MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 19, 2023
While many libraries in Maine and around the country loan items other than books – embracing the popular library-of-things concept – no other library in the state owns and loans out the bevy of outdoor gear offered by the Millinocket library. Since it opened five years ago, its Katahdin Gear Library continues to expand and evolve, and now operates from a storefront on Penobscot Avenue in downtown Millinocket. The Katahdin Gear Library loans a wealth of outdoor gear such as paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, mountain bikes, Nordic skis and backpacks. Residents of Millinocket and surrounding towns may check out the gear for two days for free before they must pay a small fee to keep it checked out for longer. The library’s effort has inspired rural libraries as far away as Virginia.