Our mission is to connect the Biddeford community with materials, programs, services, and informational and cultural resources need to lead fuller, better, and richer lives.
If you are interested in joining the Association or wish to nominate someone for Board membership, please email director@mcarthurlibrary.org.
The annual meeting of the Association and Board is held on the second Thursday of September.
When the City Building burned in 1894, the library serving the people of Biddeford was destroyed. The Mayor recommended that a private association take up the responsibility of maintaining a public library for the benefit of the city’s residents.
In 1902, with seed money willed to the Library Association by Elizabeth Stevens, an employee of the Laconia Mills who left her life savings to the library, and the energy of Robert McArthur, an Agent of the Pepperell mills, the Library Association bought and dedicated the McArthur Public Library.
The McArthur Public Library is housed in the former Pavilion Congregational Church built in 1863. The Association has improved the building including major renovations and additions in 1962 and 1996.
