Library History

Library History
Leicester has a history of library service dating back to 1793.  These early libraries were subscription libraries that required a membership.  At its regular town meeting on March 4, 1861, the people of  Leicester unanimously voted to establish a free public library. The Leicester Public Library consolidated those social libraries, and was opened in the town hall in 1861 with a collection of about 850 volumes.  

In 1888 and 1892 two bequests of funds totaling $11,000 were designated for the erection of the library building. Town Father Lory S. Watson donated the land the library stands on. In June of 1893 noted Worcester architect Stephen C. Earle offered his services to design the new library.

Completed in 1896, through the generous donations and endowments of the townspeople, Leicester Public Library is an architectural gem that has served residents for over a century.  Built to serve a population of 3,120 citizens and hold 8,400 volumes, the building is a fine example of Classical Revival architecture, recognizable by its solidity and weight, rusticated masonry and strong horizontal lines.

Within a few years, after the Library opened in the town hall, three branch libraries were established in the outlying districts of Rochdale, Cherry Valley and Greenville. These branches remained operational until the advent of a more mobile community. The last branch to close in 1982 was Rochdale at which time all the funding went to the main library for increased hours and an expanded materials budget.

Current Conditions
The Library completed an almost $9million renovation and expansion project 2017-2019. Currently, the library has a collection of about 36,000  volumes and serves a population of over 11,000.  The renovated building, at almost 16,000 sq. ft., has three times the usable space of the original 1895 building.  An elevator provides access to all three floors. There are two program rooms, and two quiet study rooms. Wi-fi is available 24/7 throughout the building and parts of the parking lot and grounds. The 2nd floor houses the Local History Museum, and is a designated quiet floor. 

Governance
The Library is a department of town government, governed by an elected six member board of trustees who are highly committed to the library and its mission. The trustees spearheaded the campaign to make their vision of an expansion/renovation project come to life. They have been aggressively advocating for the library building project.

There is a separate Friends Group who have a 501(c)3 designation. Over the last two years the  leaders of the group have been committed to growing their membership and stepping up their fund raising efforts. In 2010 they teamed up with the trustees to launch the Library's first Annual Fund-raising Campaign. In this era of slashed budgets the Library has to rely more on the Friends to offset expenses not included in the town budget.

Circulation and usage statistics are available in the Annual Town Report.

Funds remaining from the Renovation Project are in the process of being transferred to an Endowment, which will provide for the ongoing maintenance and any necessary repairs to the building. 

Historical Documents
Newspaper Article about 1895 Building Plans, page 1
Newspaper Article about 1895 Building Plans, page 2
1896 Library Dedication Program
1958 Celebration of National Library Week Program Cover
1958 Celebration of National Library Week Program Inside