577 The Stevens Memorial Library, Ashburnham, Massachusetts

 

This library provided some interesting challenges. Nothing difficult; mainly of what we used to call where I worked "COIK," which stands for Clear Only If Known. In this case, how shall we enter? This picture is from the back of the library. [There's a very nice playground to the right.]  The door to the left is clearly a back door, not an entrance. How about that nice long ramp? 

My sister and I walked up the ramp, opened the door, and found ourselves in a tiny vestibule with an elevator. This looked as if it would work, but it just felt a little strange, to get in an elevator without knowing where it would take us. Let's try something else.

As we continued around the building I spotted a charging station for electric vehicles. You don't see these around every corner...yet. 

"In grateful memory of Ivers Adams who gave the property to the town..."

I should have talked to the very friendly staff about this. The white sign above the door identifies this as the Stevens Memorial Library. There is a white strip above that with the name of a school. I assumed I'd be able to read the picture, so I didn't make a note. But clearly this building has had more than one life.

Anyway, we finally did the obvious and walked up the front stairs.

After a bit of chatting with staff and getting permission for pictures, I headed left. The first thing I saw was this bright seed bank. Seed banks are fairly common in libraries, but this is one of the most attractive and [it looks like] busy ones I've seen. One thing the majority of seed banks seem to have in common is the use of old catalog drawers. Here we have no case, just four drawers.

Beyond the seeds we come to the adult non-fiction collection.

A no-nonsense table and chair host a computer for patron use.

The three bulletin board panels reflect three overall purposes of a modern public library: Support and Wellness, Senior Resources, and Library Resources. And there's a second computer work station.

Here's a sight that is surprisingly common: The Harvard Classics Five Foot Shelf of Books. As a young library page, a looong time ago, I became familiar with this collection and set myself a goal to read all fifty. I don't recall how far I got; not very far, I'm sure, but I had good intentions.

I wonder if anyone, of any age, sets themselves such a goal these days.

Views to the outside are always a plus for a library, in my opinion. Look up from your reading and rest your eyes.

Here's a handsome storage unit looking for a new purpose in life. Good luck to it in that search. Both institutions and families seem to have reached a point where the next generation doesn't want all these treasures. And then what?

The library is designed along a long hallway. We came in the front door and turned left. Now we'll do a 180 and head down to the other end of the building. First, here's a display of new books.

Here's where I could have used some notes, or some close-up pictures. This display shows the available book clubs: Adult Book Club, Nonfiction Book Club, and "a new kind of book club."

The new kind of book club is for teens and appears to combining journaling and reading. I might have enjoyed this as a kid.

OK, back to the service desk and then a trip down the elevator to the lower level. No issues with the elevator now, since we know (more or less) where we're going. I considered the stairs but my knees asked me to please take the elevator. My knees rule. At this point we're under the adult room where we started. A young girl was very carefully coloring a picture paper. The room is clearly intended for projects and tasks that may call for some messiness.

 

Legos at the ready! When I was a child visiting my local library, the best distraction was the stereopticon with its stiff cardboard slides. The idea of toys in the children's room would have given Miss Manning fits! 

This picture was taken right outside the project room, looking the length of the building to the children's collection. It's somewhat like a road, with a number of shops. Let's walk down the hall here.

The first "shop" on the left is the teen space. The beanbag chairs give it away!

Next, a very well-equipped kitchen for the toddler or preschool set.

Here's a pair of small wooden vehicle sets. They are designed so that the vehicles can be moved around the layout without being removed and lost.

      

And a group of topical sets that I should have investigated more closely. What's missing? 

A nice wide room full of picture books. I was so involved in reading books I wasn't familiar with and showing books to my sister, I managed to take zero pictures of this great space. The children's librarian was there; she knows that my lapse was caused by enjoyment of the books! 

I think I saw a flight of stairs like these at each corner of the building.

And here's an appropriate exhortation as we leave the library.

Finally I am left with a mystery. That tan strip above the Memorial Library sign says Dolly Whitney Adams School. I looked around the library's web site and didn't find an explanation of the two names. Perhaps a reader of the blog can enlighten me in a comment. Please?

5/11/2022