The Week in Library Land: October 6 to October 12
It was a fun week in Library Land. We visited a slew of new libraries and a few old favorites.
The week started with a visit to the fine McAuliffe branch library in Framingham. It’s such an incredibly well-conceived and comfortable place. The cafe seating alone makes this a fantastic place to work. During this visit, it was interesting to see how many different kinds of people came in and used the space. There were tutors with students, adults working, and friends meeting. Totally an ace place! Library Land Score: 4.36.
The temporary Grafton Public Library.
Finding myself in the central part of the state, I decided to make a visit to the Grafton Library. It’s at a temporary location for the next few years and can be easy to miss if you aren’t paying attention. The library is currently housed in a church and I drove by twice before slowing down, checking the address, and reading the sign. I wasn’t alone in this - one of the librarians confessed that she’d missed it more than once!
The space is, shall I say, interesting? The main part of the collection is located in the main part of the church, from which the pews have been removed. The reference and circulation desks are located at the front of the large open room. There are a few quiet work areas and, all-in-all, the place was comfortable (if a little cramped). Library Land Score: 4.00.
On Wednesday it was off to Springfield for the ribbon-cutting of the library’s new courtyard entrance and accessibility ramp. Lovely addition, lovely event. You can read all about it here. Library Land Score: 4.45.
The view from the South Hadley Public Library.
Being in the area, it seemed a shame not to visit at least one other library. At the advice of Ed Lonergan of the Springfield Library and Steve Cary of the Springfield Library Foundation, I headed to the South Hadley Public Library. They had told me that it might not seem outstanding from the street but wait until I got inside.
Boy, were they ever right! From the outside it’s a fine-looking contemporary brick building. Nothing flashy by any means. The thing is, the library is right on the Connecticut River, at a falls that once powered the town’s mills. The interior takes full advantage of its site with large windows overlooking the river. It’s quite the vista!
Beyond the view, the interior was spacious and comfortable, with some quiet study rooms and plenty of other areas suitable for getting work done. It’s a fine building, designed by Johnson Roberts Associates, whose work we have seen and appreciated at a number of Massachusetts libraries, including Hopkinton and Lunenburg.
One notable thing to be found is perhaps the creepiest homage to Andrew Carnegie that we’ve seen to date! Library Land Score: 4.73.
When we have work to do and need a good place to do it, we often head to the Woburn Public Library. It’s one of our absolute favorites and it certainly didn’t disappoint on our visit on Thursday. It was kind of a hybrid - we spent time working at a large table in the old section of the library and then went to a study room for two conference calls. What a place. Library Land Score: 4.91.
While there are a lot of libraries we need to visit on the South Coast and western part of the state, there are still pockets in areas we’ve been to before. That’s certainly the case for the North Shore and Cape Ann. On Friday, we decided to head north and visit a couple up along the coast.
We imagined that we’d go to Rockport, Essex, and Ipswich. Unfortunately, Rockport was closed, but we did make it to the other two.
The Ipswich Public Library.
Our first stop was the Ipswich Public Library. Built in 1869, the old part of the library is a two-story affair with a mezzanine overlooking the central space and circulation desk. Supporting the upper level are graceful iron pillars that have a vaguely Egyptian-revival feeling. On the upper level is a local history room and a nice quiet study room.
There are two wings off the original building (well, three if you count a rearward expansion). One has a nice working fireplace with a quote from Jane Austin, "...there is no enjoyment like reading!" The other wing is the reference area. During our visit this room was used pretty heavily - mostly by people wanting to use the library’s computers, printers, and scanner. Watching the staff provide tech support was a testament to their patience and perseverance!
The working fireplace in the Ipswich Library - including the cute snail that serves as the library’s logo.
It did make me think about the issue of technology in libraries, and to wonder how much time is spent supporting patrons. It would be interesting to measure - but, as was pointed out to me - tracking that would just be another demand on staff time; and to what end?
To the rear of the library is a newer section, added in the early 21st century. This houses the bulk of the collection on two floors with a small teen area and a children’s room in the basement. There’s also a community room down there. All-in-all, it’s a lovely little library in the heart of a charming town. Library Land Score: 4.27.
Our final library of the day (and of the week as it turns out) was the T.O.H.P. Burnham Public Library in Essex. This is one of the most visually striking antique libraries we’ve visited. Its shingled sides and a bulbous clock tower are one in a million!
What a place!
The building was opened as a library and community space back in 1894, and while the configuration has changed over the years its use has not. We were fortunate enough to meet Deb French, the director of the library, who gave us a tour of the library and building.
The library itself is essentially a single large room with a couple of smaller rooms to the rear. There are comfy chairs and a friendly staff. Moving beyond the library, we saw an amazing meeting room that was once a theater. What’s wonderful about the space is the fact that it preserves the soaring ceiling that had been part of the theater - and that they managed to bring in a lot of natural light.
Back in the library, we heard that there have been more than a few people over the years who have suggested closing or moving the library. The “exuberance” of the building is part of the equation, as has been the upkeep. Happily, this amazing building recently got some needed attention and is looking beautiful! Library Land Score: 4.73.
That’s a wrap. A good week with some really interesting visits!