Somerville Public Library

Somerville Public Library. The library is a member of the Minuteman Library Network and serves the city of Somerville, Massachusetts, which is home to Tufts University and Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. The library's mission is to provide access to information and resources for the community, including Boston residents and students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Lesley University. The library is funded in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

● History

The library was founded in 1854, during the tenure of Somerville, Massachusetts Mayor Elisha S. Converse, with a collection of over 1,000 volumes, including works by Charles Dickens and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Over the years, the library has undergone several renovations and expansions, including a major renovation in the 1970s, which was supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission. The library has also been recognized for its innovative programs and services, including its participation in the Library of Congress's Veterans History Project and its partnership with the Somerville Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The library's history is also closely tied to the history of Somerville, Massachusetts, which was home to Paul Revere and Samuel Morse.

● Collections and Services

The library's collection includes over 120,000 items, including books, DVDs, CDs, and e-books from OverDrive and Project Gutenberg. The library also offers a range of services, including interlibrary loan through the OCLC network, Wi-Fi access, and computer classes taught by instructors from Microsoft and Google. The library's collections and services are designed to support the needs of the community, including students from Somerville High School and Tufts University, as well as researchers from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The library is also a member of the Digital Public Library of America and offers access to a range of digital resources, including JSTOR and EBSCO Information Services.

● Branches and Locations

The library has two branches: the Central Library and the East Branch. The Central Library is located in downtown Somerville, Massachusetts, near the Somerville City Hall and the Somerville Theatre. The East Branch is located in the East Somerville neighborhood, near the Mystic River and the Assembly Square development. The library also offers a range of outreach services, including a bookmobile that visits locations throughout the city, including the Somerville Community Path and the Legion Park. The library's branches and locations are designed to be accessible and convenient for the community, including residents of Cambridge, Massachusetts and Medford, Massachusetts.

● Programs and Events

The library offers a range of programs and events for adults, children, and teens, including author readings with writers like Dennis Lehane and Jennifer Egan, book clubs focused on works by Toni Morrison and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and children's storytime sessions featuring books by Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle. The library also partners with other organizations in the community, including the Somerville Arts Council and the Somerville Community Corporation, to offer programs and events that support the city's vibrant arts and cultural scene. The library's programs and events are designed to be engaging and informative, and to support the library's mission to provide access to information and resources for the community, including students from Bunker Hill Community College and Lesley University. The library has also hosted events featuring notable figures like Noam Chomsky and Cornel West, and has partnered with organizations like the Boston Globe and the WBUR to offer programs and events that support the community's interests and needs.