I grew up down the street from Beverly Public Library--I was one of those "you're always holed up…read morein your room with a book!" types and loved to go there. That said, Beverly PL is one of the nicest non-academic libraries I've ever been to, esp. since the renovation. The city did an amazing job here, retaining the historic feel of the 1916 building while incorporating all of the de rigueur cyber gizmos of the virtual world. It's an impressive venue and I think worth a visit if you're in Beverly, especially with its location across from (also revitalized) Beverly Commons. And here's a word of support for librarians, who are set upon but still provide irreplaceable services. I agree many *are* really cranky! But ask them a research question or for help locating something and you'll find they really know their stuff. Librarians have to find a way to show that they continue to be relevant and important.

Great memories here! Wonderful selection of books! Loved bringing my kids here when they were…read morelittle. Children's librarians were super sweet. Good graphic novel section, too. A great resource for us in Beverly.

they have an easy online order type system but i find it not to be the most user friendly. loraine…read moreder & kim claire have been great over the years!! for children there are programs with rewards/schedules to make reading more fun. they have butterfly cocoons hatching sometimes, and other fun activities like painting pumpkins.

Great service , lots of help from the workers highly recommended. If you need a library in the area…read moreplease go here

I'm originally from a town other than Danvers and I was blown away when I first went to the Peabody…read moreInstitute Library. Both the building itself and the grounds are beautiful. I went there many times to study for college exams & it was so wonderful to sit near a sunny window & look out over the pond. The library also has lots of fun programs for kids, including story time & craft time that they hold once a week. I have a 2 year old son and he adores the children's area, especially the train set & the puzzles. They have a wonderful variety of children's books & the staff is very friendly. My son actually begs me to take him here!

This is a great library. It was quiet and a great place to study. The study room I used was clean…read moreand well kept. I will definitely be back here.

Very very friendly and helpful staffs. The children's…read morelibrary is on the ground floor, stroller and wheel chair friendly. Offers toys, coloring, story times, DVDs and children's books. The children's bathroom is always clean(there is a changing table). There is an elevator in the building. First floor has DVD for adults and second floor has computers. You can get discount coupons from library for museums in Salem and Boston. We come here very often and staffs are just Always friendly and I felt very welcome.

I was passing by and decided to stop by. This library is in the middle of a neighborhood. It's…read moregorgeous you can see it from far away. It looks like it used to be to be a house and they turned it into a library. As soon as you walk in there in there is a staircase to go upstairs or downstairs. This place is bright nice and open . It's very clean and they have a lot of new books. I went on a warm day and the air was blasting. Very nice library highly recommend checking out if you're in the area.

On the other side of Essex Street from the Salem Public Library is the Salem Athenaeum. For the…read moreenjoyment of the tourist as well as the Salem resident is this beautiful building located within the McIntire Historic District. Usually in front of the building is a posting of whatever is current within the Athenaeum. Upon entering the building, immediately to the right, before the central corridor, is the room dedicated to current exhibits. When I was visiting last May, there was a display of 1st edition copies of Mark Twain books from the collection. Further into the Athenaeum is found the shelves of new books for subscribers. It is very interesting to compare this set of books with the new books across the street at the public library. I remember hearing the sounds of Mandarin emanating from the second floor--an example of an activity taking place at the Athenaeum. A glimpse of the lovely rear garden is visible from within the Athenaeum. If you are lucky to be walking in front of this building during open hours, take advantage of the opportunity to spend time inside.

Great subscription library that is available for all. Many lectures, events, and concierge service…read more Gem of Salem!

I have lived in Peabody for over 29 years. The Peabody Institute Library is a treasure for…read more all to enjoy. Wonderful staff and a beautiful place to read and learn. When my kids were growing up I have such fond memories of Hilda Barry in the childrens room at that time (25 years ago). Always a gem to enjoy! Thanks is just not enough for all the joys, love of reading, Christine Gandolfi-Piper and family1

Came here to work in a quiet space. Was able to find a seat right away with plenty of space from…read moreothers. A peaceful spot that I will come again to.

A sweet little library located in two rooms on the first floor of the local Town Hall. There isn't…read moreroom for too much other than shelving in the space, but it is bright, clean, and well-kept, and there are a few chairs scattered here and there throughout. There's a table in the main area, but when I said I was looking for a place to do a little work I was invited to sit in the (very nice!) teen room if needed since school was in session. There's also an outdoor patio with a couple of benches and a truly lovely view down across some fields and marshes. Staff were really friendly. The other reviewer seems to have either attached the wrong example photo or misused the word "bombarded". As mentioned, I was there when school was in session, so no teens at the time, but certainly the teen space isn't very large and could get quite crowded and possibly noisy if bombarded by a bunch of kids all at once. However it's the one space that's in a different little room from the rest of the library, so staff seem to have made an effort to both keep teens from interfering with other people and give them their own space that kids that age really need and want. If the reviewer's intent was to show how full the shelves were ("bombarded" with books?), shelving throughout the library including the teen room was pretty full, but that's the reality of most very small libraries trying to maintain a robust and diverse collection that has something in it for everyone in town. It didn't look overstuffed, messy, or crammed in.

overall wouldn't recommend this library. the upstairs is blocked off so can't see in the upper…read morefloors of the building only the 1st. the young adult section is completely bombarded as you can see in the photo. smh. there's atleast a pretty good view off the back porch but you could get basically the same view at the park.

As a freshman student (part of the class of 2024) I've been attending this amazing and beautiful…read moreuniversity for almost 7 months at this point, and I can honestly say I love it here! The food is good, I've made plenty of good friends, and almost everything that I need (like shopping, food, essentials) is within walking distance for someone like me who isn't yet a car owner! The education I've received so far has been pretty exceptional considering my first year of college has been amongst the global COVID-19 pandemic, but the classes are awesome so far and I can't wait to see what my next three years at this school look like! So far, my only complaint is the confusion of the campus-bus service, known as the Viking Shuttle, and it's kinda unreliable schedule and clarity of routes and destinations. I'm never quite sure which bus I'm on, and where the stops are, since the bus drivers seem to be operating on a different schedule than what's on the website. In lieu of that, I would like to say that I knew this school was the right fit for me the second I first arrived on campus in the fall of 2019 for my campus tour! Also, there's a convenience store right beside my dorm hall that's perfect for buying groceries, lottery tickets, and more!

Salem state is a good option if you plan on not living on campus and taking mostly online classes…read more The majority of professors are okay but the school it's self and the people who go here lowkey suck. I was placed in peabody hall this year with no notice that there would be construction directly outside of my dorm for the ENTIRE year. As someone who works full time and usually until 12 am, getting woken up EVERY morning by drilling and beeping sucked. When I contacted housing and the RD of my building about moving dorms I was ghosted. I've gotten food poisoning from the dining hall over 4 times. Everytime I've stepped foot into marsh dining hall, there's been mice. The students here are inconsiderate and if you get asked to do a group project, be prepared to do the bulk of it. Faculty doesn't reach out and help with career guidance upon gradation- you get to figure it all out on your own! If you are just looking for a degree and no community or a miserable college experience Salem State is the place for you!

Taken aback by the rustic charm of the open space, exposed wood support beams, and large windows…read morepooring forth natural light, I was impressed with the venue. Attending as a guest to a wedding, I cannot speak to the cost of the venue or dealing with venue staff. There were outside vendors, so I am not aware of who was affiliated with the venue versus the bar, food service, DJ, etc. Every one was polite and accommodating otherwise. Being a beautiful rustic barn, it was a great wedding. My wife and I had a grand time here. The only downside is the lack of parking. There were outside accomodations with Best Western of Danvers for transport to the venue, which worked out well. It is a factor to consider. The house on the property was delightful as well, a Victorian home with a water fountain and finely manicured landscape around the home. The bridal party, to my knowledge, prepared for the wedding here.

We had our wedding there five days ago. I have nothing bad to say! It's a gorgeous venue and the…read morestaff is so easy to work with. We got the place all day, which was so relaxing!