With about 2,000 volumes, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Library in the Visitor Center is recognized as a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about plants, gardening, and nature, whether they’re starting with the basics or undertaking serious research. We even have a children’s section.
Library Mission
"Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ Library seeks to provide and maintain collections of materials on practical gardening, botanical knowledge, and conservation education as a resource to the community it serves in order to promote knowledge and conservation of Maine’s flora."
Who Can Use the Library?
All visitors are welcome to read our books in the library during library hours. Gardens members, however, are permitted to sign out books to be read at home.
Library Hours
Wednesdays Year-Round from 9:00 a.m. to noon, or by appointment.
Library History
Head Librarian Pat Jeremiah has led the creation of our fine library from its inception. She heard about our plans for a library just after moving to Maine in February, 1998, and immediately came on board to oversee every aspect of the library’s planning and growth. She is responsible in large part for the exciting collection and its careful organization using prescribed library practices.
Pat and another dedicated volunteer, Bonnie Ginger, take pride in the breadth of subjects represented and the careful cataloguing and labeling they’ve undertaken. Over the years, others, including Todd Poole and Lauren Brown, have also volunteered to record all the books that have come in.
Most of the books came to us through the initiative of Claire Hunt, Ph.D., a past-president of the Gardens. Between 2001 and 2003, in conjunction with her two years as president of the Garden Club Federation of Maine, Claire challenged garden clubs throughout the state to see which ones could donate the most books to the Gardens library. Of course, the donated books all had to be within the parameters of our horticulture/nature subject matter. The response was extraordinary, and the effort served two purposes: It stocked our shelves with books of remarkable quality and variety, and it acquainted gardeners statewide with the Gardens. Claire and Pat were both instrumental in acquiring several private collections and rare editions for the Library, as well.