Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library (BHML) hosted its first Storybook Ball on Saturday, Sept. 28, at Carousel Music Theater (CMT) raising over $20,000 for the library’s operating fund. Just over 100 people attended the inaugural event in honor of the library’s centennial anniversary. “We gather to celebrate literacy and community: We gather to celebrate our mission,” said BHML Executive Director Joanna Breen. 

In the middle of the Roaring ‘20s, BHML bought the Chapman Reed property, expanding the library’s offerings. The following year, BHML incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a 15-member board. One year later, F. Scott Fitzgerald published his iconic American novel, “The Great Gatsby,” depicting the high energy and lavish excitement of the Jazz Age — and setting the theme for BHML’s Storybook Ball. 

Female guests wore flappers with dropped waistlines and creeping hemlines adorned with beads, sequins and feathers. Men wore ’20s styled tuxedos, Oxford trousers and fedoras. The Gatsby Gang band played jazz hits all evening while guests sipped French 75s and tried their hand at the Lindy Hop, Charleston and Fox Trot. CMT was staged as a swinging speakeasy with no detail overlooked. “The venue is perfect. It’s intimate, we can transform it into this amazing backdrop. Paulette (Carter) has done an incredible job,” said Breen. 

"BHML is a people-powered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Working with so many different people to make this library the special place that it is is a joy and an honor. Libraries are a unique community feature, they are only as vibrant as the community support they get. There’s no other place where you don’t need money or a reason to wander in and be welcome; and freely access tech help, books, programs, and events. I believe libraries are a high point and celebration of the ideals of American democracy and self empowerment. I have immense gratitude for everyone celebrating with us tonight, and for our donors who make each year possible," said Breen.

An elegant sit-down meal, catered by Mine Oyster, was served as BHML Board President and event committee co-chair Joan Chatterton thanked the evening’s sponsors: Ryder, Tindal & Callahan Real Estate, J. Edward Knight Insurance, First National Bank, First National Wealth Management, Griffin & Harris Attorneys, Newagen Seaside Inn, Knickerbocker Group, Topside Inn, Bath Savings, Mine Oyster, Carousel Music Theater, Pedego Electric Bikes, and Portland Museum of Art. 

“We wanted to do something special for our 100th anniversary, something new and fun,” said BHML development manager Savannah Fields. “This will become an annual event; each year’s event will be themed on a literary masterpiece. At the end of the evening, all guests can vote on next year’s theme. We hope everyone has a great time.”

A silent auction matched the evening’s motif: “The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Rules It,” and a bottle of the legendary champagne, a Prosecco sampler basket, Champagne 101 – three bottles of champagne and “The Essential Guide to the Wines, Producers, and Terroirs of the Iconic Region Boxed Book & Map Set,” a Linda Yarmosh gold-framed painting of the library with a wintery backdrop and a bottle of Moet Champagne, and the Portland Package: $600 Marriott Bonvoy gift card, $250 Scales Restaurant gift card, $50 Gross Confection Bar gift card, a family membership to Portland Museum of Art and Prosecco.  

Special thanks were given to Event Committee Chairs Geoff and Joan Chatterton, Buzz Makarewicz and Mark Osborn, and Jessica and Jonathan Tindal.