Bass Harbor Memorial Library

10/12/2026

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10/12/2026

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an observance that honors the histories, cultures, resilience, and continued presence of Indigenous peoples. Rather than focusing only on the past, it recognizes Native communities as living cultures that continue to shape and strengthen society today.

The meaning goes beyond a single holiday. It encourages a more accurate understanding of Native American history, including both the harms caused by European colonization and the ongoing contributions of Indigenous communities.

Part of why we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day is because Native history is often overlooked or inaccurately taught. Educational efforts such as the Smithsonian’s Native Knowledge 360° initiative help address these gaps by providing more complete and accurate resources about Indigenous histories and perspectives.

Today, there are 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States, along with many additional tribes and Native communities that are not federally recognized but continue to preserve their cultures and traditions. The day is currently observed by 17 states and Washington, D.C., with more communities recognizing it each year.

Via https://indianyouth.org/indigenous-peoples-day/

09/30/2026

𝗗𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝘁𝘀 & 𝗟𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘀
𝗢𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟲 – 𝟯𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

Join us this October for the fantastical creations (aka Huck’s Ducks) from the mind of artist Rick Huck, and strangely mutated fishing finds of local lobsterman Danny Closson.

𝗔𝗻 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟲 𝗮𝘁 𝟱:𝟯𝟬 𝗣𝗠 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆.

𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝗰𝗸 transforms hapless plastic hunting decoys into customized miniature war vessels—ranging from attack freighters to battleships—to act as protectors for the local waterfowl population. Against what? Time may tell.

Each sculpture is built on a base plastic decoy, enhanced with found objects such as Plexiglass, prescription bottles, paintbrushes, bottle caps, and model parts, and is inspired by reference photos of real naval ships.

Though not motorized, the waterfowl-inspired war boats are seaworthy; Huck, an avid scuba diver, has famously towed his creations along on shallow underwater dives.

𝗗𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 has been fishing the waters off Bass Harbor and beyond, including Zones B and C, since 2005, when he was just 15 years old. Guided by the knowledge and traditions passed down from seasoned mentors in his harbor, he developed a deep respect for both the fishery and the community that depends on it. His dedication to life on the water is matched only by his passion for learning about the rich history of the islands he fishes around.

Today, his two young sons share those same passions, and the Closson family can often be found exploring islands and camping on remote beaches when they are not working the water.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟲-𝟯𝟬. 𝗔 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆.

For more information about Rick Huck and his artwork, visit: www.richardhuckartist.com

09/30/2026

❤ ❤ ❤ Love these women!

Meet the reWorks Artists! reWorks is a collaborative literary art project celebrating the ways creative ideas echo across mediums and through people. Join us on Wednesday, October 7th for a special event and zine release featuring this year's contributors: https://nehlibrary.libcal.com/event/16519976

Jennifer Judd-McGee is the creator-proprietor of Swallowfield and an artist based in Northeast Harbor, Maine. Active in numerous media, JJM is best known for her hand-rendered original papercuttings and has exhibited her original artwork in galleries across the U.S.

Kaitlyn Miller is a painter, potter, poet, singer-songwriter and art teacher for the children of The Cranberry Isles School. After getting her BFA in ceramics at Maine College of Art and Design, she moved to Little Cranberry Island, Maine where she lived year round for 15 years. She now lives in Northeast Harbor with her son Bode, where she makes pottery in her kitchen studio and paints en plein air up and down the coast of Maine.

Katherine Emery is a photographer, educator, and writer, with a Master's Degree in Learning Design and Technology. Her photography business began in San Francisco nearly 15 years ago, with private commissions -- documenting family stories and portraiture -- and soon grew to include clients such as Stanford Children's Hospital and The George Lucas Educational Foundation. In 2020 Katherine moved from San Francisco to Somesville, Maine, where she now lives in an 1800s farmhouse with her husband, their two daughters, and a two pound bunny named Chestnut Mochi.

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This program is an Open Call Event of the 2026 Maine Lit Fest and was made possible through the support of the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance.

09/25/2026

Autumn's First Canis lupus familiaris — Cooper!

Dharma by Billy Collins

The way the dog trots out the front door
every morning
without a hat or an umbrella,
without any money
or the keys to her dog house
never fails to fill the saucer of my heart
with milky admiration.

Who provides a finer example
of a life without encumbrance—
Thoreau in his curtainless hut
with a single plate, a single spoon?
Ghandi with his staff and his holy diapers?

Off she goes into the material world
with nothing but her brown coat
and her modest blue collar,
following only her wet nose,
the twin portals of her steady breathing,
followed only by the plume of her tail.

If only she did not shove the cat aside
every morning
and eat all his food
what a model of self-containment she would be,
what a paragon of earthly detachment.
If only she were not so eager
for a rub behind the ears,
so acrobatic in her welcomes,
if only I were not her god.

"Dharma" by Billy Collins, from Sailing Alone Around the Room. © Random House, 2002.

09/22/2026

Thanks to our friends at League of Women Voters of the US, we have FREE & EASY-TO-READ Maine Elections 2026 Voter Guides at the Library, while they last.

If you don't need the extra paper in your life, you can download your own copy to read online here: https://www.lwvme.org/VoterGuide

Stay informed, and make sure your voice is heard. VOTE! ❤️

https://www.lwv.org/elections/vote411 https://www.vote411.org/maine
https://www.vote411.org/maine -registration-deadlines

09/17/2026

Annie Dillard ❤ 30 April 1945 — 15 September 2026

A NATURAL HISTORY OF GETTING THROUGH THE YEAR
by Annie Dillard

From the diaries of a 19th-century naturalist in Staunton, Virginia

NOVEMBER I, I895

The mountains are on fire
and everything is dry; insects gone.
My private work this year will be:
Biology, Bible, Art, Geology, Body,
Literature. This term will be devoted
to Art, Zoology, Bibles, Epics, Dramas,
etc. I find the Entomostraca interesting.

JANUARY 24; 1806

I spent most of the day
mounting butterflies from India.
This finishes all the flies for this year
until more are caught.
Poisoned plants at night.
Very warm. The brightest,
warmest January I remember.

PLAN OF NATURE STUDY FOR APRIL

Birds and flowers will keep one busy.
Make collections of both, and observe
the battles and songs of birds. Watch
for the eggs of Phoebe about the middle
of the month. Study the circulation
of the blood in a frog's foot.
Take up mental hygiene;
because it is much needed now.

Poetry, February, 1975.

09/11/2026

We are happy to join our community neighbors and friends in inviting you to a Benefit Supper for the Closson Family at Tremont Community Church.

Please join us for a benefit cookout on Saturday, September 19, from 5–7 PM, as we come together to support Dan Closson and his family.

🦞🦞🦞

As most of you already know, Bass Harbor lobsterman Danny Closson was hauling traps off Gott's Island when his boat Never Enough took on water, rolled, and sank. Fellow fishermen answered his Mayday and pulled him from the sea. That night the Tremont waterfront turned out, hauling the vessel to the dock in Bernard, and standing with a family whose livelihood went down with the boat.

Danny has lobstered these waters since 2005. He lost the boat, a new motor, gear, and that day's catch. Our community has already rallied online, and now we gather in person to eat together, give what we can, and help one of our own get back on the water.

🦞🦞🦞

The cookout is free, and any donations will go directly to the Closson Family. If you'd like to bring something, call the church to see what might be needed.

We hope you’ll join us for an evening of good food, fellowship, and community support.

𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟱 - 𝟳 𝗣𝗠
𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵
𝟭𝟳𝟭 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱, 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗿

09/05/2026

ON THE SHELVES...

From the time she was a little girl,
the poet Mary Oliver found words in the woods.

And when she grew up,
she shared those words with the world.

🌍 📖 🌺 🪺 🍂 🐿️

Woods & Words: The Story of Poet Mary Oliver
by Sara Holly Ackerman & Naoko Stoop Illustration

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Our hours are:
Tuesday 10 a.m — 5 p.m.
Wednesday 10 a.m — 5 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m — 8 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m — 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m — 2 p.m.