Thomas Bennett poses in his office, wrapping up a 26-year career of leading Prince Memorial Library in Cumberland as its director. Nick Ressel / For The Forecaster

As archeologist and librarian, Thomas Bennett has spent his career cataloging, archiving and digging up history to both record and peer into the deeper intricacies of the past.

In April 1998, he joined Prince Memorial Library as its director. At the end of this month, 26 years later, he will move on from his role, having accepted a position with the federal government as a preservation specialist. He leaves behind a legacy highlighted by PML’s robust digital archive, comprehensive set of programs, and reputation as key information portal for the Cumberland and North Yarmouth communities.

Before joining PML as director, Bennett worked at the Portland Public Library for five years as its special collections assistant. Before that, he was a contract archeologist.

After becoming director of PML, Bennett’s focus centered on transforming the library’s catalog and analog operations toward digital platforms and capabilities.

Installing public computing stations, providing access to the internet, and transitioning the card catalog to a fully online platform helped “get the library into the 21st century,” he noted.

In 2009, PML partnered with the Maine Historical Society on the Maine Community Heritage Project where they digitized photographs and records that were then uploaded to the Maine Memory Network. Six years later, PML joined the DigitalMaine Repository, a partnership among the Maine State Library, Maine State Archives, and community organizations that provides access to Maine history, tries to ensure transparency in government and shares the stories of Maine people and places.

Bennett said that the big push for a comprehensive digital archive proved very useful during the pandemic. While the Cumberland and North Yarmouth town halls remained closed, citizens came to the library, which had digitized many town records. “The use of that digital archive skyrocketed … it really justified all the work we had done,” he said.

Along with the digital transition, Bennett helped expand the library’s set of programming, a need he quickly saw from the community after joining as director. The library has increased its community engagement by organizing events such as author talks, a monthly book subscription program for teens called Lit Loot, and a recipe exploration group called Cook the Book Club. As he explained, “more recently, we pushed that programming out from the library’s physical location into other pieces of the community.” PML now runs programs at the Wescustogo Hall in North Yarmouth, Val Halla Recreation Center in Cumberland, and surrounding churches in the area. The extended presence, Bennett says, helps counter some of the physical constraints of the library’s space, such as limited area for hosting events and a small parking lot.

Kelly Greenlee, community outreach librarian at Prince Memorial, said Bennett holds an impressive list of accomplishments, and has been important to the staff.

“He encourages the people who work there to take on challenges, follow their strengths, and pursue their interests,” she said.

Bennett brought his archaeological talents to many local projects, beginning with a shell deposit excavation on Moshier Island in Yarmouth in 1986, according to a library press release. For the town of Cumberland, he oversaw the archaeological dig at Broad Cove Reserve in 2016. In 2023, Maine Sea Grant awarded Cumberland, under Bennett’s leadership, a $5,000 grant to assemble and have analyzed softshell clam samples from the archaeological sites of the area’s islands and shores, a project that continues to today.

When Bennett started as director he was a new father, and he noted that watching his twin daughters grow up, volunteer and work, and gain exposure to the library frames a special piece of his tenure. “In some ways, it is a defining arc of what I have done here,” he said about fostering the growth of his daughters alongside the evolution of PML’s identity and capacities. “That makes me very happy,” he said.

Bennett has accepted a position with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as an environmental planning and historic preservation specialist where he will continue his archeological and historical cataloging pursuits.

Through his commitment to preserving history through digital archives and expanding community outreach, Bennett has helped mold PML into a rich community resource that offers far more than just its collection. “I have tried to solidify the idea that we don’t just lend books, we are information brokers,” he explained.

The PML will hold an open house Wednesday, Jan. 22, celebrating Bennett’s long-standing leadership and dedication to the library.