What a marvelous library! It is beautiful. Staff are terrific! They…read moreoffer special quiet rooms which can be used for ZOOM meetings. I attended an awesome evening presentation there, offered by Greg Barnhisel, speaking about his new cultural biography, "Code Name Puritan: Norman Holmes Pearson at the Nexus of Poetry, Espionage, and American Power." Published October, by the University of Chicago Press.

I like how quiet it is there, gives me a place to read, do my homework, chill, or sometimes meet up…read morewith my friends!! Librarians are so super nice too, I love their librarian fashion. The DVD sections are fun to browse through too! Lots of oldies. Overall it's awesome.

Sandstone High schools…read moreand towers The Gale Free Library is a stunning and amazing building indeed. The building is actually called The Damon Memorial Building and until 1926 housed both the high school and the library. The high school received it's own building and the Gale Library took over the entire building. The library is made of lovely granite from local quarries with brown sandstone trim and the roof is black and red slate from the state of Maine. The library was designed by the famous Boston architect Stephen Earle in the Romanesque Revival Style and even includes a clock tower. The money for the library was donated by Sam and Susan Damon Gale and was opened in 1888. This was the great era of library building and the inside is as impressive as the outside. A stunning and wonderful building, libraries like this will never be built again.

Perhaps I miss understood the situation. I only relaying what my son told me. I believe may be the…read moreday that she asked him to go elsewhere to read perhaps it was busy, which would explain asking him to go to a more private area. We still go here in the librarians have been great event tolerated my sometimes noisy baby in the play area.

Because libraries are important to me and I would like to move to Rindge someday I came to check…read morethe place out and was favorably impressed. As a small town the collection is not large but many of the books are ones I've read and liked. It's always a plus when the librarian has the same tastes as you. The historic building is beautiful and well maintained. There are discrete areas for adults, young adults, children, periodicals, genealogy, etc. It's bigger than it looks from the outside. They are not part of a regional library association as these are rare in New Hampshire, but you can also read e-books through a state system. The librarian was helpful and answered all my questions. Masks are optional and in checking their website periodically have been since the state mandate was lifted, which is vital to me since due to my medical issues I cannot wear them readily. Definitely I would like to retire here. My next mission is to see how well the roads are plowed in the winter so I know if I can move here and commute to work year-round.

Today's "office" was the Brattleboro library. Easy, clean, comfortable…read more I found a nice spot on the upper floor where I was undisturbed for five hours of emails, quiet Zoom meetings and perhaps a few Yelp reviews got cranked out in between here and there. The library is quite modern on the inside despite being in an older and refined building. A large collection of books including the usual fiction, non-fiction, reference and periodicals. Friendly and helpful staff who helped me get settled. And a free wifi that worked very well. Street parking with meters and you're expected to find a different space after two hours. Okay, I did that. [Review 18442 overall - 42 in Vermont - 1964 of 2022.]

Thanks Jerry. My experience there was really unfortunate. I recieved a threatening notice that…read moreVermont law allowed for a fine of up to $400. for a book that was not returned. There was no further explanation offered, no further elaboration, or justification for that amount. That is the basis of my Yelp. The day I got the notice, I was, ironically, driving to Boston to return books to both the Boston Public Library, and a university library. When I returned to Brattleboro and saw the notice, I came in inquire about the threatening tone of the note. I was assured by reference librarian the that they only sent that after an initial notice had been ignored, and that fine amount was encoded in Vermont law. I had not recieved any prior notice and I asked if there was a record that the first notice was indeed sent to me. The reference librarian then took me back to the office behind the main desk. A woman there looked up my account and told both of us that there had, in fact, been no prior notice sent. There had indeed been an error. I love the charm of the library, but I woud not assume people are out to harm it or inflict financial strain on it. I am curious to know how anyone (particularly a legislator) thought $400 was a good idea, or why it would be used as an incentive to get a book back? That's where I think $25 would do the trick. It seems like overkill and unecessarily threatening.

Personal help finding things. Kind and experienced staff is super helpful. They reserved a book…read moreat another library and it was sent to Lilly library for me to check out. -For my book club. Computers available. Love the free Summer concerts just steps away on Thursdays.

From the owner: Lilly Library serves traditional and modern library user's needs. Come check out books, movies,…read moremusic, magazines & more. We also have ebooks and digital audiobooks available on our digital catalog. Find out about storytimes, book clubs for new readers, teens, and mystery lovers, as well as movie show times and other exciting programming on our website.

I relocated from Boston, MA to Deering, NH in 1977. My husband and I were looking for a place to…read moreraise our two children, then seven and twelve. We looked at many places, first in Maine, then in NH. I was reluctant to move, and agreed to it only if we could find a town with both a bowling alley and a great library! My husband just wanted a lot of land and no traffic. On our first visit to the area we checked out the library. I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful space, the stained glass windows, the hand-carved bears coat rack, the huge fireplace, and the cozy reading nooks. The head librarian, Rita Morgan, was friendly and knowledgeable, and made us feel very welcome. What cinched the deal for me was the majestic grandfather clock that chimed and bonged every hour. After 41 years here, the bowling alley is long gone, and Rita Morgan, sadly, passed on many years ago, but her successors have kept the homey feeling of the space while moving it slowly into the 21st century. While I have never gotten used to the harsh winters and buggy springs, I am happy to say I still love the library!!

Stunning building of historical significance with awesome folks who are friendly and helpful…read more Just walking around is cool if you like old architecture and 1800's mansion homes.

During the fall and winter months, I try to stop at one of the libraries in the area as part of my…read moreusual weekend errand-run. If you live in southern NH, your library card will give you free access to most of the libraries in the area: Manchester, Bedford, Hooksett, Derry, Merrimack, Salem and a couple others. Very cool! Bedford has a great selection of books, including a decent amount of new titles. They have a huge collection of DVDs, including many TV series (since I dumped cable years ago I find this to be a great thing). The best part is they also have around 150+ blu-ray discs-as far as I know this is the only area library that carries them. There is a nice reading area in the back, lots of computers, an excellent kids section (the whole bottom floor, in fact), and it seems they have many public events during the week (movies, concerts, and such). My only disappointment is their graphic novel section is a little light, but seems to be growing. If you are into that kind of thing, Manchester has the best selection.

Good place serving the community we can read or borrow book can rent a meeting room. Lots of local…read moreactivities. Easy to find a parking.

I just returned here for the first time in 4 years. The remodel is awesome. The space is much more…read moreopen and inviting, they have an activity room for the kids upstairs with the general fiction. The staff was very friendly and helpful too. Overall great experience.

The Forbes Library in Northampton, Massachusetts, was established through the will of Judge Charles…read moreEdward Forbes, who died in 1881. He left $220,000 to the city to create a public library that would be free and accessible to all residents. Construction began in 1893, and the library opened in 1894. The building was designed by architect William Brocklesby in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, using Longmeadow brownstone and fireproof steel framing. It remains one of the most architecturally distinctive civic buildings in western Massachusetts. Judge Forbes was not related to the Forbes family associated with Forbes magazine or the well-known Forbes millionaire rankings. His wealth came from investments in the New Haven and Northampton Canal and later in railroads. He lived modestly, never married, and rented rooms in town. His legacy was civic rather than commercial, focused on education and public access to knowledge. The library also houses the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum, reflecting its deep ties to local and national history. So while the name might suggest a connection to publishing or wealth, the Forbes Library stands as a monument to quiet generosity and intellectual accessibility. Beyond the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Museum, the Forbes Library offered a warm, welcoming space filled with quiet nooks, curated art displays, and shelves that seemed to stretch endlessly with local history, fiction, and research materials. We explored the main reading room, where natural light poured through tall windows and the original woodwork lent a sense of timeless dignity. A rotating exhibit near the entrance showcased regional artists, while tucked-away corners revealed archival maps and Northampton memorabilia. The elevator made it easy to reach the upper floors, ensuring that the library's resources and charm were accessible to everyone, regardless of mobility. [Review 1135 of 2025 - 1276 in Massachusetts - 24688 overall]

You know me and Libraries; can't keep me out of them!! and this one I daresay is my favorite in the…read moreWestern Mass area. Ok, ok, it's not just because Paco the vegetarian Pirahna is here. The building itself is an architectural marvel. There's something about this beautiful building that's up on the hill, surrounded by large oaks. It's as if the leaves billowing in the wind beckon you to: "please come in." There's just something about where this building is situated that exudes peace and tranquility. You'll see that others feel the same in the reviews. If you follow Forbes on Instagram, you'll not only see that it's active with events, but a lot of them strive to help the community. They have an upcoming event where they'll have clothes, shoes and general business attire available for people who are looking to get a job. I can't think of any other library that does that. To further expand on that note; they lend out musical instruments. You read right; you can borrow musical instruments here. I'm not sure what details are involved but I personally found that to be incredible, and a show of the willingness to go the extra mile for the community. Yes, you do have to pay for parking here. I know that sounds off putting, but there is a sign on the property that says the proceeds help the library and their programs. Besides, I think a dime gives you 20 minutes time so it's extremely cheap. Keep up the good work Forbes! You definitely have admirers.

Very nice small town library, friendly people dedicated to keeping the library alive. I can't…read moreimagine complaining about a local library since most towns don't even have one but I had to respond since the main review complains about being called too many times.

Comically inefficient. A person named Matthew, either a volunteer or employee, repeatedly calls…read moreand e-mails me about an issue that was resolved a month ago. Apparently Matthew listens to a month-old voicemail message day after day, and falsely believes it is a new voicemail message each day. He then responds to the "new" voicemail message by contacting me to tell me the same thing he's told me multiple times and that has been resolved. It's like a "Groundhog Day" time loop which would be comical if it wasn't a complete waste of time and money. Taxpayers pay for the library. I contacted the director, Sharon Sharry, who didn't address the issue but rather relied on Matthew's delusions in defending him and her inefficient library.