The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. IRW is the only grantee in Maine and one of five in New England. The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and bring the transformative power of literature into the lives of its citizens. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage citizens to read for pleasure and enlightenment.

Additional funding for The Big Read project of Island Reader & Writers and its partners comes from the Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation and other donations.

We couldn’t have done it with out you! Sincere thanks to all of our program partners and our lead library partner, the Northeast Harbor Library, plus the steering committee and all the volunteers for their commitment to the goals of The Big Read and to building island communities that celebrate reading.

Steering Committee: Raney Bench, Curator of Education, Abbe Museum; Anna Carr, Assistant Director, Northeast Harbor Library; Susan Guilford, Media Specialist and Librarian, Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School; Melinda Rice, News Editor, Mount Desert Islander; Dianne Waters, Principal Trenton School, Mount Desert Island Regional School System.

Jan Coates, Executive Director, Island Readers & Writers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Program & Resource Partners:

Abbe Museum – Bar Harbor

Acadia National Park – Mount Desert Island

Acadia Senior College – Bar Harbor

College of the Atlantic – Bar Harbor

Deer Isle–Stonington Historical Society – Deer Isle

Ellsworth Historical Society – Ellsworth

Elmira College Center for the Study of Mark Twain – Elmira, NY

Healthy Island Project Winterfest – Deer Isle

Main Street Variety & Garage Deli – Northeast Harbor

Maine Folklife Center, University of Maine – Orono

Mark Twain Childhood Home and Museum – Hannibal, MO

Mark Twain House – Hartford, CT

MDI YMCA – Bar Harbor

Mount Desert Island Historical Society – Mount Desert

Opera House Arts – Stonington

Penobscot Marine Museum – Searsport

Reach Performing Arts Center – Deer Isle

Reel Pizza Cinerama – Bar Harbor

Somesville Union Meeting House – Somesville

The Neighborhood House – Northeast Harbor

Tremont Historical Society – Tremont

Woodlawn Museum – Ellsworth

 

Library Program Partners:

Bass Harbor Memorial Library – Bernard

Chase Emerson Memorial Library – Deer Isle

Ellsworth Public Library – Ellsworth

Frenchboro Library – Long Island

Islesford Library – Little Cranberry Island

Jesup Memorial Library – Bar Harbor

Northeast Harbor Library – Northeast Harbor

Somesville Library Association – Somesville

Southwest Harbor Public Library – Southwest Harbor

Stonington Public Library – Stonington

Swans Island Library – Swans Island

 

School Partners:

Deer Isle–Stonington Elementary School

Deer Isle–Stonington High School

Isle au Haut School

Mount Desert Island Regional School System