WHEREAS, Portland Public Library is a vital civic and cultural center for the City of Portland and for the State, fostering learning and engagement for all; and
WHEREAS, Portland Public Library is committed to "Building a City of Readers" for all the joy, learning and wisdom that reading provides; and
WHEREAS, Portland Public Library improves the creative, economic, educational and technological health of the region through its collections, programs, outreach and partnerships throughout the community; and
WHEREAS, Portland Public Library is the most visited cultural institution in the State and provides open access and support to 675,000 visitors annually, who make use of its services and its collection of more than 300,000 books, audiobooks, recordings, movies, archives and digital resources; and
WHEREAS, Portland Public Library serves as the Area Reference and Research Center for the Maine State Library, offering free library services to residents of York County, Cumberland County and assigned areas in Oxford County as well as providing services and support for the libraries in these communities; and
WHEREAS, Portland Public Library is a leader in collaborative library service initiatives statewide, particularly Maine InfoNet and its shared systems, and in national initiatives that connect patrons in the State to the collections of the world's great libraries; and
WHEREAS, Portland Public Library is a key partner within the City of Portland and statewide in the preservation of local history and promotion of the community's cultural vitality; and
WHEREAS, incorporated on January 22, 1867, following the Portland fire of 1866, Portland Public Library was described shortly thereafter by Mayor Charles J. Chapman as "so veritable a home of true democracy ... an atmosphere of philosophy, knowledge, and fancy"; and
WHEREAS, Portland Public Library was founded on the principles of civil and civic engagement and of free access for persons from all walks of life, which continue to today; now, therefore, be it