Rowley Public Library, Rowley, Massachusetts

The Rowley Public Library is a great reminder never to judge a library too quickly. This was a late visit on a day that we visited six libraries. You might imagine it can be easy for that many libraries to blur, but happily, you’d be mistaken! That’s because every library has something that makes it interesting - if you know where and how to look. Here’s what happened on this visit.

We arrived and started scoping out the place. There was plenty to like. The library was bright, quiet, and there were patrons coming and going. The spaces were well-appointed and comfortable. There were no showstoppers, either good or bad. Everything looked fine, and that’s what we would have said in this post - but hold the phone. Just as we were about to leave, we asked the person at the desk about the library. Almost in passing, she mentioned the bird collection. 

A bird collection?

Regular readers will know that we have a strange fascination with stuffed birds in public libraries. They add a macabre touch. Here in Rowley, which is close to the sea, the birds on display were shore and marsh birds. They come from Robert Houghton's collection, a resident and past trustee of the library. The full collection includes more than 130 birds from North and South America. The rest of the collection can be viewed at the Rowley Town Hall.

Seeing this collection made us look around more carefully. Also located in the area with the birds were two study rooms, as well as a really nice conference/community room. These are things we would have missed if we hadn’t stopped to chat.

When we left that area, we went back and checked out other parts as well. Now we saw how nice the children’s area was, now we saw signs on community connection and engagement, now we saw the antique clock mounted above the reading area, now we saw details of clubs and programs. With one conversation, the scales fell from our eyes and we saw all this little library had to offer.

This continued as we left the building and noticed the lovely little details of the library’s grounds. We love seeing plants labeled and stone commemorations of people and events. The large space around the library was dappled with sun and shade on this fine late summer day. Walking back to the car, we reflected on the library, and how important it is to really look closely.