Holland Public Library, Holland, Massachusetts

The Holland Public Library has been on our radar for a while. Rachael planned to visit it last year on her way to the American Library Association conference in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, the library wasn’t open, and her dream had to wait many months to come true. In early February, on a clear but chilly day, we made Holland a priority as we toured libraries in Central Massachusetts.

This is a very small library. It’s a simple one-story facility that was built in 1912. It’s open 30 hours a week. The staff is small, and we were fortunate to arrive while Beth, the library director, was available. She gave us some basic information on the library, its patrons, and the town. Holland has just under 3,000 full-year residents, but a lot more during the summer months. During the Brimfield Flea Market, the library sees an uptick in use, since the Brimfield Library is closed during the flea market. 

One of the unexpected things we learned was that the library didn’t originally have a restroom. With the Town Hall just across the street, it wasn’t a problem. But when there was a fire, everyone realized that a bathroom at the library would be a good idea. Like the rest of the library, it is small but clean and well-maintained.

Beth made it clear how much the community cared about the library. The day before our visit, a team of high school students had been in to help reinforce the shelves. Given that we visited shortly after one of our many storms, that also meant shoveling out the bulkhead entrance to the basement, where tools and supplies were located. 

Another thing that Beth mentioned that ties into the connection to teens (who are generally well-behaved) was a shift in hours. The library originally closed at 2:00 on Fridays. The library serves as a bus stop for the high school. To accommodate that, the library began staying open until 4:00. It was excellent to hear how responsive this library is able to be.

We mentioned the fact that this is a small library. A very small library. In fact, it is one of the smallest libraries we’ve visited. It’s just two rooms. Despite that, the space is well-optimized and comfortable.

When you enter the library, a fireplace and two comfy chairs are in front of you. To your left is the librarian’s desk. To your right is the children’s area. Crafts and some of the adult collection are also here in this front room. There are also two public computers. In the rear is the bulk of the adult collection, as well as a table and chairs for reading or working. One of the things we really liked was the period fittings and fixtures. They all seemed original to the library and added to its charm.

This is certainly a small library, but it definitely falls into the “small but mighty” category. This was a library we’d been wanting and waiting to see, and we were sure glad to finally have the opportunity!