If by chance the late steel magnate and humanitarian Andrew Carnegie is checking in on earthly goings on, he should be elated with what is happening on Maine’s library scene. A renaissance, involving some of the state’s most striking architectural landmarks, is under way.

New life is being breathed into these historic information centers and gathering spots by way of restorations and-or additions.

Included in this rebirth are some of the 18 Maine libraries that Carnegie funded back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This time, instead of Carnegie, two of Maine’s most generous philanthropists, Stephen and Tabitha King, have joined local volunteers and town leaders in their quests to give these valuable institutions a grand push into the 21st century.

Since 2004, I have been part of a team raising funds for the restoration and expansion of the Pittsfield Public Library. It is a gem – arguably our town’s most important building, architecturally and historically.

This library benefits every single person in our area – from the “Pampers crowd” to the “Grampa group.” It is the purest form of democracy. Where else can we walk into a place, scope out the offerings, and walk out the door with an armful of books and a movie or two? At no cost!

The Pittsfield library looks like a building that should be in Washington, D.C. Actually, there is a good reason. Back in 1899, New York architect Albert R. Ross won a competition among 25 of America’s leading architects to design the Carnegie library in our nation’s capital. As that building was being completed, Ross began drawings for another Carnegie – in Pittsfield, Maine.

At present, our library is structurally sound. However, there is a great deal of deterioration. Paint is peeling, the lower level is dark and gloomy, ceiling tiles are dingy … space is also very tight. Aisles have been narrowed by the inclusion of large print books, videos and audios. Desks and computers are crowded into the entrance and rotunda. Bookshelves and materials hide three of the building’s four fireplaces. There are no quiet spaces for reading or studying, and in contrast to earlier times, there is no spot where local clubs and Scouts can hold meetings. Added to all of this is the fact that the elevator must be replaced.

We originally talked restoration. But then we visited a half dozen libraries from Blue Hill to Brunswick that had undergone restorations and expansions. Our tour included Pittsfield’s sister library in Old Town that was also designed by Ross. We were in awe: the roominess, the quiet corners, the wonderful children’s rooms. We heard about after-school programs and how circulation had soared.

We soon realized that a restoration would do nothing for the overcrowding. We began to imagine the possibilities and soon had a conceptual plan that included an expansion.

The library trustees kicked off the fundraising with their own generous pledges. After that, trustee chair Lancy Bradshaw and I began visiting local businesses. The response to our initial effort was incredible. Grant writing brought the same kind of support.

And the townspeople as well as many former residents have been amazing. It has been grass-roots in the purest form. Forty different events have been held from school penny drives to concerts. One morning two years ago, we had two offers of quilts to raffle within a three-hour period. If someone isn’t selling tickets for a library benefit, then they are buying tickets to a library benefit. The next tickets to be printed will be for a July 14 Garden Club tour.

Eleven local organizations have made gifts, held events, or both.

Personal gifts have come with some wonderful stories. After several weeks of saving part of her allowance, a 6-year-old handed our librarian an envelope filled with $11.78 in coins and bills; a terminally ill woman put her home furnishings up for auction and gave us the proceeds; a local craftsman, nearing retirement, has volunteered to make the circulation desk. Most of us are not wealthy. But through sacrifices and determination, our fund has grown dollar by dollar.

We are now in our last and hardest stages of fundraising and are closing in on a long-awaited groundbreaking. As of this writing, the final estimates are being tabulated. Because of soaring construction costs, the high price of a replacement elevator, and the discovery that there is more deferred maintenance in the original building than was expected, we know we have a lot of work left to do.

Meanwhile, there is a certain spirit and enthusiasm in this campaign. It reminds me of the way charitable giving was approached by the Sebasticook Valley area’s good friend, the late Alton “Chuck” Cianchette.

Chuck’s thinking was always, “Don’t give until it hurts. Give until it feels good.”

Ann McGowan is the capital campaign chairwoman of the Pittsfield Public Library restoration and expansion project.