A wonderful library here at the beginning of Cape Cod. The building is wonderfully aged and the…read morebook selection is quite good at this stop. The building goes back 100 years and was a former school in its early decades.

This library is pretty nice. They have a huge selection of books, lovely sitting areas, free wifi,…read morecomputers, copy machines and everything you would need. I love this place and I am here quiet frequently. The only thing I dislike at this library is that they are pretty loose on the noise policy. Today they were vacuuming while people were trying to read. Also a group of young girls were running and yelling on the quiet workplace floor.

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.

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!

The Woods Hole Library is a charming little place with a view of the Martha's Vineyard Ferry…read more Despite its smallness, they have a diverse selection. The cooking section has official Woods Hole cookbooks (yes, seafood predominates) along with diverse selections like Allison Bechdel's Fun Home graphic novel, books about the Shakers in New England, and weighty Joseph Conrad tomes. They also have several DVDs. The children's room is extensive and has a bird feeder. The place is very old school when it comes to checking out books; it has limited parking, along with odd hours. Housed in a historic 1875 building, it has a beautiful view of the Atlantic. A place for opening the mind.

This is the quintessential "small town" library that has a surprisingly diverse range of books…read more They have unique programs year round such as the "All Ages Coloring Club:" (last Tuesday of every month, 4:00 to 5:00 PM) and children's book clubs. Everyone knows that libraries now offer more than books for loan. Of course, most libraries also offer movies on DVD's and books read aloud on CD's, e-books, and museum passes. (The Woods Hole Library offers all of these items as well as passes to seven different museums). What might not be so well known is that some libraries offer all sorts of "other things" on loan. This growing trend has long been in place at the Woods Hole Public Library. For instance, as a result of a gardening workshop series started five years ago, two sets of "soil block makers" have been available for several growing seasons. Every spring there is a waiting list of people eager to use them. The library also loans a Kindle, a Home Detection Kit for energy conservation, a digital projector, and a portable projection screen. This past summer, two sewing machines joined the line-up of items to borrow. They are both easily portable; one is a Singer "Featherweight" beloved by generations of seamstresses. The other is a Singer 457, notable for its zig-zag stitch. Don't miss the book sale in the basement!

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.

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!

Lovely little library…read more The first library came to Rochester in the late 19th century but the present library build wasn't constructed until 1976. The library and grounds were a gift to the town by Dorothy Bray Plumb in memorial of her late husband, Joseph H Plumb. The building is very pleasant and blends in well with the area. Certainly not the largest library but they make room of the space they have. Stacks of books, periodicals, computers and ever a little telescope are hanging around, just begging to be used. A very pleasant and homey library that invites the visitors to slow down and linger a bit and definitely has a feel of someone's house. And to make the library even cooler, the portraits of both Dorothy and her husband, Joseph are hanging up on a wall to greet and welcome the strangers that come to their library.

Whales quilts and…read moreparks The very first idea for a library in Norton was in 1886 when a few book were dumped in the town hall. A few years later a "real" library and building were constructed and roughly 2,000 books were proudly stacked on the shelves. The served nicely for a while but the library's collection of books and more modern devices, unimagined when the library was constructed, started to appear. It became obvious a new and much larger library was needed. So in 1991 the brand new and much larger library was opened. It holds over 60,000 volumes as well as numerous works of art, displays and exhibits and a cool community room. It even has the traditional New England quilt that some new libraries have seemed to gotten away from, as well as a great display of a whale mom with her calf. Cool stuff. In 1999 the town decided to build a little park and patio on the grounds of the library. Not a place for serious hiking but a nice place to take a short stroll or find some shade and read a book. A very pleasant library and a great place to spend some time and if you're not careful, maybe even learn something.

Such a cute, comprehensive library in the heart of Norton. The facilities are clean and organized…read more There is a large workstation to bring your laptop or books for studying or work, and they have desktop computers as well. What struck me most is how friendly the staff is. They know most patrons by name and are always willing to help answer questions or find a solution. The WiFi is free but a bit unreliable. It would not let me log on to many major sites, but several minutes later after the staff reset the internet, it allowed those sites. Even before the reset, some sites worked (email, social media) but many others did not. Parking lot has ample space and there's even a few antiques decorating the library...it's like a tiny museum!