Cannon clocks and…read morecases Mattapoisett means place of rest in the local Native American language and this library is indeed a peaceful and extremely interesting place. Nestled on a quiet side street close enough to the ocean that you can smell it, the library has a unique charm. As you approach the library you notice all the cool stuff outside. A huge old naval cannon sits guarding the lawn, a huge boulder with a plaque on it and a cool civil war statue all demand your attention. They now are displaying an octopus made out of trash picked up from the area. Even if you didn't go into the building this would still be a interesting place. Once you do go inside you quickly realize this is not your average small town library. Cool old grandfather clocks, beautiful artwork, cases filled with cool stuff and a magnificent staircase all conspire to catch your eye. The library was renovated in 2008 with 4,000 square feet added and the architects did a marvelous job. Everything blends together very well and the new area is congruent with the original. Not the cheap, hack jobs that you frequently see on some renovated libraries, this was well thought out. The librarians there were very friendly, knowledgeable, hospitable and just plain nice. Gave me all the information about the library that I could every desire and let us explore as much as we wanted. Of course the facility has all the usual modern items that most libraries have and lots of cozy places to read but we didn't even bother to look at them, we were having too much fun with everything else. Mattatpoisett Public Library makes you realize that a library can be a lot more than just a place to read.

Definitely one of the nicest libraries in the state. Lots of cozy places to sit and read a good…read morebook. The children's portion of the library is fantastic, with lots of fun projects kids can work on, from arts and crafts, puzzles, a science corner, and a large lego play table with legos. My kids love to spend time here as do I!

A library that never…read morechanges I love tiny, old libraries and they just don't come any tinier or older than the Guilford Hathaway Library. It was constructed in 1895 with money donated by Florence Hathaway in memory of her father and I suspect it hardly changed over the decades. The library is indeed tiny and absolutely filled with books stacked everywhere. It's difficult to walk in some areas but the diminutive place has to make use of every nooks and cranny. Old books, new books and some unique old stuff occupies every shelve and they even have room for a few computers. The library does have electricity but no running water and no bathrooms. It smells old and stuffy but in a pleasant sort of way. This is a place that the local people of the village of Assonet probably think of as their private library. The building certainly looks like it needs some care but that's part of the charm of this place. Cool stone walls surround the ancient building and I suspect they were just found in the area and piled up to make the walls. The name Assonet actually means something like "the place of rocks" in the local Wampanoag language and there is certainly no shortage of them scattered around the village. Another more modern library was built in 1947 on the other side of town but the Hathaway Library still carries on much the way in always has. You have to occasional duck, turn sideways and step over things in this place but that is part of the fun. There aren't a lot of materials compared to most other libraries, no bathrooms and not a whole lot of room but this library certainly has it's own unique and anachronistic charm.

One librarian for two…read morelibraries Freetown, Ma isn't a very large place but it does have two cool libraries, one of each end of town. On the west side is the ancient Guilford Hathaway Library with no running water and crowded and spooky interior and on the east side is the "modern" James White Memorial Library. The James White Library was established in 1947 and still looks a lot like the original house. In fact if it wasn't for the small sign it would be impossible to tell that this was a library. Just kind of blends right in with the neighborhood. The inside is small, just basically one room, but they manage to get almost 25,000 volumes in here as well as the usual magazines and computers. It even has running water and real bathrooms. The library has the usual programs and events and even had a very cool therapy dog come in to assist in a kid's reading program. Both of Freetown's two libraries have the same librarian and she goes back and forth between the two. The libraries of course have different hours but it is still quite a chore for the librarian to keep up with things. Somehow she manages to remain very friendly and helpful in the small town library sort of way and even remembers what library she's in. Freetown has two interesting libraries and one very cool librarian.

Wow! Such a beautiful library for a small town. My daughter was in the local hospital for a week…read moreand the very friendly librarians helped me with a temporary library card. They have a fair fiction section but lots of other useful amenities such as a computer area and games and movies you can check out as well. Huge parking lot, clean quiet space to work, plenty of materials on loan. Libraries are the best!

i always forget my old phone number and they help me find my account to issue a new card its niceread more

I come here mostly for their baby coalition classes. We love it. Wish the play area was a little…read morebigger as we tend to travel to Falmouth Main library to hang out with other parents and their kids, but lots of kids books and friendly staff! I read myself and enjoy coming here as the library itself is massive and seems brand new. Lots of selections and staff have always been helpful, knowledgeable and nice.

More than a…read morelibrary The Mashpee Library is a new library that replaces the tiny library that served the town before for many decades. Opened in early 2010, this library is huge, modern and very impressive. Lots of space to find a place to read and lots of computers available for public use. A fantastic kids area and beautiful staircases and comfy chairs to sit on. The library also serves as a community center and has a whole bunch of rooms for different programs and events. Reading, arts & crafts, movies and a whole bunch of other things are always going on. A wonderful new library that has just about everything that a town could ask for.

A library on the…read more cape Marstons Mills is a itty, bitty village in the city of Barnstable on Cape Cod. Definitely a cool, little place but not really a whole lot there. However they do have one very impressive and extremely friendly library. The original library in Marstons Mills was founded back in 1891 when a bookcase was put in a local post office and loaded up with books. You could only take out one book at a time simply because they didn't have a lot of books and they didn't one person to have them all. A demand for books was so great that it became obvious that a more permanent library was needed so the present building was constructed in 1894. Still didn't have a whole lots of books but over the years and decades the tiny edifice was expanded with more rooms until now the library has 21,000 volumes, audios, computers and all the modern amenities of a much larger library. However the building still holds on to it's historical roots with a cool fireplace and rambling and non symmetrical walls. From the outside you can see how the building just sort of flows from one section to another with a pragmatic sense of aesthetics. As with most small, local libraries the building also serves as a place for events, displays, poetry readings and information about town events. Local folks and visitors can come here to find out what's going on. And like many small, local libraries this library has an absolutely wonderful librarian. Helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming, the one I met was the quintessential small town librarian. She probably knew everything there was to know about the village and the Cape and was worth a visit to Marston Mills just to talk to. The library itself probably gets four stars but with the great librarian definitely gets five.

The best little library on Cape! It's not the Cavernous…read moreMashpee library, or the "you need a key from the security guard for the bathroom in Hyannis" library. It is just the best little library on Cape Cod!

I visited this library today for the first time. I was drawn in by the old beautiful building from…read morethe outside. They have a gazebo outside that I could picture would be nice spot to sit and read in, in nicer weather. When I walked inside, I was greeted warmly and all the staff that I encountered were friendly. To the left was a room with a table and a fireplace, all decorated for Christmas. It was nice to look at! The library itself is small, but offers a good variety of books. Downstairs is an entire Children's section of books, but also includes a few different play areas. I loved this idea and could see kids having some fun here! This was such a great atmosphere, and I'd definitely be back again.

In praise of…read morePenny The Swansea Library is a wonderful old building. It was built back in 1899 out of huge blocks of lovely granite and just oozes charm and character. Friendly, comfy, useful and interesting. On of the most charming things about the library is Penny the kitty. She is about 14 years old and has spent her entire life in the library; There have been other cats calling this library home before Penny and it's been quite a while since there hasn't been a kitty here. Unfortunately early this year a rather self centered and attention seeking individual with a long history of litigation and desire to get his name in the news decided that he was offended by the presence of this quiet, clean and gentle creature and that Penny had to go. He threatened to sue the library, town and just about anyone else he could think of if Penny wasn't immediately removed from the library. No debate, no compromise. He didn't like Penny so she had to go. Didn't matter what anyone else thought. Fortunately it turned out that little Penny had lots of friends that were willing to take on the arrogant bully. The articles about Penny and the lawsuit went viral and thousands of signatures and letters started pouring in demanding that Penny be allowed to stay in her home. The support for Penny was overwhelming and all the attention made the lawsuit and man seem ridiculous. So as bullies usually do when people stand up to them, the self centered, attention seeking guy decided he was getting far too much attention and stopped his lawsuit. So Penny still sleeps quietly in her little box over the heating vent. Unassuming and beautiful she represents everything good about the library and small town. Good people did something and this time evil and arrogance did not triumph.

Only open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10-5, this library is reminiscent of the old times, with…read moreonly 3 rooms, and 3 computers. However, the staff at this library are so welcoming and helpful, that it only adds to the small town appeal of this library. Right when you enter the library there is a bookcase of books for sale ($1 for paperbacks, $2 for hardcovers) and these are not obscure books, but recent ones. Within 2 minutes I found a book I've been looking for in used books stores and was ready to leave happy. I decided to further enter the library to use a computer and found that while most RI libraries have computer areas set up, this one has only 3 - one in the main room, 1 in the RI room, and 1 in the children's section. The staff quickly got me set up on one of them and I was off and running. I wouldn't make this my go to library because of the size and limited hours, but it was a treat to experience it for the day.