Readers & Writers
Readers & Writers
Portland is a City of Readers! The Library is your partner to explore, research, and share the love of reading and writing. We love recommending what to read next, what’s popular and what’s lesser known, and to spread the word about what’s going on in the library and in the community for readers and writers.

Not sure what to read next? Explore our librarian-crafted book lists for new releases, older favorites, and books in-between!
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Attend events featuring authors from Maine and beyond! Watch past events on YouTube or listen to them on the PortLit podcast.
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Our Book of the Week project is created by Reader’s Advisory staff and is focused on sharing one great book from across the Library’s collections each week. You can see a photo of each new book of the week and a list of the books in our library catalog here.
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Join us across social and online distancing to embark on a journey showing how fulfilling poetry can be! Portland Poet Laureate Maya Williams and their special guests will explore poetry’s intersection and interaction with health, identity, artistic expression, and more.
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The fifth annual Reading Challenge is here! 24 books in 12 months: will you accept the challenge?
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Are you unsure of what to read next? Our Reader’s Advisory staff is here to help! We’re ready to put our professional book-matching skills to work.
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Whether you’re selling your epic novel or creating a book of family recipes, we’ve got what you need to get started!
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Join fellow Mainers for a statewide Summer Reading program, in partnership with the Maine Humanities Council, and the Maine State Library.
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The Portland Poet Laureate is an honorary position given every 3 years to a poet who resides in the Greater Portland area and wishes to connect our shared community to the wonderful world of poetry. Portland’s current poet laureate is Maya Williams.
Learn More »Up Next at the Library:
Poetry Across: Maya Williams & Myles Bullen
Poetry Across: Maya Williams & Myles Bullen
From the PPL blog:
Library staff members share April Staff Picks: books on poetry, nature, and more! More »
Our staff shares their February picks from the library. More »
Our staff shares reading ideas and resources from the library. More »