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.

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.

This library is amazing, especially for children. The children's area is packed with books and toys…read morefor all ages. The programs are great and all of the staff are so kind and welcoming.

I have visited libraries in RI and CT and I love that my parents live close to this one. For kids…read morethey have the best area, away from the adult section with plenty of books, computers and toys. They have events almost everyday and really try to get the community involved. A great selection of movies for adults and kids alike. Books and magazines galore along with an adult computer area where you can get online and print out what you need (for a small fee). This library can request books from within the seconn system (southeast Connecticut) interlibrary and they will notify you when you can come pick up your holds. A wonderful place to occupy the kids on a rainy day or even come read some books for summer. The hours are good and the staff is always helpful.

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.

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.

Being the nerd that I am, I came here the day after my birthday. Since last year, I've been…read morechallenging myself to visit all public libraries in the state of Rhode Island. This was the 11th one I visited. My friend and I came on a Saturday morning. I don't think they have a parking lot, but we found street parking right by the entrance. It reminded me more of an admin building when I walked in. To the left is a book sale, and to the right are the stairs to the main floor. There were lots of happy kids in the children's section. Down the hall, they have the walls lined with lots of information, including subsidized tickets to different events and places including the bird sanctuary nearby. They also have an extensive and well diversified library of tools and equipment to loan for a week including sporting gear, home repair tools, yard tools, games, and even a telescope. I was impressed. On my way out, I also saw a an ad for a free account to Mango through the library, which is a language learning platform (perfect for my journey to learning French).

Parking is easy behind the building. Staff are always so kind and sweet. The children's area is…read morealways such a treat for my kiddos to go visit and enjoy a little play time with friends.

It feels like this library is almost like the Winchester mystery House, where more gets added and…read moreadded over time. The front entrance on a busy street seems older and more ornant on the outside, and as you go down the parking lot gets more modern and designed for function. It was hard to find the entrance to the parking lot, which is narrow and on the side of the building. You can enter on the bottom floor, which had a friendly guard who told me where the elevator was. The elevator is older and small, but not claustrophobic or scary. You can also take the stairs up. The library is divided between children and adults, and the employees were very friendly. If you have the Connecticut 169 book, they do know what it is!

I go there to read. The library is great lot of good book options. However, the place is loud and…read morehard to concentrate. The librarians talk very loud in the help desk. Other people are on there cell phones. Nobody says anything it is very frustrating for it to be so loud at a library.

A window to the…read moreworld The Ashaway public library was established back in 1871 when a group of people in the area decided the town needed a public reading room. In 1907 the library moved into it's present location and has been modernized and expanded throughout the years. In recent years two major additions has dramatically increased it's size and capabilities. Although not still not a large library by many standards, the Ashaway Library offers the usually reference materials, biographies, history, mystery and classics. Plus more than 40 periodicals and audio and video tapes. Like most of the smaller community libraries, Ashaway has programs for kids, book discussion groups and lots of annual events like book, bake and plant sales. Holiday strolls, sing alongs, teddy bear picnics, ice cream socials are also put on throughout the year. A lot of things going on in this place besides just books The librarians working here were exceptional friendly and helpful and went out of their way to tell me the history of the library and town. The library is only partially government funded and most of the financial resources come from volunteer fund raising, local businesses, individual contributions and philanthropic foundations. Ashaway is a great model of how a small local library should operate.

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.