I haven't been to the Duxbury Free Library in years. Indeed, when I last frequented it the library…read morewas housed in the old building, now named for its benefactor, local nineteen-century philanthropist Georgianna Wright. Having recently signed up our kiddo for a sports clinic at the nearby Duplex, we've now had several occasions to visit the library. They have a great children's room with tons of classic and recently-published books, some cool kid-oriented technology, and a kid-friendly library of things. You know it's a cool place when you have to pry the kiddo away to meet up with her friends to play sports! In my old age, I am more prone to leveraging the online resources of the Old Colony Library Network, of which Duxbury is a long-time member, but today's Duxbury Free Library has a ton of resources that you should check out and check out!

From the owner: The Duxbury Free Library provides a welcoming environment where people of all ages can pursue…read moreindividual and shared interests. The library offers current topics and titles to help fulfill community residents' appetite for information about popular culture and social trends. It provides resources and education to find, evaluate and use information. In addition to books, magazines, and DVDs for all ages, we have a digital media lab complete with Video to DVD conversion, the complete Adobe suite of products, podcast recording equipment, and a digital scanner all free of use to the public (by appointment). We also have computers and iPads for use, study rooms, programming for all ages, digital copies of titles available through Overdrive (free app or website), a local history room, loaning capabilities for books and other items around Massachusetts, and a knowledgeable staff to help you with your requests.

Don't forget to look…read moreup The Pembroke Public Library is a strange but very interesting library. Lots of libraries tend to look the same but this one definitely stands out and is pretty cool both inside and out. The first thing you notice are the massive pillars in the front. Looks more appropriate on a court house instead of a small town library but seems to fit quite well once you get use to them. Once inside you will see the usual library stuff but if you look up you will notice a beautiful exposed ceiling that gives the entire library a much larger and more spacious feel. In fact the whole library seems so relaxed and roomy, a great place to sit with a book or do some poking around. The library also has a cool kids department that offers games, puzzles, Wii, story time programs and educational classes as well as adult events. A huge community room that seats about 100 people is downstairs and is available free to various groups. Definitely a cool library that has a unique look and feel to it. Sometimes something strange or different just means that it it better than mundane or ordinary.

Save money this summer by getting free passes to the New England Aquarium, Science museum, the…read moreFranklin Park Zoo and many other attractions near Boston! They also have a an extensive DVD collection to rent from. And my favorite part; the floor to ceiling windows, that you can sit by and read a good book. Favorite Library to go to!

Friendly and helpful staff. The used bookstore is pretty…read moreamazing too! Ample parking. And great books for sale on your way in or out.

I love this beautiful library!…read more The building is modern & mostly wheelchair accessible. (I say mostly because not all doors have a button for wheelchair users to push to open them.) I have a 9 month old daughter and we travel all the way from Quincy for the Wednesday storytimes (10 am & 2 pm). The Children's Room staff are wonderful - especially the one that leads storytime. The Children's Room does not allow food for allergy reasons. (Baby bottles are OK!) This library also has a bookstore that's open a few days a week. We've gotten some great deals on children's board books at the bookstore.

I really love this library. When we moved to Norwell a few years ago, the renovation was in process…read moreand so we frequently visited the temporary Hanover location. It was always clean and we were always able to get the assistance we needed finding any books. Now with the new building, not only is it beautiful, the same friendly and helpful people are still here. There is a lovely garden entrance, multiple meeting rooms, and even a back porch for outdoor reading. My son enjoyed an event that was recently held here, a community art project where different colored stickers form a large image, and being able to borrow different items like puzzles, games, and binoculars, in addition to books. We tried the binoculars on the porch and spotted some deer!

I love this library with so many different nocks you can read anything and are able to check out…read morebooks, movies, magazines, games, a Nintendo, video games, and audiobooks. The librarians are extremely friendly and can help with what ever you need.

I love this library. Not perfect, not even the Library of Congress--but this is one of the few…read morethings that makes me feel like Hingham is my home town.

I've always been a huge fan of public libraries and I love spending time in them. Hingham is…read moreblessed with one of the best around and it's really worth getting acquainted with this branch. For starters the librarians are consistently helpful and top-notch. They go out of their way to help you find whatever it is you're looking for and to be available for assistance. The library building itself, while outwardly a bit dated in design, is light, airy and comfortable inside. Sign up for emails from the library on their website and you will hear about upcoming musical concerts, art exhibits, movie showings, the book club, lectures, readings by authors, and a host of other offerings. The library has its own gallery where you can regularly view all kinds of art. In addition to the books, the library has terrific DVD and CD collections. There is art work that you can borrow too and museum passes available. And all this is free! We're so lucky to have a great library system in general but the Hingham library is really something special. It's a great place to spend time.

The childrens library Lynne Campbell is an absolute flake. She wouldn't allow my disabled…read more3-year-old son into storytime, because she kicks all the parents out for "foster independence purposes", and I need to be present for medical reasons. This library is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Nobody should be leaving their 3-year-old, wheelchair or no wheelchair, in the hands of a flake like that. We did not get to experience the storytime and left. Shame on you, John Curtis library!

Hanover's local, residing next door to Town Hall and repping proudly 02339 in the Old Colony…read moreLibrary Network*. Newer and well-maintained building, exceedingly clean and (duh) whisper quiet for in-house study, leisurely reading, or pantomime practice. The layout caters to families, with a robust section for kiddos just past the entrance on the first floor. Got a grown-up item on hold? Sorry adults, you've gotta slog it up to the second to claim your piece. On the bright side, you're scaling a spiral staircase! Parking lot is massive, open evenings M-W and otherwise only closed on Sundays, and you best believe they have entertainment for the wee ones - from the infamous MamaSteph to jugglers, Lego Builders and story tellers! *Just like the Minuteman, the Old Colony Library Network will pull inventory from any of the 29 in-circle libraries dotting the South Shore and have it waiting for you at your local branch. MAGIC!

Time to do some work…read more.. The building itself on the outside is nice,limited parking area in the back. Free internet, but it is kinda slow...still free.Not really used to it, since my house has fast internet. So much books, magazines, references, CDs, and DVDs. There are more items here than work space. I stayed at a table,and I could clearly hear the people in front of me, next to me, and behind me. Not much room from people who are close by. The librarians here are really nice though. I like them. One of the older ladies here have a cute little laugh,and I get all warm inside when she does. I picture her handing me some warm fresh baked cookies and a glass of milk while I'm working.

Friendly librarians and a warm and cozy atmosphere to facilitate research and learning, this…read morelibrary has all the features of a large library (like Boston Public) nestled in a small town like Rockland. The library is part of the Old Colony Library Network, which isn't the greatest, but their interlibrary loan system works well and you can get the books you want without having to worry about shipping and handling. Why buy best sellers that you will only read once? Why buy travel guides for a trip you'll only take once? Instead, you can get them through the library. And you can place books on hold AND "order" books through interlibrary loan all online. Just have your library card handy! With limited funding and budgets slashed left and right, it's hard for local libraries to provide the full services like larger libraries can. However, the Rockland library not only provides public use computers for patrons, a children's reading room, work by local artists, a knitting club, a gardening club, and online research databases ... the staff is pleasant and always willing to help. The parking here can be a little troublesome (I like to get in touch with my hipster side and walk to the library from home with my sack-o-books over my shoulder), but there is ample parking alongside the side streets. Don't like that the library isn't opening on weekends? Write to your local councilman (or councilwoman) to voice your concerns. Start a petition and fight the power!

It was probably funny enough that in 2013 I wrote a review of our town dump...more kindly named the…read moretown Transfer Station. But here I am writing an update mostly to comment on the Swap Shop within. This is the place where town residents can drop off gently used goods (no clothing or upholstered furniture) which can then be taken away for free by any other resident who sees what you've dropped off and wants it. The Swap Shop was closed for the better part of a year due to the pandemic and it is newly re-opened. Lately I have undertaken the task of cleaning out the attic, basement and some kitchen cabinets. I am truly into minimizing...we have accumulated so many things over the years that we don't need and that we rarely use. Some of the items are still in great shape and so I've boxed them up and brought them to the Swap Shop. I feel good giving away items that are still usable and in good shape to others who might want them. Last week when I dropped off several boxes of things, I saw that someone had left a complete and lovely set of Noritake china..service for 8. I had no use for it but it was beautiful...I hope someone nabbed it. I have also been overhauling my clothes closets which is something I do every couple of years....I am ruthless about this task and in the past few years have employed the Marie Kondo method...if it doesn't bring me "joy" (and if I haven't worn it in the past year), out it goes. (I use Marie Kondo's method for folding clothes now too: it's a game changer...you won't believe the space you'll find in your drawers). With this most recent clothes-closet-cleanup I ended up with 3 large bags of clothing...much of it clothes I wore to work and since I am newly retired have no use for anymore. Over the years the task has gotten easier because I have been buying fewer clothes. I brought the bags of clothes to the Town Dump to deposit in the Goodwill bins. Years ago, I used to bring some of my used clothes to a consignment shop in town but I can't be bothered anymore. I also just feel better donating to a place like Goodwill. We still don't have curbside garbage pickup in Hingham, but going to the Transfer Station is not without its own "charm"...running into neighbors, feeling good about sorting your trash for recycling, and donating things to Goodwill and the Swap Shop.