BANGOR – When Bill Griffith died a year ago, people with disabilities lost “a world class advocate,” as Heidi Godsoe puts it.

A Bangor native who ran the Roger Randall Center in Houlton before going to work for Amicus in Bangor, Griffith created the “Behavior as Communication” program to train staff who work with people with a range of disabilities, both in Maine and nationally.

Patience, courage and respect for the dignity of every person were just some of the things he taught, recalled Godsoe, executive director of Amicus.

And, as someone who lived his whole life with Marfan syndrome, “Bill taught us balance,” she said. “He did not live a life circumscribed by his pain and his disability. He had a full life of family, friends, work and learning. He looked at the lives of clients in the same way. Rather than focusing only on poor behavior, he looked at the complex needs and life experiences of each person.”

Many people donated to a memorial fund for Griffith, Godsoe said, and that money is being directed to start the William Griffith Collection at Bangor Public Library.

The collection will comprise basic reading books for adults, she said. The intent is to give “reluctant readers” easy reading books without having to resort to children’s books.

The books will focus on subjects such as history, sports and biography.

Bookplates on the collection will describe Griffith as “a lover of books, behaviorist and advocate for human dignity. Please enjoy these wonderful books in his name.”

The collection of books labeled with an “E” will be dispersed throughout the library just like any other books, said director Barbara McDade.

“This collection will be very helpful to many adults,” she said, “not just those with learning disabilities or reading disabilities. They will be of interest to any adult using the library.”

The books will be available later this spring.