The Plymouth Public Library, Plymouth, Massachusetts

The Plymouth Public Library

We first visited the Plymouth Public Library in early 2019. It was the first library where we called ahead to arrange to meet with the director, Jennifer Harris. It was she who invited us to a legislative breakfast in Kingston, Massachusetts and who suggested we attend Library Legislative Day in March 2019. We’ve kept in touch with her ever since and it’s fair to say she has been a key figure in helping Adam and me think about and advance the Library Land Project.

Jennifer wrote to us a few weeks ago, in a comment on our post about the wonderful new Tufts Library in Weymouth, Massachusetts. She invited us to visit Plymouth again to see how the library was meeting the challenges of COVID, and to share some news with us.

Adam and I met at the Plymouth Public Library on a dreary Wednesday afternoon. From the outside, the library is a good example of late 20th-century municipal architecture. It’s a tall two stories, brick, with a nice colonnade in front and plenty of green space. 

Adam’s temp is A-OK!

As we found at Weymouth, the Plymouth Public Library has taken several steps to keep patrons and staff safe during the pandemic. The first thing you see when you enter the library is a tablet mounted on a stand. This is a facial temperature scanning device. It’s pretty fancy. It took a couple of tries to get my face lined up properly but I eventually got the green light. Adam seemed to figure it out faster than I did. I’m a little curious about the devices from a privacy perspective. I mean, are the images stored, or are they never collected?

Once inside, a greeter offered us hand sanitizer (yes, please!) and asked for our names to confirm our appointment time. While at Weymouth, the greeter took our names and phone numbers for contact tracing since the scheduled visit meant they already had our information. I can appreciate the efficiency of the system but wondered about patrons who might not have access to a smartphone or computer to book a time online. 

Speaking of time, visits start at the top of the hour and can last up to an hour. As the top of the hour approaches, a library worker makes an announcement asking patrons to come to the desk to check out items. There is a brief buffer between appointment times to allow for spot cleaning.

Chatting with Jennifer, with orange Playaways in the background.

Jennifer soon joined us and we agreed we’d walk through the library, and then sit down to chat for a bit. Our visit started in front of the services desk. This area has been expanded dramatically, just in time to allow for greater social distancing. 

The area around the services desk is where audio/visual materials are located, including a growing collection of Playaway titles. If you’re not familiar with Playaway, they produce single-title audiobook devices that look like a latter-day Walkman. I’ve always been a little dubious about them, but Jennifer told us they’re incredibly popular, especially with patrons who have trouble downloading or streaming content.  

As we were preparing to leave the area, Jennifer pointed out a hallway that was used to manage materials for curbside pickup. The staff developed a system, which - as we would see later - was super safe and efficient.

We next went to the reference area, where we had a chance to talk to the reference librarian about digital resources, and how their usage and terms of use had changed due to COVID-19. As expected, there has been a jump in the number of items being borrowed. This has been helped by a loosening of the rules around borrowing from the digital lending platforms Hoopla and Kanopy, which have made parts of their collections available without restrictions. This gives patrons more of what they want without costing the library more.

The seed catalog.

Our next stop was the library’s book sale area. They have moved and reorganized this section and have a nice little curated collection. Near the book sale are the new arrivals. The library has been experimenting with leasing the most recent best-sellers. These books typically fly off the shelves for a few months and then end up at a book sale. Hopefully, licensing will prove a more economical route.

Plymouth also has a really sweet seed catalog in this section of the library. Jennifer is not a believer in asking for past-date seeds, she makes sure patrons have access to fresh seeds every year. As is the case with many seed catalogs we have seen, this one is stored in a set of old card catalog drawers. What makes this one especially cool is the fact that it’s been decorated with decoupage seed envelopes. It’s a one-of-a-kind item made by one of the library trustees.

While access to workspaces has been curtailed in Plymouth, it has not been completely cut off. In the reference area, for example, each of the several large tables had one seat (out of four) and a computer that are available by appointment only. There are also small cubbies around the perimeter of the reference and adult stacks, but these are not currently open.

Socially-distanced study spaces.

One of the things that have impressed us about the Plymouth Public Library since our first visit is its commitment to literacy. In 1989, the library received a grant to provide adult literacy services, and the program has been going strong ever since. There are a number of learning spaces dedicated to the program on the library’s ground floor. For the time being, the program has moved online. That hasn’t impacted participation, though, and students continue to learn, prepare for the HiSET, and get ready for the next phases of their lives. It’s a really inspiring service the library provides to the community.

Speaking of community, our next stop was the community meeting room. In the past, this room has been the venue for all kinds of programs, including a number of musical ones that Jennifer has been especially proud of. Those, too, continue after a fashion and will return when safe to do so. For the moment, the room is serving as a space for quarantining books before they return to circulation. 

Quarantined materials.

As we chit-chatted about some of the vagaries of library leadership in the age of the coronavirus, Jennifer made some comment and joked, “don’t quote me on that!” A moment later, she continued, “What you can quote me on is that I’m retiring!” Needless to say, we were a little surprised by the news. Jennifer went on to talk about the decision, her more than two decades at Plymouth, and the fact that it was time for someone else to take the reins as the library emerges (soon we hope!) from the pandemic.

 As we spoke, we made our way from the community room into what is now the curbside pickup staging area. But first, a word about the children’s room, which is also in this area. We didn’t go in for a visit in order to help keep it clean for the kids. We did learn that it wasn’t the totally joyous place it once was - parents and kids can still come, but only for short visits to pick out items. No storytimes, no sensory activities - a pale shadow of what it once was (and will be again).

Back to curbside. A hallway that leads to the services desk is where items are stored for pickup. When a patron arrives, they call or text the library, and their items are brought into a vestibule at the side of the building. They are alerted when they’re ready and can pick them up. This system, coupled with the fact that the library is actually opened, means that patrons can get the materials they want and need during the pandemic.

The curbside pickup staging area.

We walked up to the second floor. Jennifer pointed out the photographs on display in “The Gallery” and went on to highlight the many ways the Plymouth Public Library has supported the local cultural community. This has included “Meet the Maestro,” when Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra conductor, Steven Karidoyanes, would come to discuss the ensemble’s upcoming season, as well as the town’s poet laureate program. 

The library also has a strong connection to the town’s long history. While it may be fraught, 2020 is the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s arrival and there had been many special programs planned. Another piece of local history that we’d been unaware of is the fact that Sacco and Vanzetti hailed from Plymouth. There was a small display on their connection to the town, with the library hosting a virtual lecture that night.

On previous occasions, we hadn’t visited the local history room, but Jennifer brought us in for a visit this time. It’s actually two lovely rooms, one that includes interesting documents and items from the town’s past, the other that has town records and some nice old wooden worktables. During our visit, there were two women working away quietly. It was so nice to see this familiar tableau, one reminiscent of the many times Adam and I have worked together in similar spaces. 

We wrapped up our visit in the library’s conference room. We spent some time sharing what we’re doing with the Library Land Project and also talking with Jennifer about her career in librarianship. She’s rightly proud of the work she’s done and what she and her team have accomplished over her long tenure. She’s also ready for a well-earned retirement but will continue to be an active supporter of the wonderful Plymouth Public Library. We’re also hoping Jennifer will share a guest post with us on her time at the library, and how they have navigated service and safety during the coronavirus. No pressure though! All in all, it was a nice full-circle visit for us.