Plympton Public Library, Plympton, Massachusetts
While we were kicking around cranberry country - after our visit to the Carver Public Library - we headed to the sweet little Plympton Public Library. Plympton is a town of 2,000, and its library was built in the 1890s and then renovated a century later. It was a rainy day, and we dashed inside.
The first thing we noticed was the parquet compass rose on the entry floor. We entered the new building, which includes some of the adult collection, public computers, 3D printers, TWO Cricuts (don’t recall ever seeing these out for public use), and a handful of nice seating areas.
Just off the main area is a short hallway leading to childrens. Along the hallway are bathrooms and a local history room. The children’s area is very cute. We especially loved the flower-and-petal table and seating. It is a colorful place, with toys and a play table. We also noticed the section dividers. They were an effective - y muy mono - wayfinding tool.
Leaving childrens and crossing the lobby, we walked up a slight incline into the original 1890s building. It is divided into three sections. To our left was a meeting area and a shelf of games and puzzles. In the center was a sweet little reading room, with a chessboard set up and a fireplace. The third section housed the rest of the adult collection.
One thing that struck us about the collection in this area was the 800s. Several classic novels were shelved in this section. Checking back in adult fiction, they weren’t there. We’ve since noticed this at a few other libraries. Catalogers, can you explain the logic? It seems readers might find this just a little confusing.
Returning to the lobby, we had another spin around. We noticed a few additional things that hadn’t caught our attention earlier. For example, we really loved the Arts and Crafts grandfather’s clock. The Galileo thermometer was also cool. We also noticed the diamond-shaped grills on windows throughout the library; they were a nice touch.
A few final notes on some of the library’s community elements. First and foremost is the food pantry. We love it when libraries can serve as this type of resource. We liked the double entendre of the Weeder’s Club. Our first assumption, of course, was that this group helped with the library collection. In fact, they help maintain the library’s garden. Speaking of which, the library also offers a seed catalog, always a nice resource.
The library had a steady flow of patrons - despite the heavy rain outside - always an encouraging sign.
We love small town libraries, and the Plympton Public Library is an excellent example. It has a respectable collection, an approachable staff, and enough curious elements to capture our attention. If your travels take you through the cranberry bogs of Massachusetts, this library is worth a visit!