Located in the town center of Shrewsbury, this newly renovated and redesigned library has a very…read morewelcoming floor plan. The 1903 original library building is blended seamlessly with the newer structure. As you enter, there are many wide open spaces to sit and read throughout the library. For the children, there is a large children section which has a lot of fun animal characters. We were visiting in the winter so the outdoor area was closed but it did look very nice. The parking lot is good but I would imagine that it would always be great to have more parking. Finally, the book self-check-out system is definitely state of the art and there is an electronic drop of book drop off at the main entrance. The architect, Michael Pagano, and the entire library team did an amazing job with this new town community hub. Don't miss the "Let your quest be for knowledge" inscription on the stained glass in the 2nd Floor staircase of the original 1903 Library building.

We got to visit this beautiful library! It was reopened in October 2016 after the renovation. They…read morehave done such an amazing job, and kept lots of beautiful original architecture and woodworks. It is three stories, with stairs and elevators. I believe they have bathroom on every floor. There are children section, young adult, and adult section, and the flow was very nice, easy to find what you are looking for. They have more than just books, they have many computers, DVDs and CDs, and lots of nice seating areas. They offer several small meeting rooms that you can rent for few hours. You can have a small meeting, or you can just have a super quiet room just for yourself for studying or working. I saw a "Gaming" section where kids can play video games, which was interesting... On the top floor, there is a "Quiet" section for reading and studying. They have snacks and drinks that you can purchase, and some tables and chairs right there for eating (food are not allowed outside the snack section). They also have ATM machine if you need cash for that as well, very considerate. The furniture in kids section are all so cute, colorful and interesting. The outside area off the children section has beautiful murals and cute little sculptures. Beautiful, bright, friendly, really nicely done library!!! They even have a book of the history of library of the town as well, which is really cool and interesting. I wish if we had a library like this in our neighborhood...

Great collection, friendly librarians and aides, a real service to Westborough and the surrounding…read morecommunities. Anyone who thinks that these days libraries are just about books has never visited WPL. Great programs for kids and their moms, for non-English speakers as well as English speakers, for people who want audiobooks, internet access and much, much more. And did I mention the Library of Things? The historic building in which the library is housed is currently undergoing a huge renovation, and the library is currently located in temporary digs in the shopping center near Roche Brothers and Panera. Go enjoy the space -- you'll get a very good idea of how well an historic institution can respond to trying circumstances! And on your way out the door, say something nice to the staff - they have created a place for our town to be proud of.

Interesting material and customer-oriented service, easy and free to park on the street, etc…read more Except movies, the vast majority of material can be kept up to four weeks. You can borrow up to fifty materials.

I have a friend with an autistic son living out of state and her nonverbal son was expressing a…read moreneed to get back to the library so we worked with the staff to get some pictures and the games he used to play. The staff were absolutely amazing and so very helpful and accommodating to work with us to get some pics of the games he used to play. Huge shout out to Kenzie

I've been going to Hudson library once a week for five years. The employees are very courteous,…read morehelpful, and professional. I love when they do themes; My favorite was the Alice in Wonderland (book displays and amazing decorations throughout the library). My other favorite was from February, relating to Valentine's day: 'go on a blind date with a book' on the display upstairs. the books on display were beautifully wrapped with the only bar code showing, so you would check it out and then unwrap it for the 'date.' So creative. You can tell how passionate they are about reading, and how much they enjoy their work. They have a small area just for teens. Play area and big checker board downstairs in the children's library; I always encourage my students to visit. I've received tons of books through inter-library loan.

Love this little town library. It has changed quite a bit throughout the years, but for the better…read more This is a great historical spot, with many pieces of the town and such throughout the building. There has been quite a few building upgrades which were much needed. They were also done without affecting the beautiful stone exterior and the old windows of the building. Inside is cozy and unique. There are three floors. You walk in the main entrance to the adult and sections on both sides. There is a balcony above where many more books are located. If you go downstairs, there is a great children's section. The staff is all very sweet and accommodating. They are all there to help and are great with recommendations or with locating material. They do many activities and meetings in this building. They also have passes available for local museums and parks. There was a major technology upgrade as well. Gone are the days of the massive card catalog with the lengthy drawers of cards stating the location and reference information of the books. There are now several laptops you can borrow for the sitting area or look up and get your book checked out all via computer programs. It's a great spot to bring a coffee in and browse or read for hours. Love this little place. Ps- it also doesn't get crazy crowded and there doesn't seem to be many unwanted visitors that pass through here.

Beautiful updated space with work/study rooms and nice spaces for teens and kids too. I got my…read morelibrary card a few months ago and then ended up moving, so I guess this is no longer my library, but I had good interactions with the staff here. They have a lot of discounts/passes for museums and stuff in MA.

As someone who needs to getaway from a toxic living situation, the library, and specific corners…read morewithout much traffic are perfect for settling my nervous system and relaxing. Unfortunately, the staff, specifically a young lady (maybe 30) with brunette hair, enforces library rules with so much hostility that I don't care to go back. She has communicated rules with unwarrented hostility on multiple occasions. I have seen other people kicked out with little warning simply for speaking a little loudly in the eating area. If you're going to have rules, have rules that serve a benevolent purpose. If you're going to enforce the rules, maybe take a deep breath before doing so and consider the human you're speaking to.

Great selection of books as well as the Library of Things! The staff is amazing & so helpful…read more Programming is innovative. This library is the gem of the town.

Many people talk about the move towards the internet and digital consumption in the same breathe as…read morelibraries being less relevant. This could not be further from the truth. Libraries in general are providing more services than ever and Southborough Library is a perfect example of this. They offer so many things to do and so many resources - all with a smile and passion for what they do. Admittedly we spend most of our time in the Childrens section with our kids but the breadth and quality of offerings from art to entertainment to special events is extraordinary and all for free. A really great resource in both the traditional and modern sense.

Wow! The main Worcester Public Library is amazing! It is large, open and airy-just lovely! The…read morestaff is welcoming and informative. Everything you would want in a library is available: books, study areas, sitting spaces, computers, internet access, and more importantly, an on-staff social worker. This is such a wonderful addition and should be available in more urban libraries. Kudos!

Worcester Public Library has a Program Called The Talking Book Library for the vision impaired. The…read moreStaff are knowledgeable, friendly, and always willing to help navigate the confusing resources needed or just to order an audio book. They have started to show audio descriptive movies (helps to narrate any action that is missed during the movie). Admission was free , in an air conditioned room . The Movies are shown at the Worcester Public Library in the Banx Room at 2:00 . The up coming schedule is: Tuesday July 15 The Book Club Movie Tuesday August 12 Going In Style I would really recommend taking in a movie and helping to keep this program going it is very important to share with the community some joy and safety. If You have any questions regarding this or any of there services : Talking Book Services Worcester Public Library Worcester, MA 508-799-1655

Sandstone High schools…read moreand towers The Gale Free Library is a stunning and amazing building indeed. The building is actually called The Damon Memorial Building and until 1926 housed both the high school and the library. The high school received it's own building and the Gale Library took over the entire building. The library is made of lovely granite from local quarries with brown sandstone trim and the roof is black and red slate from the state of Maine. The library was designed by the famous Boston architect Stephen Earle in the Romanesque Revival Style and even includes a clock tower. The money for the library was donated by Sam and Susan Damon Gale and was opened in 1888. This was the great era of library building and the inside is as impressive as the outside. A stunning and wonderful building, libraries like this will never be built again.

Perhaps I miss understood the situation. I only relaying what my son told me. I believe may be the…read moreday that she asked him to go elsewhere to read perhaps it was busy, which would explain asking him to go to a more private area. We still go here in the librarians have been great event tolerated my sometimes noisy baby in the play area.

A very, very special…read morelibrary The first Hopedale library started back in 1855 and it was just a few hundred books stuck in the back of a school until Joseph Bancroft built this library in 1898 in honor of his wife Sylvia. He stated he wanted something very, very special to be constructed in her memory and he definitely got his wish. I've seen a whole heap of libraries but this is one that that made my jaw drop. Just so many unusual and different things to look at, the books inside seem absolutely irrelevant. The first thing that catches your eye is the building itself, made of pink Milford granite and fashioned after an Oxford chapel, it is indeed stunning. Strange and mysterious, it looks like it was just plunked down from somewhere else. If you go over to the side you will notice a huge fountain. This was a gift from another local resident and was actually used as a for drinking until the board of health decided it probably wasn't a good idea to have people drinking from the same fountain as horses, dogs and pigeons. Once inside the library your eyes will immediately seek the ceiling. Exposed beams and intricate carvings will strain your neck and your sense of reality. How can this really be a library? The quiet and darkness just adds to the ambiance. Plenty of cool old pictures of cool old people long gone and strange antiques are everywhere and dark and spooky corners and rooms complete the bizarre and extraordinary landscape. The librarian was friendly and helpful but rather reserved, like she knew she worked in the coolest damn library in the whole state and there was no need to be obvious about it. I've seen a lot of libraries and it takes a very special library to really impressive me but the Bancroft Library certainly did the trick. Sylvia Bancroft did indeed get something, very, very special in her memory.