Nashua Public Library, Nashua, New Hampshire

Nashua, New Hampshire, is a city of 92,000. It has recently been lauded as one of the hottest housing markets in the country. We visited to meet up with some of Greg’s old colleagues - and to see the Nashua Public Library.

The people we met had lived in Nashua for many years. Friend Miriam, in fact, remembered when the library was first opened in 1978. As we approached the building, its Brutalist stylings came into view. Some love it, some hate it, but you can count us among its fans. We especially liked the currently non-operational fountain in front.

Upon entering the library, one sees a wide circulation desk. To the right is the path to the children's area. Friend Erica, who joined us for part of the visit, described coming to the library with her kids when they were younger. They spent hours in the room. The space was recently renovated and looked great. The giant Mr. Potato Head was cool!

Exiting the children’s area and turning right, one reached the local history room. It was closed during our visit, but through the window, it appeared to be a well-stocked collection. The rest of the floor was dedicated to the stacks, public computers, a teen space, and the reference desk. There were also a few nice seating areas.

If this had been all we’d seen, we would have judged it a serviceable library. As is so often the case, a bit more exploration and a conversation with a library worker revealed this to be an amazing library. 

The amazement was down in the basement. When we went down the stairs, we heard the sound of ukuleles playing. Looking into the room, we found a decent-sized theater with a nice group of people playing together. It’s the kind of thing we love to see.

There was also a nice gallery space. The artwork was engaging and outstanding, and we spent quite some time there. The best, however, was yet to come.

It came in the form of a huge community space. We were told it had once housed the library’s media collection. It was renovated several years ago. During our visit, the space was hopping. There appeared to be tutors working with students, kids and parents together, and groups of friends just hanging out. There are also a handful of smaller rooms off the large space that can be used for programs or community events.

We love to see libraries recognizing and responding to a community's changing needs. It’s something that happens all the time in Library Land, and every time it does, it brightens our day. This was a fun visit, and it was nice to see the library with friends!