Palmer Public Library, Palmer, Massachusetts
Join us now, as we travel once more through the snowy New England countryside to visit another outstanding public library. In this case, it is the Palmer Public Library, in Palmer, Massachusetts.
Palmer is a snug town of just over 12,000 people. It was once an important railroad hub, earning it the nickname the Town of Seven Railroads. That heritage was everywhere we looked - and that is especially true at the public library.
We arrived in the late morning and were able to park right in the library’s lot. Walking toward the door, we noticed a bell poking up from the snow, as well as a bike rack that had been cleared for use. That’s a good sign. Walking through the doors, we were surprised by the grandeur of the space. It felt antique, but we later learned it was built in the last half-century.
The first floor is home to large print, new materials, and digital media. There are also seating areas, jackets available to those that need them, and the Railroad Research Center, just the first train-related resource or reference we would see. In addition, there are three meeting rooms on this floor. It’s a really nice array of materials and services.
When we mentioned grandeur, we were referring to the amazing sweeping staircase. It goes up and splits. This staircase is what made us imagine this was an older building. It is really beautiful with intricate wrought iron railings. Going to the second floor, we met Rich, the borrower services librarian. He gave us the lay of the land and some background on the town and other ways the library is used.
One of the things that really impressed us throughout the visit was the strong connection with the community. For example, the library is home to two nonprofit organizations. Top Floor Learning provides adult education, and River East School-to-Career, which provides career-focused services for children, families, and young adults. We love seeing this kind of co-location, especially when the missions of the nonprofits and libraries are in alignment.
This wasn’t all. Other community-focused features include the aforementioned winter coats, a dropbox for clothing on the first floor, a food bank, and literacy and citizenship resources. Seeing this level of engagement was really outstanding.
We also looked around this floor, and here are a few of the things we saw: the adult collection, some of the library's plentiful pubic computers, a large-format printer, and a dandy Library of Things collection. There were also a number of seating and workspaces. Very nice.
Had this been everything, we would have been impressed (we’d also be scratching our heads about the location of youth and teen services). Fortunately, there was more to explore!
Returning to the first floor, we went through a set of double doors that had been to our left as we entered. It was like walking into a bit of a wonderland. A brick path led to the youth services area and a very nice community room. Along the path, we saw a really cool clock, the food pantry, an assortment of book sale items, and plaques honoring people connected to the library.
Before going into childrens, we went into the community room. French doors opened into the large and bright space. It is super flexible. It’s also home to the library’s gallery, which features new exhibits each month. One permanent item on display is a mural that recounts the town’s history. We especially liked the past grandees represented in the steam of a train!
Something that should be noted is that this area - the path, the community room, the foodbank, and large and clean restrooms - can be used after hours for events and programs. We love seeing that kind of flexibility in meeting the needs of the community.
Continuing along the path, we reached youth services. It’s a large, friendly, and engaging space. There were so many things to notice and enjoy! Plenty of public computers for kids and teens, a fish tank (always a hit), a large video game collection, a great program room, and the pièce de résistance: a train that ran along a track by the ceiling. July, who was working in childrens during our visit, was kind enough to turn it on.
That theme, throughout the library, was especially well-represented in here. There were train-shaped dividers and train lanterns about. It is very cool when a community leans into its history and identity like this.
This library punches WAY above its weight. When you think that this is a town of 12,300 people, you might not expect a library to be so rich and to offer so many outstanding resources, services, and opportunities. We have seen many libraries in communities of this size, and the Palmer Public Library is an outstanding example!