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Maine State Library Prepares For Return to Cultural Building.

As construction concludes at the Cultural Building in February, the phased return of the State Library, Archives, and Museum will begin in the coming months. The three agencies do not anticipate being fully moved in until late 2025, and do not have a date yet for when the Cultural Building will re-open to the public.

Relocating such vast collections is a significant undertaking, the State Library alone has seven linear miles of materials! Moving our collections is more than moving items from one place to another. It's about preserving history, maintaining the integrity of each item, and ensuring accessibility of the library's collections for future generations.

To this end, starting March 14th, the Maine State Library's 242 State Street location will be closed to the public on Fridays. This will allow staff to prepare the collections at our offsite locations for the move.

We will make every effort to minimize disruption to our patrons. Beginning March 14th:

All current library services will continue to be available Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
While our temporary facility at 242 will be closed to the public on Fridays, online reference services, meeting room reservations, interlibrary loan, and outreach services to our homebound and visually impaired patrons will continue.

We will keep you posted on further updates as they are available.