ROCKPORT — Current Rockport Library Committee Chair Kathleen Meil is not seeking reelection, but is instead laying the groundwork for a 2016 bid for state legislature.

"Rockport residents care deeply about education and community, and the Library is a place where those strongly held values overlap,” said Meil in a news release. “In my four years on the Library Committee, we’ve grappled with our town's identity, with how to preserve our rich history while nurturing future growth.”

The ongoing community discussion about the Library has led to two concurrent studies: a review of the library’s programs to identify necessary program spaces and describe the scale and rationale for those spaces, in tandem with an assessment of the existing building and infrastructure. Both reports will be completed this summer.

Though discussion about the future of Rockport’s public library has at times been challenging, Meil has seen the value of calm, positive leadership. “Conversations about education, innovation, and growth are very emotional,” said Meil in the release. “It’s tough work — and it’s work that communities across our state are also engaged in. I'm eager to be a part of finding solutions for all of us."

Meil, mother of two elementary-age children, is marketing manager at Evergreen Home Performance, a local green energy company. She will run as a Democrat and will seek to follow in the footsteps of Rep. Joan Welsh (D-Rockport), who will be term-limited after eight years representing Camden, Rockport, and Islesboro.