Lowell, Massachusetts My Miscellaneous photos #1(14 photos)

Dunstable Free Public Library, Dunstable, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts

 

Dunstable Free Public Library

588 Main Street

Dunstable, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts 01827

Phone: (978) 649-7830

Website: https://www.dunstable-ma.gov/dunstable-free-public-library

On a very quiet Saturday, April 20, 2024, I visited Dunstable Free Public Library (I was the only visitor). There are several things that made this visit memorable. It is very close to where I was living 15 miles from my home. I'm not sure why it wasn't chosen to be a first visit. This town has a pure country feel to it with approximately a population of 3,400 residents. The A1 overview states: Dunstable, Massachusetts, is a picturesque, rural New England town known for its strong agriculture heritage, conservation lands, and tight knit community spirit." The third unusual thing was it didn't feel or look like a library until I saw everything. This was more like a wonderful historic museum, filled with treasures from Dunstable's past. Children would love seeing some of the things, especially if they aren't into reading yet. Then, I found the Special Collections room, and fell in love with their genealogy books, and reference material. Note: quite possibly this could be my 100th New England library report. I need to count up the ones I've written about.

Reference area, two views.

Views of the historic collections.

Below is the quiet reading room.

Community Room.

Side entrance above and parking area below.

Beals Free Library, Worcester Co., Winchendon, Massachusetts

Beals Memorial Library

50 Pleasant Street

Winchendon, Worcester Co., MA 01475

Email: bealsmemoriallibrary@gmail.com 

Website: https://www.bealslibrary.org/

 Phone: (978) 297-0300

Once I started up the stairs, I saw I needed to enter on the side.

But, I'm not sure why I had to go through a basement filled with Christmas decorations.  

I visited this library on April 27, 2024, the same day I went to Ashby Free Public Library. The reference / checkout area was a large round desk surrounded by four rooms  and two hallways. The employees were very busy so I didn't ask questions. One thing I noticed was the ceiling fan was keeping us cool. I'm showing seven of the surrounding rooms.

The Library flyer stated that this library was built in 1913 with a $50,000 donation from Charles Beals in memory of his wife, parents and siblings." The population in this town is about 10,000.

At some point, I inquired about their genealogy section and I was taken to the basement. I find it more interesting if I have an ancestor to research, but unfortunately I didn't have anybody to look up. I'm showing what I thought other genealogists would be interested in. Lots of shelved filled with old genealogy / history books in a very dusty basement. If you locate your family, you are in for a treat.

I love old card catalogues. I don't know if they still use them because they have the internet

The collection of similar books are a set of the "Tan Books". Genealogy "Tan Books" most commonly refer to the Systematic Series of Massachusetts Vital Records.. This is a massive collection of 180+ published volumes covering the birth, marriage, and death records for over 200 Massachusetts towns up to the year 1850." Many Massachusetts libraries have at least some of these books, and you can find them online.

I only hope employees were able to locate what they were looking for.

Then an employee brought me up to the third floor where I saw a large meeting room and several small private ones.

This staircase was lovely, but another one wasn't as nice.

.

A side view from a Library window.