The New Norwell Library, Norwell, Massachusetts

Everyone knows we love libraries. We love visiting them, talking with the people who work in them, thinking about them, photographing them, writing about them, heck, even dreaming about them. When it comes to visiting libraries, though, our options have been sorely constrained by the coronavirus. That made the invitation to visit the beyond-new (or is it pre-new?) Norwell Public Library especially exciting. What makes it beyond new? It isn’t even finished yet! What a treat!

The curving driveway.

How did this come to pass? Well, our friends at Oudens Ello Architecture, Matt Oudens and Conrad Ello, thought it might be interesting for Adam and me to come by to see what they have in store for the community - and, wow, is it amazing! To see the space that will be the library in its unfinished form, to get a sense of the scale of the project, and to understand just a tiny bit of work involved was a special opportunity for us.

The four of us met on a cold and clear Friday morning in February. We squeezed through a gate and made our way along the driveway (which features some pretty snazzy LED lighting) as it curved through some woods. As the library came into sight, we could see some of the exterior design elements we’ve come to recognize in Oudens-Ello’s work: long lines, lots of glass, and natural materials (in this case, gray ash and green slate).

The courtyard garden.

One special feature of the front of the library is a courtyard rain garden. Once it’s finished (and warm weather arrives!) it’s going to be a lovely place to sit outdoors to read and meet with friends. Aside from its aesthetics, the garden will also serve a more practical purpose. Because the library is situated at the edge of a forest and wetland, the water table is high. The garden will function to capture runoff from the building and route it beneath the building to a natural catchment area. It’s a great combination of form and function.

We made our way along a long colonnade on the left side of the snow-covered garden. It leads to the main entrance, as well as a second entrance that opens onto a hallway that can be used for after-hours events. The library’s community room is in this section, naturally, and it’s a really impressive space. One wall is all glass, providing a nice view into the snowy woods during our visit. The room is large, with a high ceiling, and what appears to be a pretty amazing sound system. 

When we exited, we were met by a member of the construction team. We all had to fill out paperwork affirming that we didn’t have COVID. There have been no cases among the people working on the project, which was good to hear.

We made our way back to the staff area - which is huge and has a good view into the woods. One of the things I really liked about it was the fact that the director’s office is just down a hallway from the front of the library. This means they’ll have good visibility and that patrons will also be able to see (and presumably) interact with the director. That’s a good thing. We’ve seen more than a few libraries where the director is tucked away - even on a different floor in some cases. The placement of this office makes it easy for them to be part of the daily life of the library.

From the back office, we made our way to the circulation desk, which is nice and big with a good view of the garden. Although it is currently a work and staging area, the space in front of the circ desk will eventually have new materials and soft seating. It’s going to be lovely.

The front service area - very much in flux.

To the left, as you face the circulation desk, is the periodicals room. It was the first room we visited that really showed-off the integration of the library and the landscape in an active way. While the room itself is really nice, with a gas fireplace and all, it also features an outdoor deck. In the warmer months, there will be seating. We love that kind of exterior space, which we first noticed at the Scituate Public Library - another Oudens Ello design. We’re looking forward to visiting again when there’s less snow on the ground.

In the sunny children’s room.

We visited the children’s section next. Wow, the sunlight pouring in was amazing, it made the space feel so bright and cheerful. There are lots of swell features around the room. For example, there are little cubbies beneath the windows - perfect for stowing coats and backpacks. Each window will also be a window seat, with cushions for sitting and reading.

There is also a large program space to contain the mirth and mayhem when dozens of kids gather for storytimes and other activities. Finally, the youth services librarian’s office is in this section as well. One of the things that’s notable about this office (and the library overall) are the clear sightlines. It has a view to the circulation desk and all the way across the library to the teen/reference librarian. Nice functional design.

Speaking of teens, the teen room, which is to the right of the circulation desk, is large, light, and with a view into the woods behind the library. It’s always nice to see separate spaces for kids and teens. They’re pretty different groups and lumping them together - while totally necessary and understandable in many cases - doesn’t seem ideal. Aside from the view, the highlight of this room are the pendant lights, which are pretty darn sharp. Across from the teen room is the makerspace/media lab. This space was very much in staging-mode and there wasn’t a lot to see. It does have a good view into the front courtyard.

The reading porch is going to be something!

The main stacks are housed in a cavernous (but still welcoming) space - long, tall, and with walls of windows. I found myself looking up and slowly turning to take in the details of the room. At one end is a large reading porch. We went out to appreciate the potential of the deck. Despite the cold weather, it was clear that this would be a hotspot for folks wanting a peaceful place to read, reflect, and meet with friends.

Back inside, the space for shelving is pretty expansive. There will be shelves along the perimeter of the room, as well as stacks on the floor. One cool thing about the shelving is that it won’t be too tall. It will help preserve the open feeling of the room and that’s a very good thing.

There are three good-sized study rooms that overlook the front courtyard, as well as archives and a local history room. All in all, the spaces around the adult collections area are looking good and will only look better as progress on the project continues. 

It was fascinating to be in the library during construction. There was so much going on: so many tasks, tools, projects, people working together to bring the library to life. Seeing this part of the process was a first for us, and Adam and I really enjoyed being invited for the preview.

We returned to the circulation desk area to continue our chat. It was cool to hear not only about Norwell but also about other library projects on the horizon (don’t worry, no spoilers). One thing that was really interesting about the visit - and about conversations with others around library land - is the continued recognition of libraries as social spaces. 

How soon until the new Norwell Public Library opens? That’s still TBD, but hopefully, it will be ready sometime this summer. We can hardly wait!

What a great visit - can’t wait to see it when it opens!