Time to retire…read more The Essex Public Library is a cool looking stone library that isn't very large. Built like it could last forever, unfortunately or perhaps fortunately it won't. At least not as a library. The cool looking stone part is fine but the isn't very large part is what dooms it. I'm sure it will survive as something, it is just to cool looking to destroy, but it's library days are almost gone. The library was built back in 1939 and the massive stone walls survived whatever nature could throw at it with ease. Cozy and very pleasant inside, the venerable old library just could expand no further. Just no more room to put computers and other new necessitates. So it was decided to build a new library that is much larger, more convenient, more user friendly and much more modern. It is scheduled to open in 2014. The old library is not very easy to get into, steep stairs get slippery in the rain or snow and it must be difficult for anyone with a handicap to manage. The library is wonderful once you manage to get in, cozy, comfy, with a great sense of history. The stairs down to the kid's department has a fantastic mosaic covering both walls. Absolutely stunning to look at, I hope this somehow makes it to the new library. Yeah, a new library is needed and will serve the community much better. But seeing this building retired will still be sad. Hopefully it can be turned into some type of museum or educational edifice. Time passes and the old fade into the mists of time and the new takes over. Doesn't matter if it's a building or a person, time will always have it's way.

It's a place where I can focus to read and make a work or thinking in create something. I enjoyed…read morethis space for a long time in my first visiting to Tiverton.

I visited this library today for the first time. I was drawn in by the old beautiful building from…read morethe outside. They have a gazebo outside that I could picture would be nice spot to sit and read in, in nicer weather. When I walked inside, I was greeted warmly and all the staff that I encountered were friendly. To the left was a room with a table and a fireplace, all decorated for Christmas. It was nice to look at! The library itself is small, but offers a good variety of books. Downstairs is an entire Children's section of books, but also includes a few different play areas. I loved this idea and could see kids having some fun here! This was such a great atmosphere, and I'd definitely be back again.

In praise of…read morePenny The Swansea Library is a wonderful old building. It was built back in 1899 out of huge blocks of lovely granite and just oozes charm and character. Friendly, comfy, useful and interesting. On of the most charming things about the library is Penny the kitty. She is about 14 years old and has spent her entire life in the library; There have been other cats calling this library home before Penny and it's been quite a while since there hasn't been a kitty here. Unfortunately early this year a rather self centered and attention seeking individual with a long history of litigation and desire to get his name in the news decided that he was offended by the presence of this quiet, clean and gentle creature and that Penny had to go. He threatened to sue the library, town and just about anyone else he could think of if Penny wasn't immediately removed from the library. No debate, no compromise. He didn't like Penny so she had to go. Didn't matter what anyone else thought. Fortunately it turned out that little Penny had lots of friends that were willing to take on the arrogant bully. The articles about Penny and the lawsuit went viral and thousands of signatures and letters started pouring in demanding that Penny be allowed to stay in her home. The support for Penny was overwhelming and all the attention made the lawsuit and man seem ridiculous. So as bullies usually do when people stand up to them, the self centered, attention seeking guy decided he was getting far too much attention and stopped his lawsuit. So Penny still sleeps quietly in her little box over the heating vent. Unassuming and beautiful she represents everything good about the library and small town. Good people did something and this time evil and arrogance did not triumph.

I am proudly a public library nerd... for decades! And I love both of my local libraries:…read moreProvidence Public Library & Warwick Public Library - Apponaug branch. PPL has an old Dewey Decimal Classification storage cabinet which they use for seed distribution in the spring. I'm so excited to try growing tomatillos! #LibrariesForTheWin

Lately, I have been borrowing a few book from the main Library and the system is very easy to…read morenavigate. Basically you enter your library card number and you can create a list of titles that you are interested in. You can then place a hold on any of them if they are not on the shelf and they will let you know when your book is ready for pickup. Just go to the second floor and to the left of the information desk, there are self serve shelves with all the books ready to be picked up. I just looked for mine under my last name, check it out and I have three weeks to read it. Easy and free.

What a sweet little library! I found myself in Downtown Warren a few days ago with some time to…read morekill, so I decided to Google Maps where the local library was. Turns out that it was a convenient two blocks away from the Coffee Depot where I was hangin', so I decided to take a stroll and check it out. The George Hail Free Library may be small-ish, but the building itself was gorgeous (according to the librarian, it's about 132 years old!), and it was fun to walk around in the Beauty and the Beast-esque space and channel my inner Belle for a bit! There are amazing stained glass windows and meticulously preserved vaulted ceilings. It's almost reminiscent of an old church from the turn of the century. Pretty cool! The library is undergoing some repairs and renovations to the upper floor and the roof, so the shelves on the first floor are jammed with fiction and nonfiction books. It was a little bit cramped to walk around, but I managed. I unfortunately didn't have enough time to sit and read, but the worn leather chairs near the periodicals section looked inviting, and I will definitely take a seat there next time! The George Hail Free Library is part of the Ocean State Libraries system, so you can take out any of their books or media and return it at a different library in the system as well. Very convenient and much appreciated! A hidden historic gem in Warren that's definitely worth a visit!

A stunning memorial…read more Back in the early 1880's Martha Hail decided she wanted a lasting memorial to her husband, George Hail, so she decided to donate money to have a library built in his honor that would have his name on it. Like most of the grand libraries built during this time period it was more than a place for books. It was a stunning building made of blocks of granite and constructed in the Romanesque Revival style that seemed popular at the time. The library was complete in 1888 for a total cost of around 16,000 dollars. Seems like a ridiculously low sum now but back then it was a whole heap of money. Several other wealthy people also donated money for the completion of the building. The library is indeed stunning, both inside and out. This period of grand library building sort of reminds me of what the Egyptian Pharaohs were doing in the 4th dynasty, building massive memorials that would last forever. It not exactly forever, then for a long, long time. The library is wonderful to look at from the outside and the inside is just as amazing. Beautiful stain glass windows, lovely staircases, beautiful furniture and art and even a cool owl watching over things. The library was renovated in the late 1970's and much of it was restored to it's original appearance. It is truly a beautiful library to admire from both the inside and out. It might not last as long as the pyramids but it will definitely be around for a long, long time.

A center of informal…read morelearning The first idea for a library in Somerset materialized in the late 1880's. As usual the books were just tossed about where ever there was room. Eventually three small branch libraries sprang up in town but this made things complicated and inconvenient. Finally in about 1974 one central library was built and now serves the entire town. The Somerset Library is certainly not historic like many of the other libraries but still has a charming uniqueness to it. The outside is just a rather mundane brick building, although the Veterans Memorial Walkway is a great tribute to the local veterans. However it is the inside that really makes this library special. Lots of nice places to relax, cool displays, some bizarre artwork, combined with friendly and helpful librarians makes for a very pleasant environment for some of the informal learning that is included in the mission statement. Having 80,000 volumes, free wi-fi and lots videos, audio books and zillions of cool puzzles certainly helps. The Somerset Library probably won't impress many people at first glance but as the folks working at the library might say, you can't judge a book by it's cover.

One of the best libraries in the state! Clean. Well stocked. Well run. People there are helpful…read more Not everybody knows how to use an index box or whatever they call it to look up a book. Not everyone knows how to use a computer. Even in this day and age that's right. Place is great. It's great to spend a rainy afternoon and reading any kind of book you want. Books for sale. Different events. Just a beautiful library!

I'm challenging myself to visit all public libraries in the state of Rhode Island this year and I…read morestarted with Barrington Public Library--I unknowingly set the bar high for the other libraries. I had reserved a room online and the staff was really helpful in helping me find the room. They do hold your reservation for up to 15 minutes if you're running late. The study rooms are spacious, a bit modern, and they even have more upstairs. I found that there were lots of different seats and sort of study spots around the library--wooden chairs, couch like chairs, tables, darker spots, spots by the window, etc. I loved that they had a puzzle that you could help with. I also think it's neat that they have a zone for each age group and it's nicely decorated plus clearly marked sections for different genres and type of books. I took one of their newsletters and quickly found out they have lots of activities each month, some of which I plan to attend. I was also in shock to find that they have a very nice auditorium where they have speakers but also show films. There was lots of parking, the outside of the building is nice, there are some cafes and stores nearby, and they even have a museum in the basement for the town of Barrington (although it does have special hours of operation). I love forward to coming back eventually and seeing how they decorate and organize according to seasons.

Such a good playground especially for a wide range of children. I love taking the kids I babysit…read morefor here because they have two sides of the playground, one for babies/toddlers and another for ages 5 (ish) and up. Makes it very convient to have a little bit of everything for everyone. Theres picnic tables, benches, and covered seating avaiabvle which is super nice.

Love the staff at this library - super friendly…read more It's a small library with not a huge selection in general but especially non-fiction but I don't fault them for that because I bet they would expand if they could. Special shout out to all the librarians there who select the children's books to put on display on the top of the shelves. They always make great selections and they are constantly getting new Children's book - nice work! They are also always hosting different events for the community. I don't want to knock other libraries but Westport has the friendliest librarians compared to neighboring towns. Anyway, people should read more.

Sleek and clean…read more The Westport Library was built in 1971 and was expanded and renovated a couple of years ago. It's a very clean, spacious and modern looking library that's extremely nicely organized and well thought out. A library that it's easy to feel right at home after only a few minutes. The first thing you notice as you walk toward the doors is the unusual sculpture near the front of the building. It really shines when the sun hits it and does go nicely with the design of the building. The inside of the library has a nice children department and community room with lots of events and programs going on. All the periodicals, best sellers, new books, computers and historic references are easy to access and logically placed. The Westport Library is a nice community library that offers a pleasant environment to study, read or just attend a lecture or program.

Being the nerd that I am, I came here on my birthday. Since last year, I've been challenging myself…read moreto visit all public libraries in the state of Rhode Island. This was the 9th one I visited. It took us a couple seconds to figure out the entrance to the parking lot and the main entrance to the building. Since it was a Friday morning, it was almost empty and quiet. When you first walk in, the checkout counter is right in front of you and there were about two librarians who greeted us with a smile. I was gravitated towards a table on bicycling - apparently there are efforts to make at least southern RI more accessible by bike which is nice. They did have free little bike lights, so I took one. To the right of the table, the painted glass windows caught my eye. It gives a nice touch to the study tables they have there. There is a stand that has puzzles, I think to do there, but also to take home (this is perfect for people like me who like doing puzzles but don't like owning them). There is only one floor, but they have made good use of it as the material is well organized by genres and age groups. This includes movies in CD form. We did not spend too much time here but before leaving, we used the bathrooms. They are handicapped accessible, single person at a time use, and very clean.

Love this library. There's an upper and lower level. The staff is friendly and welcoming. They have…read morea section for all ages (children). They have computers that are available for use and printers as well.

While out for a walk around Bristol, we took a warming break at the Rogers Free Library. Beautiful…read morelibrary with a gorgeous 1877 exterior and a newly renovated interior. I loved these beautiful old books that were still on the shelves. Very clean and comfortable. They also offer a small selection of books for sale.

The old and the new…read more Rogers Free Library was always a very cool place to look at books. Built way back in 1877 out of brown sandstone, it had a very dignified and pleasantly archaic look about it. However it was small and just didn't have enough room to hold many books or other typical library conveniences. Finally a couple of years ago the town decided to do something about their charming if diminutive library and expanded the original library into the long out of business Bristol Furniture Company building right next door. In fact the two old buildings were actually touching so turning them into one larger building wasn't a difficult as it sounds. The results are fantastic. The area of the library has more than tripled, giving room for many more books, several new meeting and study rooms and very importantly 50 new computer stations open to the public. The two buildings blend together seamlessly and you can't even tell exactly which one you are in without stopping and thinking about it. The great thing is that the library still has that great small town, very inviting and comfy feeling. Definitely not sterile, static and homogenized like many more modern libraries. Modern technology can never replace the great feel of being in a old building. The Rogers Free Library is a great example of how to do something right. They manages to add the new without losing or sacificing the old. It always was a great place to read a book, now it's even better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOVmwyYJuEE&feature=related This youtube video is in honor of Lydia L, The Space Cowgirl from NY who has some of the coolest videos on Yelp. The old and the new.

I am came today to do a campus tour of this college ,it's accessible through SRTA transit system #8…read more,it is a beautiful refreshing campus I wonder if it's due to it being spring, everyone was willing to help to give me information on how to attend here.