The Week in Library Land - April 6

Another week and another batch of tales from our travels around Library Land. It was an exciting week, with visits to five libraries - three old favorites and two new comers, including one that was something special!

The week started at the Christa McAullife branch library in Framingham. It’s a nice modern library with lots of resources and a comfortable and inviting space. Not surprisingly, space is a big theme in the branch, and can be seen in the shape and sweep of the big main room, the orb-like lamps - hanging like stars and planets from the ceiling, and the tribute to McAullife on the wall.

On Tuesday we were at the Newton Free Library, where Library Land got its start. We were excited to see that there are plans for some upkeep around the library with fresh paint and new carpeting in the works. The library sees a tremendous amount of traffic so wear and tear is unavoidable. It’s nice to see this being recognized and addressed.

Thursday featured a trip to another favorite, the Wellesley Free Library. Arriving at the library around midday, there was nary a parking spot to be found. Talk about popular! Within an hour, though, things calmed down. It’s such a good place to work.

On Friday it was Wrentham and the Fiske Public Library. This is a mid-sized library built in the 90s. It’s a comfortable spot with plenty of places to sit and get work done. The staff was happy to chat about the history of the library and the town. One of the stranger things about the library is the fact that you need to sign a piece of paper to accept the terms of use for wifi! I’m used to clicking “Accept” but the paper form was a first! That’s a small gripe. There was an available study room which made it a perfectly acceptable place to get some work done.

Today it was a bonus library - the Newburyport Public Library - and what a library it was! As is so often the case, this library is in two parts, build centuries apart. The old library is housed in a structure circa 1750 or so and the new one in an expansion built in the 2000s. They come together nicely and really seem to meet the needs of the community. What made the visit extra special was spending time talking with the head librarian and attending a super fun “Books in Bloom” fundraiser. There’s a lot to say about this wonderful library but that will have to wait for a later post. If you’re in the area, you owe it to yourself to visit this library!

Well, there you have it, hopefully, you had a chance to visit a library or five in the past few days, too!