Jaffrey Public Library — Attraction in Jaffrey

The differences in this library from when we first moved here & now is like night & day... for the better!

Earlier, before the staffing changes, this really was a pretty standard library. They had activities & events, yes, but the kids area was tucked away in the basement & the whole upstairs area was all the "adult" area, & by "adult" area I mean "SHHH... QUIET" area. It was the kind of place you didn't even want to walk too loudly for fear of making "too much noise." It honestly was not welcoming. The head librarian was not rude, per se, she just wasn't friendly in the slightest; maybe borderline polite.

Here's an example of how it used to be, with regards to stuff for the kids, I took my then two-year-old son to story time for kids ages 0-2 years. Every single child there was over 3 years old, most were 4, 5, even 6. It was your standard "sit quietly & listen to a book" storytime, then you got to play. A tote box of puppets was open next to the librarian who was reading. Bored, my son, who was the only child there within the age range storytime was, went quietly up to the front & pulled out a puppet. The librarian stopped her story, asked him to please sit down, those were for later (then put them away until later...?), & he did. Many of the parents of the older children whom the story time was not supposedly geared for gave me nasty looks... (The older kids had a separate storytime, mind you, it's not like this one which was supposed to be for very little kids was the only one.) Talk about un-welcoming small town nonsense. We didn't go back. BO-RING.

Cut to the new staff. Storytime is fun & engaging & the librarians expectations of what the kids do or do not have patience for is age-appropriate for the group. Everything is 💯 geared towards whatever age group they've set up the activity for. They are friendly & welcoming & supportive &, frankly, amazing. Their energy levels are incredible.

There's free local food at checkout for families in need, I believe most of which is supplied by NH food pantry, but lots seems local too, like eggs, produce & herbs when they're in-season, etc. They have a free seed library in the spring to help locals with gardening costs. Curbside pick-up & online book reservations has been a dream. All sorts of "STEAM" bags you can borrow. Dial-a-story. Online tutorials & art projects. Sewing machines. Osmo gear. On top of more clubs, more activities, more talks, etc. I mean honestly. Not just "good for a rural town," this has got to be one of the best public libraries in the country, hands down.

On top of everything, the exponential amount this lovely library has grown, the friendliness & enthusiasm of the staff is just next-level. I have a feeling this is the closest thing to a community center our town may ever get. And they just go above & beyond. Truly....

Never thought I would be writing a bad review for a library but unfortunately I had a bad experience there. I walked to the library with my 3-week-old baby and was informed that I need to leave my stroller unattended downstairs. When I tried to address my concerns one of the stuff members wanted me to leave the building. After talking to a different person about resolving the issue I was informed that now strollers are not allowed in the building at all. Talking about supporting mothers with young...

Run amazing STEM programs for children for free: 3D printing, little robots, sewing, and more. Families can check out STEM activities, including a telescope. With the magnetic marble tracks on the wall, live rats for the children to meet, and comfy spots to read a book to your child: it's almost like a mini, free, Children's Museum. Wonderful summer reading program with...