Nice library located in downtown Norwich. Seems very diverse and appealing. Lots of books to choose…read morefrom. Book sales held twice a year. Nice staff as well.

Books genealogy and…read moreOtis The first Norwich library was built in 1849 with money donated by Deacon (Joseph) Otis; Like most of the libraries back then it was a subscription library and only became a free library in 1891. The old Greek Revival building was pretty cool but it was just to small to accommodate the growing community and so a new, larger but more ordinary building was built in the 1960s. Over the years the new building also proved to be inadequate so the library managed to receive a 4.5 million dollar grant in 2004 for renovations and improvements. This was the largest library grant in state's history and certain turned the library into a wonderful place to research and visit. Unfortunately over the last few years money has been scarce and the library has been losing funding, resulting in loss of hours and programs. Hopefully this will change in the near future. Lot of open space, cool places to sit and a extremely useful local history and genealogy room. A lovely area for kids and even a pleasant little courtyard outside. Not a historical or stunning building like lots of the many of the old libraries in the area but one that has a charming and friendly atmosphere and is a library that is a very pleasant place to work, learn or just look around.

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 have not been to the library for a decade. I came by with my teenage son. He is very picky about…read morebooks and needed to write a Senior essay for school. He has ADHD so it's very challenging for him to read and remain focused. The two librarian were so impressively patient and knowledgeable. They worked hard with him to pick his interest. They managed to find him two great books. And I walked out with a new library card and new book. I'm so excited to start reading again.

A whole bunch of…read more Bills The history of the Ledyard, CT area is filled with Bills. Not only is this library named the Bill Library but another Bill Library is in the nearby town of Groton. All these Bills makes the history a bit confusing. The beginning of the Ledyard Bill Library actually started in 1878 when a fellow named Ledyard Bill decided that a Civil War monument would look nice in town. So he got together some money and erected a nineteen foot high obelisk and stuck it on a little plot of ground near the town center. Ledyard's brother Henry Bill liked the monument so much that figured that a library would look nice in front of it so he donated the money to have one built. The obelisk now stands behind the library. The library today is quaint, pleasant and pretty impressive for such a small town. Like most small town libraries everyone is friendly and the library has lots of programs and demonstrations. The other Bill library in Groton was donated by Frederick Bill in memory of his two sisters and curiously also has an obelisk in the back of it. The Bill Library is a nice part of the town's history. It's pretty cool that what started out as an obelisk turned into a library.

Charming location, incredibly friendly staff, what more could you ask for?…read more Every possible resource is available or can be located. This is what small town America is all about. It encourages happiness and contentment.

The road to…read moreknowledge The Gales Ferry Library is a quaint little library located in the quaint little village of Gales Ferry. The first library was started back in 1917 when a bunch of donated books were just shoved on a shelve in a country club and the first real library was constructed shortly after in 1921. The diminutive library continued pretty much unchanged until 1971 when it was moved to a larger facility next to the community center and was expanded once again in 1991. The most distinctive feature of the library is the wonderful balcony with the lattice railing. It gives nice views of the downstairs as well as a nice place for some peace and quiet. The library has a very obvious small town feel to it and is friendly and inviting. It's not nearly as architecturally stunning as the nearby Bill library but is warm, cozy and unique. A very pleasant library in a very pleasant location.

Adorable library! There's definitely an older looking exterior made of brick that's so pretty! By…read morethe parking lot, you have a mailbox and picnic tables. You enter into the new side, which does go down. The old side is on the other side of the circulation desk, and the public parks of the inside are smaller than the outside suggests. They are pretty though, you can feel the age in the boards you walk on. There is also a reading area with old fireplace. It may not be the biggest library but it's cozy.

Giving it 3 stars because of the hours. Was looking for a spot to study during the day but found it…read morewas closed when I arrived (Monday morning around 10 am). Library is closed on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays which was sort of a bummer I was not able to go in. Hoping to go back sometime when they are open. Large Donation bins for Red Cross outside in parking lot, seemed like there was ample free parking available. Also a large donation box for books and movies in parking lot.

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.

A library with things…read more more important than books Voluntown is a pretty small town so it's logical than the Voluntown Public Library is also pretty small. In fact very small might be a more accurate description. But what it may lack in books it more than makes up for in other areas. I have been to other libraries that are like tombs and I'm not referring to the lack of noise but rather the attitude. Stern and harsh. Acerbic and authorization. A no nonsense ambiance that screams, "you better not have any fun in here". Librarians that are not friendly or informative, just disciplinarians and guardians of the dead authors and dusty tomes. Fortunately most small town libraries are frequently quite the opposite. As soon as I walked in the door the young lady at the Voluntown Library greeted me with a big hello and smile. Immediately knew I was out of town and started asking me in a very pleasant and amiable manner what the hell I was doing in the Voluntown Library. When I told her I just enjoyed checking out different libraries she laughed and said "great", and started showing me around and gave all the information about the building and town I could possible need. Even told me to take all the photos I wanted after I asked her. She was there to help, not to guard and forbid. Of course she didn't exactly have a lot of anything else to do because no one was in the place but it still was obvious that she enjoyed her job and enjoyed having people use the library. She wasn't just a security guard but thought of herself and the library as a place to disseminate information and to inspire thought. As I was walking out a couple of other people came in and immediately started a conversation with me. Obviously the library served as a lot more than just a place to get a book. Of course the library does have books, magazines, videos and various story times for kids as well as occasional evening programs but all libraries have these things. What libraries like Voluntown offers is far more valuable and harder to measure.

A welcoming, friendly place with lots to offer and great people! Couldn't ask for any more for a…read moresmall town library.

Really nice spot to take a short walk and stretch the legs while in Westerly. I love how it's also…read morean arboretum and all the trees are marked with plaques denoting their common and scientific names. There are also a number of interpretive signs that convey some of the history and current uses of the buildings. There are a number of war monuments and some cool sculptures. We especially enjoyed the sculpture "The Runaway Bunny" by Margaret Wise Brown. Love that the park was founded by a woman, Harriet Wilcox. Opposite the park, there is a nice mural with her image and apparently a quote by her "The People Shall Have Their Park". Respect. The park is open dawn to 9pm. Street parking.

Beautifully kept and literally an outdoor museum of trees, this park and arboretum is a delight to…read morestroll and ponder. Magnificent and striking specimens, the tree species are labeled throughout. There are many meandering walkways to choose from so no worries about back-tracking already-trodden paths. Finally, the library is not only a lovely building to behold, but also a nice area to rest one's heels and indulge in an outdoor lunch among its garden beds and benches. Definitely a wonderful and attractive asset to the town of Westerly and its residents.

Wonderful little library tucked away in this corner of the state. Chris has done an amazing job,…read moreand has been running the Connecticut Author Trail as the first stop on the trail at JCC for the last 11 years. The bathroom is impeccably clean, the young adult section is very well stocked, and, as you can see for yourself, the summer reading prizes are absolutely incredible. So if you're in the area, be sure to stop by!

It is a smaller library but has a BIG HEART! Everyone here goes out of their way to get you what…read moreyou are looking for and make suggestions when needed. Plus, Chris is spectacular! She runs many phenomenal programs.