Libraries often serve as community hubs, but few reflect community spirit and innovation as clearly as the newly renovated Millinocket Memorial Library.

Closed for several months in 2015 due to financial constraints, the library reopened only when community members rallied to form a non-profit organization to support it. Soon after, a new library director moved to Millinocket from out of state because he sensed that the town was a place of possibility – one welcoming of new ideas and vision.

Since then, Library Director Matt DeLaney has championed a $1.85-million renovation and expanded the library’s offerings to include outdoor gear lending, computer classes, and innovative partnerships to address food insecurity and access to transportation.

The library raised more than $1.3 million for the project in donations from individuals and foundations. The town became a major supporter when it agreed to lease the building to the library for $1 a year for 60 years.

The Center facilitated federal New Markets Tax Credit financing to help the library generate $550,000 for the project, and contributed funds for the library’s automated wood pellet boiler  — another way the library is tying into a revitalized local forest economy.

The tax credit financing is a good example of how the Center contributes its expertise to partner’s projects and can identify and help secure new types of capital to fund key projects.

“I want to thank our partners — Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation and Bangor Savings Bank — for providing tax credits and investment capital to make this financing possible,” said Rob Riley, president of the Northern Forest Center.

“This is one of the ways we help fill gaps,” said Riley. “We bring capital investment together with our program delivery to strengthen rural communities through projects like this and by investing in innovations in the forest economy of the region.”