That library underwent a year-long multi-million renovation / expansion project that were in the…read moreworks for several years. The library reopened on August 20, 2022 after relocation in temporary setting for over a year amid renovation. The remodel project included the facelift of the building, new foyer, new layouts for adult and children's departments, and new Teen / Young Adult room. In addition, Children's Department went from plain boring room (pre-Covid) to that sparkling enlarged room for kids. The meeting / program room relocated from downstairs to the foyer area past the front entrance. Approx. 85% of all library occupation is different from my first trip to Lebanon in 2019. Just imagine what this library looked like pre-remodel. I can't believe that literally everything has changed in the library since the early days of COVID. Stepping foot in that library today isn't the same as old glory when bookshelves were crammed, carpets were outdated, boring paint and an outdated building that was in dire need of expansion for many years. In present times, you're going to see almost everything anew here: Sienna marble building, carpets, bookshelves, paint, Teen room, more portraits, you name it. Gone are the old wall mural of the John Trumbull dynasty and an older exterior layout that once reflected the origins of that building when it was originally occupied as a schoolhouse (?). I don't believe that library was in that same building a century ago. I heard about that history some years ago. I don't have any further details to tell you about it. P.S. I visited that library on Saturday afternoon (10/29/22). I originally visited that property back in July 2019 (pre-remodel) and things were mostly different in and out.

Such a great library. Everyone is helpful, its cozy and quiet. Its also beautiful. So lucky to live…read morenear this place. They also have two cats.

A magnificent library…read more The idea fom this stunning building started back in 1891 when Captain Elihu Spicer decided that his home town needed a library. So he donated money and ideas and by 1894 the Mystic and Noank Library was open for business. The good Captain Spicer started out as a cabin boy at an early age and eventually became masters of several ships and acquired quite a fortune. He became a philanthropist in his later years and spread his wealth around generously. The library that was built is absolutely magnificent. Granite was moved by barge from quarries in Ct., sandstone from Ma., marble from as far away as Africa and tile floors from Italy. This is more of a palace than a library and the building is worth seeing even if you have no interest in books. The place is stunning both inside and outside. The building was expanded in 1951 and another 6,000 ft were added in 1992. The architects did a fantastic job and the venerable building retains its stately, archaic and majestic flavor but has all the conveniences and amenities of a modern library. Truly the best of the old and the new. A grand place to savor, enjoy and be amazed at, libraries like this will never be constructed again.

The Wheeler Library is gorgeous and was once the town's public school, but before that, it was a…read moreprivate school. The upstairs was used as dormitory space, and the restoration retained much of the beautiful woodwork. Meanwhile, the downstairs is inviting and the renovation is more recent but attention has been paid to making it quite attractive after it having served as an office space for many years. Be sure to catch the many busts of famous people on the second floor and also the monthly artist's exhibits.

Lions schools and…read morebusts The Wheeler Library was open in 1900 from money donated by the Wheeler family. Constructed with huge blocks of granite it had a duel purpose. The upstairs served as a lovely library while the bottom floor was an elementary school house. The arraignment lasted for almost 50 years until the town decided to get rid of the 15 little one room school houses and consolidated them into one large regionial school. So the school left and the library expanded into the entire building. Most of the library is now on the first floor and the higher level is a grand room with absolutely stunning widows. cool old photos and lots of busts of old dead guys. The library is lovely in an odd sort of way. Very square and symmetrical, the huge granite blocks look like that will last forever. Not as elaborate as many other libraries but it definitely looks solid and two cool lion statues guard the entrance. The inside is a different story. The first floor has the books and usual library stuff along with a very pleasant librarian but a trip upstairs is what really amazes. A huge open hall with stunning windows and ceiling and cool stuff whenever you look. A few old books are up there but it's most open space. I suspect they use the area for lectures and concerts. The library had some major renovation in 1992 and is a useful and practical facility. But it's the buildings uniqueness that makes it so cool. There are no other library that look quite like this one.

I've been here a couple of times now and I'm completely obsessed. I love the music records area and…read moreI can camp out here for hours. It's almost dead silent and it feels like one ought to do important work ... in such an important-feeling space (which is a wonderful motivator). Wish that more of the library was open to the public but I understand that in the New Haven area and with as many visitors as Yale probably gets, that's simply not possible. Note: This library is also open until 10pm on some days! Thank you!

The Sterling Memorial Library is the most beautiful library I've ever entered! The Gothic arches,…read moreceiling vaults, and details embedded in every nook and cranny blew my mind. I felt like I was walking the halls of Hogwarts and didn't want to leave. If you love architecture, I highly recommend checking out this library.

I'm challenging myself to visit all public libraries in the state of Rhode Island this year. This…read morelibrary was the fifth one I visited. The first thing I noticed that made this library unique was the park in the backyard of the library. It's huge and beautiful, especially in the summer when the plants and trees bloom (I imagine), and there are statues and fountains. I walked around the park before heading inside to check out the library. There are so many nooks and crannies in this library, it's like everywhere you turn there's a cozy spot to do homework or read a good book. There was a book club in session while we were there. They also had a maritime museum, where they had artwork on sale and it was pretty cool. One other thing that caught my attention was these plants they had growing in little glass tubes in their plant library section. Downstairs by the entrance they also have a healthy variety of plants that look well taken care of. I really enjoyed my time here.

A grand old…read more library Westerly Public Library was opened way back in 1894 to commemorate the volunteers that fought in the civil war. It was built on land donated by Stephen Wilcox and originally held about 5,000 books. Actually a pretty large number for the time. Since then it has changed and grew and doubled in size with the additions in 1992. It now has 170,000 items including audio books, cd's and of course computers. However, even with all the modern additions and conveniences, it has never lost the cool, old feel and ambiance. The outside of the library is impressive. Like some grand old Victorian home or mansion. I have heard that when the library first opened it held a bowling alley and gymnasium. They are now long gone but it's easy to see how they could have fit because this library is huge, with all kinds of spaces, hallways and cool little study and meeting rooms. The library is a very efficient place to work and the librarians are helpful and friendly. However the real charm of the library is the building itself. Such a cool place just to walk around and look at the architecture and cool decor. Lots of places to sit by yourself and read of just look out a window. If you get tired of being inside you can stroll around the grounds or sit outside on a bench and admire the grand old building from the outside. There are lots of libraries in the world. Most are friendly and efficient places to work or get information. However few I have seen have the impressive grandeur and sense of history of the Westerly Public Library. It would be a very cool place even without the books and computers.

I can't say enough about this library. It's so beautiful inside and out. It's always meticulously…read moremaintained. All of the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. I have so many fond memories visiting this library as a child and getting to see the mummy hand in the attic. The children's programs are excellent, we look forward to attending every week!

A library that will…read more never be built again I have been to a lot of libraries. big ones, small ones, old ones and new ones but i don't believe I have even seen one quite this physically impressive. It looks more like a medieval castle than a library. Being right next door to a 135 foot high obelisk, a cool old fort and great views of the Thames River certainly doesn't hurt. The money for this library was donated by an extremely generous man named Frederic Bill. He made his money in the linen business back in the 1800's and wanted to give back some of it to help his community. He ended up helping to build churches, schools, and of course this library. The library was opened in 1890 and constructed of huge blocks of granite floated down by barge by from the quarries at Stony Creek in Branford, Ct. The library originally held about 1,750 volumes but has grown a lot since then. It had major additions added in 1907 and 1994 and the amazing thing is that the additions blend in so well with the original structure that it all looks like it was built at one time. The inside has all the modern conveniences of most libraries but never lets you forget that you are in a very special place. Something cool to look at in every direction, this is far more than just a place to store books. This is a library that will never be built again. Look inside and you see all types of unique architecture and creative art, if you happen to take a peek out the window you see a monstrous obelisk looming overhead or perhaps an old revolutionary fort. The building, grounds and location are just so damn impressive that the books almost become superfluous. Walk slowly and breath deeply when you go through the doors, this is a very special library.

I did not expect to find the Farmington library as part of a larger town government complex. If I…read morewere a betting person, I'd blame the seventies. The outside of the building is very austere and gray. There is a fair amount of parking available, so watch out for pedestrians. The building itself is huge; there is a map in the lobby and it is helpful. The lobby has so much on its own - a used book sales area, movies, space to sit.... There used to be (if memory serves over several years) a coffee station but now holds maps for planning information. There is, off the lobby, also a whimsical duck statue. The Friends of the library do a book sale once a year. On the last day, it starts as a normal sale, and in the afternoon goes to $10 per bag you fill with books. There is a gap between those two sales, and a place to queue until the bag sale opens. You're not going to pull one over on the Friends and sneak in as the first part of the sale ends. You'll be asked to wait outside.

Definitely one of the nicer libraries I've been to. This was located near the Farmington high…read moreschool and town hall. This review is mainly for the children's section. The area was large and it's on the left side when you enter from the main entrance. There were two Librarian who were friendly. My toddler wanted to play with the trains set but you have to get the trains from them. After you're done, just return them to the librarians. They are also participating in the 1000 books before Kindergarten program like Simsbury library is doing. You read to your child and each milestone (ie. 100 books read), you get a free book. I think it's neat that they let you borrow bags of toys. There are computers with educational games for the kids. There is a storytime area that has a painting of a large dragon and puppets to play with. A play kitchen is also available to play with. Overall, a great spot to bring your toddlers and older kids, because there's a tween area too.

Slowing down time…read more The Preston Public Library was started in 1898 and still does a whole lot of things that it did for decades.. You can read a book, do some research, ask the friendly librarian stupid questions or just sit and relax. The difference now is that the library has five computers for public use and free wifi and other modern amenities. The Preston Library also offers a great kids area and all kinds of different programs ranging from arts & crafts to story telling. Things don't change much in a small town like Preston and that is usually a very nice thing. The library manages to keep it's small, quaint and unassuming feel of the 20th century while offering the latest technology of the 21st. .

Wonderful Library! The collaboratory is one of a kind. The staff is friendly and helpful. I'm so…read moreglad we found this Library and it certainly is well worth the drive from Northford!!

As a self proclaimed library connoisseur, this is definitely on my top 3 libraries I've been to…read more The place was huge, like a campus. I've only explored the children's section which is where I spend most of my time because of my toddler. They had clean family bathrooms. There was a book case shaped like a train and a little play train station. There was a baby section for them to crawl in; toys, play kitchen, and train table. I loved that there were little reading nooks built into the walls. In front of the librarian desk, there's a huge play tree where kids can go in it. On the side, a big craft room with blocks and magnetic tiles. They had a fish tank, a tank with worms/isopods, computers, and so much stimulation for the little ones. I'm sure they have great activities, events, and resources as with other libraries. The librarians were friendly; it was a busy Saturday afternoon because it was kind of rainy out. The little kids were being rowdy at one point and the librarian shushed them in a stern but friendly way. All of us parents were trying our best, but things got out of hand when you mix a bunch of little kids together lol. Overall, I wish this library was closer to me, I would be there often!

A historic library in the community with lots of possibilities and endless selection of books,…read moremovies, music and Library Of Things. They offer cake pans, board games, Binge Boxes, Activity Kits and Puzzles for circulation.

This library is huge, and it has so many interesting things (including books, of course). There's…read morean old graveyard outside with graves of various legibility, but appear to be at least 1800s. Currently on the interior walls are community quilts, and they lead to the older library built in 1902 (I'm pretty sure I remember that date correctly). This portion has the Library of Things and pillars! The newer portion has many, many books. It's very historical and very cool.