Small, Free Library Installed in MaineHealth Charlotte & Christopher Beebe Health Center

ROCKPORT, Maine - MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital is excited to announce a new partnership with the Rockport Public Library to open a small, free library on the ground floor of the MaineHealth Charlotte & Christopher Beebe Health Center.

This new library will help make the waiting experience more comfortable for patients of all ages, allowing them to immerse themselves in a book before a scheduled appointment. Patients are free to take the books home with them to keep. The shelf will be restocked once a week by volunteers from the Rockport Public Library.

"The Rockport Public Library has always had a tradition of working with the community," said Alice Cahn, a member of the Friends of the Rockport Public Library board. "As we thought of different ways of branching out, the idea of building little free libraries where people could take books to enjoy became attractive. The hospital and the library share the same goal in providing a service to our community, so we knew it was a great fit."

The hospital is one of three sites to receive a free library, along with the Midcoast Recreation Center (MRC) and the Rockport YMCA. Each library is designed, built, painted and installed by students from the Midcoast School of Technology in Rockland.

"Julian Stearns and his students did a phenomenal job creating this little library and we are extremely thankful for all their hard work on this project," said Tyson Thornton, PharmD, FACHE, senior director of operations at MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals. "This partnership with our local town library will be a great asset for our patients as a shared opportunity for learning and connection."

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About MaineHealth
MaineHealth is a not-for-profit, integrated health system whose vision is, "Working together so our communities are the healthiest in America," and is committed to a mission of providing high-quality affordable care, educating tomorrow's caregivers and researching better ways to provide care. MaineHealth includes a Level 1 trauma medical center, eight additional licensed hospitals, comprehensive pediatric care services, an extensive behavioral health care network, diagnostic services as well as home health, hospice and senior care services. With more than 2,000 employed providers and approximately 23,000 care team members, MaineHealth provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. MaineHealth hospitals include MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor in Westbrook, MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, Biddeford and Sanford, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, MaineHealth Stephens Hospital in Norway and MaineHealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast. MaineHealth also includes the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children's Hospital in Portland, MaineHealth Behavioral Health in Westbrook, MaineHealth Home Health and Hospice in Saco, the MaineHealth Institute for Research in Scarborough, the MaineHealth Medical Group and MaineHealth NorDx in Scarborough. MaineHealth affiliates include MaineGeneral Health in Augusta and Waterville. It is also a significant stakeholder in the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization in Portland and a joint venture partner in the New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland.