Judith Pfister cuts the ceremonial ribbon at the updated lending library on Main Street in Rangeley on Tuesday, April 8. Also pictured are Rangeley Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce customer service manager Lisa Mejorado, Codie Keene of Summit Homes, and Kathleen Kusper. Dee Menear/Rangeley Highlander

RANGELEY — Residents and visitors have an update to a community reading resource. The downtown lending library, tucked between The Black Bear Trading Post, 2487 Main St., and Mountain Miracles, 2485 Main St., has recently been upgraded, thanks to a generous donor.

Judith Pfister, a part-time Rangeley resident for 24 years, said the previous lending library, which had been in place for years, was open to the elements. Even with regular cleanup and care, books would be subject to elements of the weather or nearby passing traffic.

Pfister taught in New York and New Jersey for more than three decades.

“I respect books and, as a teacher, I respect reading,” Pfister said.

Rainbow School students Tilly Kolze and Willow Wilkinson make a selection from the updated lending library on Main Street in Rangeley Tuesday, April 8. Dee Menear/Rangeley Highlander

She approached the Rangeley Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce to see about funding an update for the library. It was a project the chamber was happy to take on.

“This is one of my favorite projects to be a part of,” said Lisa Mejorado, the chamber’s customer service manager. “It serves the entire Rangeley community, young, old, boys, girls… anyone, while promoting reading. It is a win-win in my mind.”

Pfister wanted something to protect the books from the elements while blending in with the Rangeley downtown,” Mejorado said.

Indeed, the library, with its log cabin exterior and green metal roof blends in with the aesthetic of the region.

Kathleen Kusper sits with a selection of book donations in front of Rangeley’s updated Main Street lending library on Tuesday, April 8. Dee Menear/Rangeley Highlander

Summit Homes built the library, finishing the project in less than two weeks, Mejorado said.

The library was installed on Thursday, March 27. A ribbon cutting ceremony took place Tuesday, April 8.

Rainbow School students Tilly and Otis Kolze and Willow Wilkinson attended the ceremony with their teacher, Mary Sue Richard.

“This is similar to the library,” Ally Kaiser, chamber executive director told the children. “The difference is that it doesn’t have hours. Whenever you are out and about with your parents, you can borrow a book and bring it back whenever you are done with it. You can also drop off any of your books that you may know by heart or what to share with others.”

Kaiser thanked Mejorado for coordinating the effort.

“I think a lot of people don’t even know there is a lending library in town,” Mejorado said.