Ludden Memorial Library Director Korina Lee reads Wednesday to Dirigo Elementary School second graders at the Dixfield library. Seated from left on the bench and in chairs next to it at right are Cali Stearns, Ellie Erskine, Chloe Hutchinson, Oliver Luczynski, Ryan Hutchins, Elias Casiano and Quinn Ray. Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times

DIXFIELD — Dirigo Elementary School second graders toured Ludden Memorial Library on Wednesday and most received their first library card.

This is the third year of the field trip, with others scheduled Oct. 23 and 30.

Librarian Cindy Petherbridge said parents must apply for a card for their children who are 7 years old at the time of the tour.

Students, teacher Sarah Thompson and Petherbridge were greeted Wednesday by library Director Korina Lee and assistant library aide Wendy Ames.

Lee shared some differences between the public library at 42 Main St. in Dixfield and the Dirigo school library at 117 Auburn Road in Peru. The public library has toys and “fun kits” for children and movies and DVDs families may borrow. She also pointed out the shelves for the Chickadee 2024-25 picture book award nominees, which can be found at both of libraries.

Ludden Memorial Library Director Korina Lee reads to Dirigo Elementary School second graders Wednesday at the library in Dixfield. Seated from left in the front row, background, are Adalyn Gallant, LaiLa Linscott, Morgan Ryley and Lillian Harrison. Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times

Lee read “The Three Little Guinea Pigs” by Erica S. Perl, one of this year’s Chickadee picture book award nominees. When the students lined up to leave with their new library cards, she gave them a coloring book page of guinea pig drawings

Damian Viger told Petherbridge he was excited to have a library card “because all my friends got one.”

Petherbridge said the library is open during school vacations and in the summer and has books not available at the school. The library can also loan books from other libraries in the state.

“And we want them to be lifelong library users,” Petherbridge said.

“So, we all work together; the middle school, high school, elementary school and the public libraries. We all try to stay connected,” Petherbridge said.

The library has a preschool story time Mondays from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

It is conducting a food drive for the community and accepting nonperishable and monetary donations through Nov. 9.

“And actually, this whole time we’re doing ‘food for fines,’” Lee said. “So, if anybody has overdue fines on their record and they donated to the food bag, we’ll take their fines off. However, the ‘food for fines’ measure does not include the cost of replacing books or other library items, only overdue fines, she said.

Ludden Memorial Library Director Korina Lee leads Dirigo Elementary School second graders Wednesday on a tour of the Dixfield library. She also read them a story and presented library cards to those 7 years old whose parents applied for a card for them. Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times