Press Release

Contact: Sonja Plummer Morgan Phone: (207) 764-2571

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4 P.M. EDT, April 5, 2012

Library receives $25,000 donation for Interior Design

Presque Isle, ME, April 5, 2012: Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library is pleased to announce a $25,000 donation from Mary Smith to the Library Board of Trustees Charitable Trust. This gift is to initiate interior design planning for facilitating the comfort and flow of library patrons. Mary's goal is to work with the community, its library staff, its trustees, and professional designers to bring the warm and vibrant colors of Aroostook County to the library's interior. This team will work together to invest the funds raised for library furnishings by the community, augmented by additional forthcoming donations, to offer patrons quality, comfortable, and beautiful furniture for reading, research, and community social interaction. The design team hopes to use Maine-made furniture.

Library Trustee Chair Nicole Cote expressed her appreciation,

“We are constantly amazed at the generosity and enthusiasm of Mary Smith and other contributors such as the Gauvins. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all those who have made donations to the library for their support. Such gifts are the very essence of community building, and will benefit our library patrons for years to come.”

Library Trustee Louise Hamlin also states,

“I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to Mary Smith and the Gauvins for their generous donations and continued involvement in the ongoing improvements to Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library.”

The scope of the project encompasses the entire library. In addition to Mary Smith's planning donation, Ray and Sandy Gauvin have stepped up with generous funding pledges for a dedicated teen center on the third floor of the library. This gift follows the Gauvins' donation of a commissioned series of oil paintings by artist Chester Gage titled “Maple Sugaring” on permanent display at the library. The Gauvins share Mary's vision of a library that meets the usage needs of its patrons, respecting environmental impact and local beauty, and offering a warm and comfortable ambiance.

Mary Smith, the design team, and the Gauvins are working to create a library presence that will offer lasting beauty and value for the community of Presque Isle.