Amesbury Public Library, Amesbury, Massachusetts

This was a shortish visit, one of five on a sunny summer day. After a delicious seafood lunch in Rockport, we continued north and eventually ended up in Amesbury. It’s a town of 17,000 people, not far from the coast and New Hampshire. The Amesbury Public Library was built in 1902, with the second floor added in the 1950s.

We parked behind the library and immediately noticed a long ramp leading to the building. In fact, it might be the longest ramp we’ve seen. Rather than walking into the building from the back, we made our way to the front to look at the facade and the large and lovely fountain. It was so refreshing to see a fountain running! Too often, they are dry and neglected.

As we entered the library, we were struck by its almost opulence. That was mostly due to the amazing ceiling, the fireplace, and some of the seating areas. These spaces should be opulent; they should be not only welcoming, but a place people want to spend time. 

In addition to the area by the fireplace, there were other seating and work areas around the library. The library’s physical collection of both books and media seemed strong. It also offers a range of technology for the community, including computers, printers, scanners, etc. These things are di rigeur but it’s worth mentioning. We’ll have to scan our memory banks to see if we can think of a library that doesn’t at this point.

Another thing that impressed us was the areas set aside for children and teens. The teen “loft” was a sizable space with a fairly robust collection. Children’s, located upstairs and adjacent to the teen section, was large, bright, and filled with books, toys, games, and puzzles. It’s always fun to see how a library works to engage its younger audiences, and Amesbury does a terrific job.

We didn’t have much time for chit-chat with the staff (closing time, you know), but everyone we dealt with was friendly and responsive. It made us wish we’d arrived earlier so we could have talked some more. The opportunity to talk with library workers is one of our favorite things about Library Land.

As we left the library, we spied an owl staring down at us from an upper window. Was it there to scare birds away, or was it there to remind everyone of the wisdom contained inside?