Mission Statement
The mission of the Thompson Free Library is to strengthen and serve our community. inspire learning, advance and create knowledge, and to promote the spirit of human experiences and personal relationships
Value Statement
We believe that a free public library is essential to the public good We believe that a free public library is essential to our system of self-government which assumes the existence of an informed citizenry. We believe that all library users are entitled to the highest level of service. We believe that all library users have the right to privacy, confidentiality, and intellectual freedom.
Vision Statement
The Thompson Free Library contributes to the prosperity and growth of the town by fostering the spirit of exploration, the joy of reading, the pursuit of knowledge, and the preservation of the community’s history.
History

Thompson Free Library was dedicated September 9, 1898 and opened the following day in what the Piscataquis Observer described as a “gala day.” Dr. Elbridge Augustus Thompson, among other town dignitaries, delivered a speech. A renowned local poet Anna Boynton Averill read her poem “The Thompson Free Library.” The program ended with the singing of “America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee).”  A supper was served at Central Hall and the library was open for inspection while a military band played outside. The next day, the library was open for business, circulating books. 

The library was a gift by the aforementioned Dr. E. A. Thompson  in memory of his wife, Lucia, who passed away in 1896. A Civil War surgeon, he returned to Dover and practiced here until he retired at the age of seventy-five. Dr. Thompson paid for the library’s construction and set aside funds for the library’s continued use. He entrusted the care of the building to the town, to “keep in good repair the building and pay all necessary running expenses.” An Association and Executive Committee were created to govern the library.

Through the years, the town, the library, and the staff have worked together to make Thompson Free Library the flourishing institution that it is today. A major renovation was unveiled in 1972, including the area where the current circulation desk, offices, restrooms, and computers are. Another much larger addition was completed in 2006 which includes the children’s and adult fiction sections. The addition of the pavilion in 2023 marks the latest addition to this beloved landmark of our town.