Mattapoisett Public Library

Cannon
clocks
and
cases
Mattapoisett means place of rest in the local Native American language and this library is indeed a peaceful and extremely interesting place. Nestled on a quiet side street close enough to the ocean that you can smell it, the library has a unique charm.
As you approach the library you notice all the cool stuff outside. A huge old naval cannon sits guarding the lawn, a huge boulder with a plaque on it and a cool civil war statue all demand your attention. They now are displaying an octopus made out of trash picked up from the area. Even if you didn’t go into the building this would still be a interesting place.
Once you do go inside you quickly realize this is not your average small town library. Cool old grandfather clocks, beautiful artwork, cases filled with cool stuff and a magnificent staircase all conspire to catch your eye.
The library was renovated in 2008 with 4,000 square feet added and the architects did a marvelous job. Everything blends together very well and the new area is congruent with the original. Not the cheap, hack jobs that you frequently see on some renovated libraries, this was well thought out.
The librarians there were very friendly, knowledgeable, hospitable and just plain nice. Gave me all the information about the library that I could every desire and let us explore as much as we wanted. Of course the facility has all the usual modern items that most libraries have and lots of cozy places to read but we didn’t even bother to look at them, we were having too much fun with everything else. Mattatpoisett Public Library makes you realize that a library can be a lot more than just a place to read.