The Margaret Chase Smith Library will be hosting the 2026 Maine Town Meeting on Friday, May 15th. Come join in a conversation with panelists - Kerrie Lattari, Cathleen Miller, and Nicole Rancourt - about recent attempts to ban books in school and public libraries in Maine and nationwide. What are the consequences of book bans and what responsibilities do we have to shield vulnerable populations from disquieting information? How do we decide what is right?
Agenda
9:30-10:00 Pastries and Coffee
10:00-10:15 Welcome and Introductions
10:15-11:30 Panel and audience discussion
12:00-1:00 Box Lunches available ($10 + handling fee)
RSVP HERE
Speaker Bios
Kerrie Lattari is a Library Media Specialist for York School Department in York, ME. She is an ALA Law for Librarians Trainer and sits on the Maine Association of School Libraries Intellectual Freedom Committee.
Cathleen Miller works at the University of New England as the Education and Outreach Archivist and liaison to the School of Arts and Humanities. She holds an MLS from Drexel University and an MA in Poetry from Temple University. Cathleen is currently the Chair of the Maine Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee, serves as a Law for Librarians trainer, and is on the steering committee of the New England Intellectual Freedom Helpline. Outside of library-land, Cathleen spends as much time as possible with her hands in the earth, whether it be in her gardens or making vessels out of clay.
Nicole Rancourt a recovering public educator, is the Program Manager at the Maine Humanities Council and the organization’s primary liaison to Maine’s library and school networks. She served as a library trustee for over a decade and is currently a member of the I’m Your Neighbor Books board. Nicole believes books, when at a conversation’s center, provide a common ground that invites people to reflect on their own experiences and insights in new and unexpected ways. Along with literacy, they are critical to the creation and maintenance of a democratic society. Nicole lives on unceded Wabanaki land now called Minot with her husband and pup.
The Maine Town Meeting is made possible in part through support provided by the Colonel Paul D. LaFond, USMC (Ret.), Fund. Colonel LaFond was a frequent participant at Maine Town Meetings. The Margaret Chase Smith Foundation is grateful to his family for the generous donation in his honor, which enables this forum for civic reflection and civil discussion to continue.
The Margaret Chase Smith Library is located at 56 Norridgewock Avenue, Skowhegan, Maine 04976.
