You’re Invited to Join the Vose Library Corporation!
Did you know that Vose Library is a nonprofit corporation formed in 1931 to provide public library services to the local community?
This is actually quite common in Maine, where almost two-thirds of the state’s libraries fall into this category. The remaining libraries operate as municipal departments managed by local city or town governments. What people don’t often understand is how a nonprofit library is governed and by whom.
We’ll try to answer some of those questions below.
Who manages Vose Library?
There are two parts to this answer:
The library is governed by a board of directors, who are responsible for high-level oversight and planning, steering the organization towards a sustainable future, and ensuring the organization stays true to its mission while remaining financially stable. The directors are elected at the library’s Annual Meeting.
The Library Director, who is hired by the board, is responsible for overseeing library staff and the daily operations of the library.
Who are corporation members and what role do they play?
The Vose Library Corporation is a formal structure made up of local community members who act much like shareholders in a for-profit entity. Although members do not own the nonprofit, they hold ultimate authority over its governance and future by voting on major corporate actions.
These members participate in the library’s Annual Meetings, where annual reports are presented, and they are asked to approve a new budget and vote on new corporation members, as well as board directors and officers for the next fiscal year.
How do I become a corporation member?
To become a corporate member, one must be nominated and elected by the membership at an Annual Meeting.
If this is something you might be interested in, or you are simply curious about what goes on at these meetings, you are invited to attend our Annual Meeting at the library at 3:00 pm on Saturday, 6/27/2026.
Interested in Joining?
We'd love to have you.
Reach out to learn more or join this year’s annual meeting to become a corporation member.
Email: hello@voselibrary.org
Phone: (207) 785-4733
This year's annual meeting will be held on Saturday, June 27,
at 3:00 PM at Vose Library.
The meeting typically lasts about an hour and includes:
Librarian's report on the past year
Treasurer's financial report
Vote on new corporation members (that’s you!)
Approval of the annual budget
Election of Board of Trustees members
Feel free to bring your kids; we will have LEGOs, coloring, and books to keep them occupied.