Show Notes
In this episode, library leaders from across Maine share how their roles reflect the modern mission of public libraries and why these institutions remain vital to their communities. Listeners will learn how Maine libraries are adapting to meet today’s needs, the impact of federal funding cuts, and the strategies librarians employ to defend intellectual freedom amid growing pressures for censorship. The conversation also explores libraries’ role in climate action, the challenges of ensuring equitable digital access, and inspiring stories of how libraries especially in rural areas are fostering education, resilience, and stronger community connections. Donate to Maine Policy Review: https://mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/donate-to-maine-policy-review/ Our Website: https://mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/maine-policy-matters/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/umainepolicycenter/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/umainepolicy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcs.policy.center/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/umainepolicy Transcript: Coming Soon
More from Maine Policy Matters
In this episode, we sit down with Jennifer Grant, Lisa Smith, and Katherine Freund to discuss the critical challenges and innovative, community-driven solutions shaping transportation resilience, volunteer driver programs, and the future of mobility in rural Maine.
Today, we’ll be interviewing Linda Silka, Sarah Kirn, and Jane Disney on citizen and community science in Maine. Dr. Linda Silka is a social and community psychologist by training, with much of her work focusing on building community-university research partnerships. She has several decades of experience in leading community-university research partnerships on environmental, economic development, and environmental health issues. Sarah Kirn is the Participatory Science Strategist at NASA at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Kirn leads the planning and production of a professional development series for people leading participatory research efforts, with particular focus on meeting the needs of scientists funded by NASA to conduct research using citizen science methods. Jane Disney is currently an Associate Professor of Environmental Health at MDI Biological Laboratory. She is also the Director of the Community Environmental Health Laboratory. She is a co-developer of the citizen science online data portal, Anecdata.org. Donate to Maine Policy Review: https://mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/donate-to-maine-policy-review/ Our Website: https://mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/maine-policy-matters/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/umainepolicycenter/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/umainepolicy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcs.policy.center/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/umainepolicy Transcript: https://mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/2026/02/12/s9e1-the-nuclear-frontier-when-maine-was-the-frontline-of-the-cold-war/
In this episode, we interview Rebecca Gibbons, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Southern Maine, who discusses why Maine would be a strategically and politically amenable place for nuclear weapons placement, as well as the current state of affairs regarding nuclear weapons. Donate to Maine Policy Review: https://mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/donate-to-maine-policy-review/ Our Website: https://mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/maine-policy-matters/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/umainepolicycenter/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/umainepolicy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcs.policy.center/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/umainepolicy Transcript: Coming Soon
In this episode, we interview Chris O'Brien on Maine’s strategic role as a nuclear frontier during the Cold War, highlighting how bases like Loring became central to national defense. We examine the legacy of Senator Margaret Chase Smith, balancing her famous stand against McCarthyism with her firm support for nuclear military readiness. Donate to Maine Policy Review: https://mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/donate-to-maine-policy-review/ Our Website: https://mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/maine-policy-matters/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/umainepolicycenter/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/umainepolicy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcs.policy.center/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/umainepolicy Transcript: https://mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/2026/02/12/s9e1-the-nuclear-frontier-when-maine-was-the-frontline-of-the-cold-war/
In this episode, we discuss the high-stakes expiration of the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTCs)—a pandemic-era policy that is set to sunset at the end of 2025. While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) laid the groundwork for subsidized health insurance in 2010, the 2021 American Rescue Plan significantly boosted these savings, making coverage affordable for thousands who previously sat just outside the eligibility line. Donate to Maine Policy Review: https://mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/donate-to-maine-policy-review/ Our Website: https://mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu/maine-policy-matters/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/umainepolicycenter/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/umainepolicy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcs.policy.center/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/umainepolicy Transcript: Coming Soon