542 Town Library, Chichester, NH

This building has served several roles, and has been the location of the town library since 1899.

This eye-catching sign got my attention as I was parking. There is a plaque to the right on the post, but I was unable to get a legible picture of it. I suggest that you go and look for yourself.

Here's a look at the neighborhood where the library is located, and a sense of the weather. Although it looks threatening, I didn't need the windshield wipers until I was almost home,

I was arriving from the left, so getting to the parking lot required almost a U-turn. 

Here are some details about the building's history.

   

Steps straight up to the door, and a ramp on the left side for accessibility.

I had a mask in the car, but I forgot to take it in. Nobody accosted me. I'm fully vaccinated against Covid, but I'm trying to get back in the habit of masking when indoors.

The book drop is built into the front wall.

Every library has a different collection. When I see books that interest or amuse me, I make a note, then see if I can find them in my "home" library in Concord. In this case, yes; it's now on my request list.

Just a little detail from one corner of the children's area.

A recent grant allowed some updates to the children's area.

Here's a long view of the kids' area. I wish I'd taken a close-up of the chairs around the table in the middle. I've seen them in a number of libraries, and I like the cutout in the chair backs

Congratulations, Chichester Town Library! 

Winner of a 2019-2020 CLF Rural libraries grant from the children's literacy foundation.

Library scavenger hunt--a great way to get oriented to all that a library has to offer. I noticed that the upper-right box called for a book from the 921 non-fiction section. The 921 has been crossed out and 642 has been written in. My guess? The Dewey system uses 921 for Biographies, but I see many libraries that label those books as B for Biography. Just my guess; I forgot to ask or check the shelves.

Just a picture of a good-looking doorway.

A comfortable corner for reading or chatting. Just the spot for a book club meeting, perhaps.

The large print book collection is enhanced with a magnifying lens and a bright task light. I've often said that each library has something I've never seen before, and this fills the bill for Chichester! The task light is currently focused on a jigsaw puzzle in progress.

Two of these wooden racks hold the periodical collection.

Here's a portion of the history/genealogy/records collection, a staple in almost every library I visit.

This quilt looks like a project in which many people contribute to a large effort, perhaps for an anniversary. I couldn't find a way to capture it without the reflection of the fluorescent tubes.

This turkey looks to me like a cousin to the pigeon who wants so badly to drive the bus. And with that, I'll head home and see if I can beat the rain. [Actually, when I came out the sky had cleared quite a bit. It turned out to be a fine day for a drive.]

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