West Boylston
Massachusetts
Beaman Memorial Public Library
The first public library in West Boylston opened in 1878 following a $100 bequest from the estate of David Lee Child. In addition, Lydia Maria Child, his widow, donated 170 volumes from her personal collection. This library was first housed in the high school located in the center of town in the valley. Very shortly, it expanded to the second floor the Primary School across the road. In 1904, during the construction of the Wachusett Reservoir, it was relocated to a space in the new Town Hall on Central Street.
In 1911 George Calvin Rice, a local farmer, approached the Town with a plan for building a new library in honor of his great-grandfather, Major Ezra Beaman. He proposed donating $20,000 to build a library if the Town purchased the piece of land at the junction of Central and Newton Streets. At Town Meeting the townspeople voted to approve the funding for the purchase of the land and to support the additional funding necessary to run the library. The Beaman Memorial Public Library opened to the public on September 6, 1912.
The building was a wonderful mix of elegance and good common sense. When it opened in 1912 it housed a collection of 8,000 books, but was designed to eventually hold 15,000 books. That total was reached and exceeded by the early 1960's necessitating a second floor of metal shelving in the rear book stack and the addition of shelving in the Meeting Room to provide space for the growing reference collection. In addition, the Trustees' room became the Director's office allocating more space for the growing staff. In the early 1970's an area of the basement was converted to a Children's Room, with space for an office and two restrooms. By early 1980, it was obvious that the community and its needs for modern library services had outgrown this building.
In 1999, with a $1 million grant from the State and generous local funding of $1.34 million, the building was renovated and expanded. The community further raised $200,000 to purchase furnishings and shelving for the new space. The vision of George Calvin Rice has been translated into a modern facility that is handicap accessible, provides room for future growth, accommodates new technologies, and offers the public a comfortable and welcoming library.
Recent News
Beaman Memorial Public Library News - January 2024
Dear West Boylston Library Community, I am delighted to extend my heartfelt greetings to each and every one of you as the newly appointed Library Director here in our vibrant town. Stepping into this role on December 11th has been an exciting…
Read More »Beaman Memorial Public Library Happenings for December 2023
Click Here to view the Beaman Memorial Public Library Happenings for December 2023
Read More »Beaman Memorial Public Library News - November 2023
Holiday Harvest with Kim Larkin Thursday, November 2 at 5:30 p.m. Learn how to construct a fun, colorful buffet and table, healthful recipes, and easy wine and spirit batch recommendations. Get 'Board Certified' with a cheeseboard primer and easy…
Read More »Beaman Memorial Public Library News - October 2023
Fun For Adults Please visit beamanlibrary.org to register for a program, unless otherwise noted. Card Writing for Rise Above Thursday, October 5 at 6:30 p.m. Rise Above is a non-profit that supports foster youth in their college journeys.…
Read More »Beaman Memorial Public Library News - September 2023
Our beloved Head of Children’s Services, Ms. Sue Smith will be retiring at the end of September. She has worked at our Library for the past 26 years and has been the leader of our Children’s Department for the past 12. Ms. Sue’s…
Read More »Beaman Memorial Public Library News - August 2023
Starting New Chapters After 12 years at Beaman Library, seven years as Director, I will be saying farewell to our Library on August 25. It has been a privilege to be your Librarian and is my hope that the relationships and partnerships I have built…
Read More »Beaman Memorial Public Library News July2023
Have you signed up for our Summer Reading Program, Find Your Voice!? To learn more details about the Summer Reading Program and register for the Summer 2023: Find Your Voice! Challenge for your age group, visit Beaman Library's Beanstack page. …
Read More »Beaman Memorial Public Library News June 2023
Summer is here and Beaman Library has a number of exciting events planned for our Summer Reading Program, Find Your Voice! To learn more details about the Summer Reading Program and register for the Summer 2023: Find Your Voice! Challenge for your…
Read More »Beaman Memorial Public Library News May 2023
Town Meeting Warrant Review Wednesday, May 10 at 6:00 p.m. Join Jennifer Warren-Dyment, the Town Administrator for West Boylston, to review articles on the Spring Town Meeting Warrant. Jennifer will answer your questions about the Annual Town…
Read More »Beaman Memorial Public Library News April 2023
Beaman Library would like to invite local artists and crafters to share a sample of their work in the Library's display case on the Library's main floor. Collections will be displayed for a period of one month during June, July, and August. To be…
Read More »Beaman Memorial Public Library Happenings - February 2023
Beaman Library has a New Website! The content of the site has undergone a tremendous transformation, resulting in a vastly improved user experience. Our priority was to make the many patron resources easily findable and usable. We are very excited…
Read More »Beaman Memorial Public Library Happenings - January 2023
FUN FOR ADULTS Italian Conversation Circle Saturday, January 14 and 28 at 10:00 a.m. Join other Italian speakers in the community for an opportunity to speak Italian exclusively for two hours! Stress Reduction and Relaxation Yoga with…
Read More »Beaman Memorial Public Library Happenings for December 2022
FUN FOR ADULTS Please email [email protected] at least 24 hours prior to a program to register, unless otherwise noted. Adult Story Time: A Cup of Christmas Tea with Carol McGuiggan Wednesday, December 7 at 6:00 p.m. Join Carol McGuiggan…
Read More »