ROCKPORT – Friday, February 23 was National Toast Day. And it doesn't matter which side of the bread your toast is buttered on. Toast is celebrated all across the United States. The Rockport Library at 485 Commercial St. decided to take the celebration one step further and offered up free slices of toast and a host of toppings to go with it.

Keith Drago, deputy director at the library, said the library was always looking for fun events that gave back to the community.

"We thought toast day was a little whacky, but something people could relate to," he said. "And we are always happy to do fun things here in the library."

Drago said they have lots of groups that stop in during the day and today they can have a piece of toast, as well.

"We have red raspberry jelly for starters for toppings," he said. "We have peanut butter, sugar free grape jam, Nutella, cinnamon and sugar and we have orange marmalade because later today at 1:30 we'll be showing the movie, Paddington, and Paddington is a bear who likes bread with marmalade."

Besides the toast, the library had a display of books on baking bread and other things to do with dough. Drago said they had a variety of bread for toast, as well.

"We have multigrain, white, wheat and a marbled rye," he said. "We also have gluten-free bread and a special sleeve to put it in, in the toaster so it doesn't come in contact with crumbs from the other bread."

Drago answered the age old question about which side his toast is buttered on.

"Always the top side," he said.

Ann Perschon, who was sampling a piece or two of toast and getting some knitting done said the multigrain bread made the best toast.

"The white was good, the rye was good, but the multigrain was the best," she said.

Drago said as far as he knew they were the only library in the state offering toast today.

"It's the first year we've done toast," he said, "but we have done a hot dog day for a few years in the summer in coordination with our book sale."

Lindsay Farmer, her two children and two of the neighbor's girls, all from Rockport, had just walked the Rockland Breakwater and decided a slice of toast was in order.

"We worked up and appetite and we love toast," she said. "We also love Merci Watson who also loves hot buttered toast."

Mercy Watson is a pig that appears in a series of children's chapter books written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by local artist Chris Van Dusen.

Jenna Yarosis, Fiona Farmer, Miranda Yarosis and Sadie Farmer were all busy putting toppings on their toast, but agreed that walking the Breakwater that morning was fun, but cold and were looking forward to enjoying there toast.