Nobody uses a library anymore because we have the internet. I hear this every time public funding is being considered for a library. It’s not true, you can’t do all the research you need on the internet. Take it from me, I’ve tried. You’ll spend more time navigating from one bogus website to another before maybe finding what you’re looking for, hoping it’s a reliable source. Here’s a suggestion: Go to a library and get the help of a professional who likely can suggest a trusted source.

Another misconception is that people are using their local library less. Not true. Study after study reveals just the opposite; people are visiting their local library more than ever before. This isn’t to say Google, Wikipedia and other online sources aren’t helpful. They’re fast and easy to use but it’s naïve to think you can find all the information you need with a few taps on your cell phone.

“Many people still think of their local library as a place where you borrow books. That isn’t true because libraries, even small ones like ours, have vast access to all kinds of information and helpful resources,” Pam Dunning, librarian for Wiscasset Public Library, told me during my recent visit. In February, she will have been the librarian here for 31 years.

Wiscasset Public Library, which by the way has been around since 1799, is on the corner of High and Main streets, a short walk from Lincoln County Courthouse. Did you know that it’s the oldest continuous circulation library in the country? Its present collection includes 38,000 books, CDs and DVDs and an archives collection containing historical documentation, genealogy records, early newspapers and vintage photographs, some of which are being digitized. The library offers inter-library loan services and also has access to the Cloud Library, a free audio and e-book service offering another 100,000 titles on nearly every subject.

You may be surprised to hear our library is a Gale Legal Library member offering downloads of legal forms compliant with Maine state law. These include forms for making living wills, tenant agreements, applying for child custody and more. “You navigate from our website, click on what you’re looking for, fill it out and print it,” Pam explained. Legal documents can be notarized at, where else, the library by appointment and free of charge. There are also photocopying services.

For young readers, your Wiscasset Public Library has a collection of graphic novels, classics like “Moby Dick,” “The Scarlet Letter” and Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” “We often suggest to our young readers that they start their reading experience with a graphic novel. Within a year or two they progress to reading regular books,” said Pam. The library, she added, also has a collection of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) kits for loan featuring challenging hands-on projects for teens.

Information and reliable access to it is becoming more and more important in our everyday lives. The problem is with so much information available it can sometimes be overwhelming finding what it is you’re searching for. Librarians can help because they’re skilled in helping find answers by offering helpful suggestions on where to start looking. They serve as gatekeepers using their knowledge and expertise to recommend trusted online sites, or publications that are best suited for a particular search.

Small libraries like ours need money to pay for their resources, maintaining the building and most importantly paying their staff a living wage. Like everything else, these costs keep going up. Wiscasset Public Library counts on an annual stipend from its member towns that include Wiscasset, Alna, Edgecomb and Westport Island, but Ms. Dunning told me this only accounts for about 29% of its annual budget of about $200,000. Others monies come from its endowment, fundraising efforts like its annual Bands for Books event and proceeds from the Used Book Store operated by the Friends of the Library and located on the library’s lower level. With that said, private contributions from donors are still needed to keep our library in business.

There are many other things our library offers: the children’s weekly storytime, 24/7 free internet access, its lecture series, along with serving as a place where people of all ages can gather. The point is, our library offers a lot more than just books and, as Pam says, nobody gets “shushed” anymore for talking inside the library. Wiscasset Public Library is open from 10 to 5, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; from 10 to 7 Wednesday and from 10 to 2 Saturday. It’s closed Sunday and Monday.

Phil Di Vece earned a B.A. in journalism studies from Colorado State University and an M.A. in journalism at University of South Florida. He is the author of three Wiscasset books and is a frequent news contributor to Wiscasset Newspaper and Boothbay Register. He resides in Wiscasset. Contact him at pdivece@roadrunner.com