WHAT A NICE LIBRARY!…read more We were visiting the island with 2 kids the weekend before Halloween. It was rainy and I had found the library was having a Halloween party. Not going to lie over the last few years I have been to a few library parties and Oak Bluff took it up a notch! Their decorations were creative! Some purchased, some hand made. They made a tunnel for the kids to crawl through with decorations inside! There was a massive spider web with a word intricately placed inside it over a large window. There were do many hands on things to do... Halloween twister, decorate a bag, coloring, ball toss, the maze, etc... The staff were dressed up, they served cider, popcorn and treat bags for every child. There were stickers, and sticky hands and jeez! What a great party for the kids! On another note, the library is spectacular! Outlets available on every table, super clean, organized, spacious... I wish my library was this nice! Kudos to the staff and thanks for making our kids smile!

A new library…read more The first library in Oak Bluffs was started way back in the 1880's. In fact the town wasn't even called Oak Bluffs back then but was still referred to as Cottage City. As with most small town libraries the books really didn't have a permanent home but were moved around and stored in different buildings throughout the years. Finally in Oct. 2005 the library finally got a new home, the first time the library was ever in a building that was designed and built especially as a library. Obviously someone gave a lot of thought and effort into the the place because it is stunning. Even though it is a new and very modern building it's absolutely beautiful on the outside and in. Roomy, spacious and bright, the perfect place to relax and enjoy reading a book or doing a bit of research. All the facilities of a much larger library are present but it still has cozy little spots and special areas emphasizing it's island heritage. Of course the librarians are friendly, knowledgeable and pleasant and are more than willing to help with any problem you might have. Oak Bluffs Library is a great example of how a new and very modern library doesn't have to be mundane and boring but can still be unique and special.

We bought a Christmas ornament in one of the little artist shacks near the marina and one of the…read moreartists told us to go and check out the library in town. We took his advice and walked there. He was right. It was absolutely stunning. There is a huge sailboat inside the library covering almost all of the inside, surrounded by books. It is absolutely beautiful.

Very beautiful library. Go up to the second floor to see the 1/2 size replica boat that was built…read moreinside the library. This floor has the teen/kids section and it's a great spot. There's a toy/play area, crafting spot, veggies growing in a hydroponic tube, etc. This is a good place to let your kids relax and play a little and find some new books. Basement has public bathrooms (which is so nice after walking around all day). This floor also has a small room of books for sales. Lots of great finds if you are looking for vacation reading. Very nice library with multiple quiet areas of that is what you want. Also a reading room for Cape Cod books / information.

Kitchens closets and…read morelibraries The first library in West Falmouth started back in the 1870s when a group of young ladies got together to discuss books, literary and music stuff and slowly started donating their own private collections. Bu the end of the decade the group had over 50 books that they stuck into a kitchen closet. Finally people realized that a kitchen closet would never do as a library, so some creative volunteers built a small "real" library. The collection of books and materials kept growing and it became obvious that the poor little building was about to burst . So a new an larger library was planned, funded and constructed The new library was opened in 1896 and still serves as the town library. The library is mostly privately funded and receives only a small amount of money from the town. Of course changes and additions were incorporated over the years and now the library is a truly lovely place. Lots of fantastic woodwork, great pictures, lovely art, historical photographs and a very cool garden outside. And of course like most small town libraries West Falmouth also served as a community center and a place people in the town discuss important issues and kids come to play. A wonderful library that serves the town well.

Slate wood and…read moremarble The Eldredge Public Library was opened in 1896 and was constructed by the architect, Albion Marble. It's looking a bit scruffy now on the outside but when it was new it must have been stunning indeed. The lovely old building was built in Romanesque Revival style and has a slate roof, cool marble floors and amazing woodworking all through the interior. It had an addition on the back of the building in 1968 and other work completed in the early 1990s. The library has all kinds of cool art, a grandfather clock, antique furniture and even a spiral staircase that unfortunately isn't in use anymore. Typical with many libraries in the late 19th century there is a lot of strange little corners and nooks to explore that aren't particularly practical but certainly are fun. The library is more than just a pretty face, it now functions as a modern 21st century library with great wifi, a community room, plenty of audio and visual material and friendly and helpful librarians. A cool old library that manages to combine the practical new with the aesthetical old.

A beautiful building, well kept, well stocked, and organized. Lots of activities going on and good…read morehours as well. And I was there in the middle of winter! Great wifi. Even when they were closed, I would bring my laptop and just park in front (when I was without internet for a couple weeks). My only comment would be that the staff is a little laissez faire with noise control. There were a lot of loud kids, people crunching on food in the computer room, people playing music on their cells while they browsed, etc.

History and…read moreconvenience The very first idea for a library in the town of Falmouth was back in 1792. At first the books were stored where ever there was room and eventually ended up in the town hall. The library finally got a permanent home in 1901. As the town grew the need for a larger library also become obvious. So in 1966 an addition was completed. And again in 1978 another addition was added. And finally in 2008 major renovations took place and now the library is a whole lot larger than the original one but still has the charm of the very first building. The library is beautiful, both inside and out and the additions and renovations blend in extremely well with the original concept so it can be difficult to see exactly where the addtions were added. The seal of the town of Falmouth is even embedded on a dome in the ceiling. The library has lots of very comfy place to sit or study as well as a great local history room, kids department and community room. A lovely and very useful library that has grown along with the town.

We went to this library a lot when our kids were little. They loved it and we loved it. We had not…read morebeen back for a while but wanted to see how it had fared in recent years. It's a small town library that's really crowded during summer tourist season and never used to be crowded at all in the off season when we were often in town. It was jam packed on a cool drizzly summer day. It still has a large lower level children's section. And it is still the place to be with wonderful creative updates. The book areas are nicely delineated by age groups and book styles and there are lots of inspiring posters even on office and closet doors. A creative playhouse is at one end. A local garden having a butterfly release on Saturday was nicely featured with all the details of the event and displayed many correlated books. The librarians were very helpful and parents circulated through the areas with their kids. There did seem to be lots of locals socializing with each other but also some obvious tourists enjoying the facility. The building still has lots of historic charm but there are updates to some areas as well as the exterior. There appeared to be an addition since we were last here and we heard maybe yet another in the near future. Parking was a real problem this week but I would guess they can handle the off season/school year just fine.

A gift from…read moreAndrew By any standards Andrew Carnegie was a very generous man and gave vast sums of money to many different charities and organizations. However when it came to libraries he really opened up his heart and wallet and was responsible for hundreds of libraries being built throughout the world, 85 in New England alone. In 1904 Carnegie and a local resident named Caroline Warren donated money to the town with the stipulation that a library be built. Carnegie didn't want publicity for this altruistic act and although this building is official known as the Carnegie building nowhere do you see his name or picture. Most people simply call this the Edgartown Library and that is the way he wanted it. The library is well used and has a huge number of special events and classes and it is definitely is a lot more than just a place to store books. Even though the building isn't large by many library standards, it manages to cram in roughly 40,000 items and still has cozy little spots to read and relax. The old building has been expanded three times over the years but has reached a point that makes further growth impractical. Fortunately plans and money for a new library are being developed and possible by 2015 a much larger and modern facility will be available. What will happen to the old Carnegie building once the new library is finished is still unknown but I'd like to think that it will continue to serve the Edgartown in some capacity that would make Andrew proud.

Famous. Founded by Andrew Carnegie at the turn of the Century…read more Holds close to 40,000 volumes. An older, classic building. Located in beautiful Martha's Vineyard. A perfect spot to write, do research or simply borrow books. An excellent public library.

I found the Wellfleet public library to be a rather pleasant place. They have great skylights and a…read morefriendly staff. Some nice places to read and it wasn't too crowded when I went. They had an excellent pile of puzzles. Furthermore, they displayed great wall art all around the library by different artists. My favorite was this rug with fishing boats. The Wellfleet Public Library is part of the CLAMS system, which, if you aren't already, I highly recommend you join!

A library with a…read more porch Wellfleet is a pleasant little town on Cape Cod. It's typical of many Cape Cod towns with beautiful beaches, great dunes, open ocean and a unique charm. So it's quite appropriate that the town has a beautiful and unique library. The library is actually quite new and the books weren't moved into the building until 1989. Before that the official Wellfleet Library took a circuitous route that took them into several different locations around town. Seemed the library was always jumping around. The first library started in 1893 when the books were just sort of piled in the back of the First Congregational Church. Over the years the library took up residence in a bank, dry good stores, town hall and finally an old curtain factory. The poor books certainly had to move around a lot over the years but finally have found a permanent home. The present library is a wonderful place. The first thing that catches the eye is the huge porch. A great place to sit outside and read, talk to friends or just relax. The inside has over 10,000 square feet and separates into several rooms which makes it a convenient place to hold meetings, events and displays. Of course the library has all the usually amenities of a modern library and helpful and extremely pleasant and friendly librarians but it's the cool, rustic and unique charm and great porch that makes this library special. It took a century to find it's permanent home but I suspect that the library is going to be in this spot for a long, long time.

Love the Dennis Public Library! They have so much to look at and see! They offer events and are…read morevery organized. If they don't have it - you can order it and they work through the CLAMs system.

Awesome small town library with study areas and all the necessities you'd need! Stopped by this…read morelibrary while in town and was throughly impressed with what it had to offer. The library is "newer" compared to some of the others in the surrounding towns and has ample study space, many computers, and a pretty decent collection of books and movies!

Adorable little library with a good selection of new releases and fiction. Friendly, knowledgeable…read morestaff make this little gem a must stop spot for your summer reading. This was my first visit to Martha's Vineyard, invited along by long time visitors, and I wasn't disappointed. The library card gives you access to all of the libraries on the Island plus the cape and for a small fee, you can have one of your very own. Great for those lazy rainy afternoons! Comfy couches and large windows on the main floor provide a great place to sit and eat. The downstairs offers quiet work stations and a large program room. Call about drag queen story time

A quiet place for…read moreinformation The Vineyard Haven Library is location on the quiet part of Main Street just outside of the center of the busy town. It's only a ten minute walk from the ferry but it's in the opposite direction of all the stores and restaurants so most people visiting the island never even know that it exists. That's too bad because visitors to the island are frequently in need of information and directions and this is a great place to find it. The librarians here are patient and friendly and can tell you just about anything you want to know about the island. If you happen to be staying in the town for some time, the library is a great place to read a book or magazine, take advantage of the wi-fi or just relax. I've always found pleasant people to talk to and and discuss things with. The library isn't as quaint or historical interesting as some of the other ones on the island but it is very clean, comfy and efficient. Over 50,000 items are scattered around the building and some great old maps and pictures grace the walls and tons of info on the history of the town and island are available. The library has lots of classes and programs for the local folks and for a relatively small place certainly offers a lot. A great place to go when you have something you wish to know.