details the story of the library from the early 1600s to the present. Please stop by and visit, it is well worth the trip! As always, come and experience the joy of the library!

Let’s Visit

The Portland Public Library

This is the main entrance to the Portland Public Library.

Portland, Connecticut, was once a part of Middletown, Connecticut. In 1841, the Town of Portland was born. In 1884, the Portland Library operated out of a dentist's office in Town, and members paid $1 per year. The collection contained 350 volumes.

In 1895, the Town of Portland voted to establish a public library in a room located within the Town Hall. The cost was not to exceed $300. With the support of the Portland Library Association, the library opened on May 4, 1895. Patrons must be at least 14 years of age, and you can only borrow one book at a time. As the years passed, the one-room space at the Town Hall proved insufficient to meet the growing demand.

Horace Buck came to the Town’s rescue. A former resident of Portland, he offered to build a new library with a donation of $2000. The Town kicked in another $1000, and the Buck Library was born. Upon his death, the Buck estate donated another $2,500. The library added two additions and a children's room over several years.

By 1977, the Town had outgrown the Buck Library. A building committee, comprising residents, began planning for a new library. Ultimately, any new town-owned public construction requires a vote. The residents of Portland overwhelmingly supported the January 1980 referendum. A groundbreaking took place on August 18, 1980. In little over a year, the Town of Portland opened its doors to the new Portland Public Library in December 1981.

How difficult is it to transfer books/materials from one library to another library? Not difficult in Portland when you have the help of volunteers, the 169^th Infantry of the Connecticut National Guard, and the men of Company C, 1^st Battalion, who helped relocate sixty thousand books, pieces of equipment, and materials in approximately 4 hours. Many hands make light work!

“History.” Portland Library, Town of Portland, 2018, www.portlandlibraryct.org/history.