Scituate Public Library (See the Resources for Genealogists)

5 Branch St, Scituate, MA 02066
(781) 545-8727

Website: https://www.scituatema.gov/town-library

This six-year-old library replaced an older one on the same site. I visited this Library and the town of Scituate on March 16, 2024. The town was decked out with a lot of Irish flags and I learned this town of 29,000 is known as the most Irish town in America. The library is open every day, including Sunday, but it would have been closed on March 17 because of their parade and other Irish celebrations. Since I had never been to this town, we took a long ride, from one end to the other, and enjoyed seeing quite a few beaches.

I could hardly get the entire library in one shot. Usually, I begin photographing what I see as I enter, usually the counter for checking out and returning books. Because I was really interested in the genealogy section, I am showing that first. Information about their collection of local history and genealogy collection is below.

Map desk

I would love to do research in this room and take breaks out on the patio.

The photos below show the main desk, seating areas, the stairs taking you down to other areas as well as the children's room. The library is huge and airy. It almost feels like you brought the beach in with you.

Reference librarian area above.

We took a ride along the Scituate Beachs about a week after a major storm that did a lot of damage to homes.

Sand from the beach completely covered this road and others.

Local History & Genealogy Collection

The collection in the Local History Room consists of print, microfilm, and online sources. Materials in the Local History Room may only be used in the Library. Whenever possible duplicate titles are added to the Library's general circulating collection and are available for checkout. 

Print Collection

Our print collection consists of, but is not limited to:

• Cemetery Records
• Family Histories
• Military Information
• Histories of Massachusetts Counties, Cities and Towns
• Vertical File Materials
• Scituate Town Reports 1873 – present
• School Yearbooks 1924 – present
• New England Historical Register 1965 – present
• Local Authors

For more information about Scituate's history, visit the Scituate Historical Society or the Scituate Town Archives. 

Microfilm Collection

Scituate Herald: (incomplete holdings)
September 13, 1929 - December 1939 (gap September 1938 - August 1939)
January 1940 - October 1942 (gap April 18, 1941 - February 5, 1942)
January 1942 - December 1943 (incomplete)
January 1944 - February 16, 1967

South Shore Weekly Mirror: October 13, 1955 -  December 1955

South Shore Mirror: January 1957 - December 1979*
*note: January 1975 - December 1975 titled South of Boston Mirror

South of Boston Mirror: May 22, 1974 - December 1, 1974

Scituate Mariner: January 1979 - December 2018  

Scituate Mirror: January 1980 - December 1981

Digital Scituate - Digitized resources to view online:

• Chimes - Scituate High School Yearbooks beginning with 1924.
• Town Reports - Scituate's annual reports, searchable online. The years spanning 1848-1874 are contained in one digitized volume. 
• Newspapers 
  • Scituate Mariner (1979-2018)
  • Scituate Herald (1929-1967)
  • South Shore Weekly Mirror (1975-1977)
  • South Shore Mirror (1957-1979)   
  • South of Boston Mirror (1974-1975)
  • Scituate Mirror (1974-1981)
  • Mirror (1975-1977)

Cary Grant became an obsession of mine for a few months.

During the winter of 2024 I got interested in the life of actor Cary Grant, after watching several of his very old movies. Of course, I had heard of him and seen him in more recent movies, I was interested him. So, I read the about 900-page biography by Scott Eyman and saw close to 70 of his movies. Some I purchased, but most came from the Chelmsford, MA libraries in Massachusetts. I think there are only three that couldn't be found by the library.

Although this has nothing to do with genealogy, I am sharing because this is the first blog I've written since April 30, 2024, and once I read my stats, (now with over 2 1/4 million hits) I wondered perhaps a reader might be interested in Cary.

.

The last line shows his last movie. 1966 Walk Don't Run.

 

A Library List in Alphabetical Order

 

Working on this

During the past 12 years, I've visited about 98 libraries to date. The purpose is to see what they have to offer genealogists for research. For this year, I visited:
Woburn, MA on on February 10th (to see renovated library)
Reading. MA, on February 11th (to see renovated library)
Littleton, MA, on March 1st (to see rebuilt library)
Scituate, MA on March 16th (first visit)
Ashburnham, MA on March 30 (first visit)
Dunstable, MA on April 20 (first visit)
Townsend, Ma on April 23 (able to see genealogy and historical material)
Ashby, MA, on April 23rd (first visit)

There is quite a difference from the first ones I visited and wrote about to the recent ones. The Lynnfield Library in Massachusetts was the first one I visited, and I was there a lot. I learned they had the same books I was using in Boston at NEHGS, however, I could save a lot of time by not going into the city.

Initially, I just took photos of the genealogy room or area and I didn't do much writing. The most recent posts contain more writing and many more photos and I tried to showcase the entire library. In the beginning, I would secretly take my pictures, but during the past four years, I made it a point to talk to all the librarians...they have a wealth of information. Even if they didn't know much about genealogy, they knew where the books, maps, and local cemeteries were. Of course, the best librarians were the ones interested in genealogy. I think of Susan from Littlefield, MA, and Mary Bacon from Tyngsborough.

This is a newly revised list, put in alphabetical order by name of towns in the state category.

MAINE (17)

Jessup Memorial Library / Bar Harbor Library, Bar Harbor, Maine

Patten Free Library, Bath, Maine

McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, Maine

Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick, Maine

Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Maine

Lewiston Public Library, Lewiston, Maine

Orr's Island Library, Harpswell, Maine

Kennebuck Free Library, Kennebuck, Maine

Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library, Kennebunkport, Maine

Rice Public Library, Kittery, Maine

Ogunquit Memorial Library, Ogunquit, Maine

Libby Memorial Library, Old Orchard Beach, Maine

Maine Historical Society and Library, Portland, Maine

Topsham Public Library, Topsham, Maine

Wells Public Library, Wells, Maine

Wiscasset Public Library, Wiscasset, Maine

York Public Library, York, Maine


MASSACHUSETTS (67)

Stevens Public Library, Ashburnham, Massachusetts

Acton Memorial Library, Acton, Massachusetts

Amesbury Public Library, Amesbury, Massachusetts

Memorial Hall Library, Andover, Massachusetts

Robbins Library / Arlington Library, Arlington, Massachusetts

Ashby Free Public Library, Ashby, Massachusetts

Bedford Free Public Library, Bedford, Massachusetts

Billerica Public Library, Billerica, Massachusetts

Berkshire / Pittsfield Athenaeum, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Massachusetts

Boston Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts (Private)

Boston Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts (What was in it for Me?)

Boston Public Library. Boston, Massachusetts

Massachusetts State Library, Boston, Massachusetts

New England Historical and Genealogical Library (NEHGS), Boston, Massachusetts
These were written in 2011, and there have been some changes at the library.
Are You Visiting NEHGS? #1
Are You Visiting NEHGS in Boston, Massachusetts? #2

Bolton Public Library, Bolton, Massachusetts

Sargent Memorial Library, Boxboro, Massachusetts

Burlington Public Library, Burlington, Massachusetts

Gleason Public Library, Carlisle, Massachusetts

Adams Library, Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Bigelow Free Public Library, Clinton, Massachusetts

Concord Free Library, Concord, Massachusetts

Peabody Institute Library, The Danvers Archival Center

Parker Memorial Library, Dracut, Massachusetts

Dunstable Free Public Library, Dunstable, Massachusetts

Georgetown Peabody Library, Georgetown, Massachusetts

Groton Public Library, Groton, Massachusetts

Haverhill Public Library, Haverhill, Massachusetts

Harvard Public Library, Harvard, Massachusetts

Hudson Public Library, Hudson, Massachusetts

Ipswich Library, Ipswich, Massachusetts

Thayer Memorial Library, Lancaster, Massachusetts

Lawrence Public Library, Lawrence, Massachusetts

Lenox Library, Lenox, Massachusetts

Leominster Public Library, Leominster, Massachusetts

Cary Memorial Library, Lexington, Massachusetts

Lincoln Public Library, Lincoln, Massachusetts

Reuben Hoar Library, Littleton, Massachusetts

Doing Research in Lowell, Massachusetts? Here's Help, Lowell, Massachusetts
Pollard Memorial Library, Lowell, Massachusetts

Lynnfield Public Library, Lynnfield, Massachusetts

Marlborough Public Library, Marlborough, Massachusetts (New June 2022) working on it

Medford Public Library, Medford, Massachusetts

Merrimac Public Library, Merrimac, Massachusetts

Nevins Memorial Library, Methuen, Massachusetts

Flint Public Library, Middleton, Massachusetts

Newburyport Public Library, Newburyport, Massachusetts

Peabody Institute Public Library, Peabody, Massachusetts

Lawrence Library, Pepperell, Massachusetts

Reading Public Library, Reading, Massachusetts

Rowley Public Library, Rowley, Massachusetts

Salem Public Library, Salem, Massachusetts

Salisbury Public Library, Salisbury, Massachusetts

Scituate Public Library, Scituate, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts

Stockbridge Public Library Association, Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Randall Library, Stow, Massachusetts

Goodnow Library, Sudbury, Massachusetts

Tewksbury Public Library, Tewksbury, Massachusetts

Tyngsborough Public Library, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts

Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield Massachusetts

Waltham Library, Waltham, Massachusetts

Watertown Free Library, Watertown, Massachusetts

Wayland Public Library, Wayland, Massachusetts

J.V. Fletcher Library, Westford, Massachusetts

The Forbush Library, Westminster, Massachusetts

Wilmington Memorial Library, Wilmington, Massachusetts

Winchester Public Library, Winchester, Massachusetts

Woburn Public Library / Winn Memorial Library, Woburn, Massachusetts


NEW HAMPSHIRE (13)

Derry Public Library, Derry, New Hampshire

Dublin Public Library, Dublin, New Hampshire

Gilmanton Library, Gilmanton, New Hampshire

Hudson (George H. and Ella M. Rodgers Memorial Library) Hudson, New Hampshire (New July 2022)

Keene Public Library, Keene, New Hampshire

Kelley (Salem), Public Library, Salem, New Hampshire

Leach Library, Londonderry, New Hampshire

Manchester City Library, Manchester, New Hampshire

Merrimack Public Library, Merrimack, New Hampshire

Nashua Public Library, Nashua, New Hampshire

New Ipswich Public Library, New Ipswich, New Hampshire

Pelham Public Library, Pelham, New Hampshire

Peterborough Public Library, Peterborough, New Hampshire


NEW YORK (1)

New York City Public  Library, New York

VERMONT  (2)

St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, St. Johnsbury, Vermont

Norman Williams Public Library, Woodstock, Vermont


MISCELLANEOUS: The DAR Library in Washington, DC, and my employment there.

http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2009/11/new-job-at-dar-part-1.html
http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2009/11/dar-job-2.html
http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2009/11/dar-becoming-member-and-100-year.html

Well, January is Over. What Did I do that Month?

Why not post my photo of Dolly. I think she will bring a smile to all.

I posted a blog a day for the past 31 days in January. Many were of libraries, cemeteries, historic houses, and museums that were visited between 2032 and 2023. Some of my favorite ones like taking a backstage tour of a large Boston theater and visiting a museum with a collection of items of Georgia O'Keeffe. Although I posted quite a few related to genealogy research (libraries and cemeteries) the more popular of all 31 posts was the one about my Lexington house.

When I decided to post the Lexington house blog to a Lexington group, I received a huge surprise. Why? Well, I left that town in 1961 and have had no contact with my neighbors and now, I received three comments saying they remembered me! And I responded, telling them something about their family. The biggest surprise was a message from a realtor saying she knew the people who recently bought my old house!

As of this writing, I received just shy of 12,000 hits this month. I had many nice comments and sometimes didn't know if I was coming or going, especially since my goal was to post each day between 8-8:30...it was a great way to start my day. Since January is usually a miserable month for many, I made sure it wasn't for me. I now have posted 1,505 posts since 2009.  I will not be doing a daily post for February.

Thank you to those who took the time to read something I wrote in January.

My most popular posts in order were:

Claypit Cemetery, Lowell, MA.

The Lexington House, Lexington, MA.

The Coffin House, Newbury, MA.

1713 Job Lane House, Bedford, MA.

Charter Street Cemetery, Salem, MA.

The Browne House, Watertown, MA.

0

562

Completion of the Merrimack Riverwalk, along the Concord and Merrimack Rivers…See where they Meet

This is the 3rd post about the Merrimack Riverwalk. The bridge photo was taken before it opened. See at the end for parts 1 and 2, with plenty of interesting pictures. This photo was taken on September 29, 2022. However, I don't know the date it opened.

This was January 24, 2022. Eight months later, on September 29, 2022, I took the shot below.

The new walkway is very nice, to the right is the Concord River. The weather was perfect.

When the bridge finally opened, I walked over the bridge to the Massachusetts Mills complex.

The Massachusetts Mills complex is on the left, and the Concord River is on the right.

The Concord River meets the Merrimack River. The Merrimack meets the Atlantic Ocean on the right side.

This was taken from the Centralville side.

This walkway follows the Merrimack River.

The trail goes under the Bridge Street Bridge.

Looking back at the Bridge and the Massachusetts Mills.

As you can see, I had the walkway to myself!

You are now at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum. You can stop here or continue on.

This is the bottom of John Street.

Merrimack Riverwalk, Lowell, MA. -- A New Walkway in the Future, Part 1 (2014, 2021.2022).

 https://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2022/02/merrimack-riverwalk-lowell-ma-new.html

Merrimack Riverwalk, Lowell, MA. -- A New Walkway in the Future, Part 2. (2015, 2022)

https://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2022/02/merrimack-riverwalk-lowell-ma-new_12.html