106:
91,000-square-foot (8,500 m) Theodore D. Mann
Building opened to the public on September 15, 1991, at a cost of just over $ 15 million. It was believed that branches were no longer necessary and were, in fact, usurping the main of patrons and resources, so all but 4 of the branches were closed. The remaining branches remained open with reduced hours and staffing in four outlying locations: Auburndale, Waban, Newton Corner, and Nonantum. The latter two were closed on July 1, 2008 due to budget cuts, while Auburndale and Waban continue as community-run library centers.
17:
151:
143:
47:, the Newton Free Library was dedicated on Friday, June 17, 1870, and opened to the public July 1 of the same year. It opened with about 7,000 volumes, composed of previous library associations' collections, new purchases, and private donations. By 1875, the collection had grown to 11,003 volumes. Today, the collection has grown to about 450,000 items.
122:
continue to attract people of all ages to the library. In its most recent update, in spring of 2018, the library renovated the children and teen area to create a new tween area on the first floor behind the research area. The Newton Free
Library has been recognized as one of the top ten libraries in the country within its population range category by
105:
In the mid 1980s it was determined that a new building was needed to maintain the growing collection of library materials—both traditional and non-traditional—and to keep up with the community's demand for quality library services. Groundbreaking for the new building took place on July 27, 1989. The
121:
Since its move to the new building, the Newton Free
Library's circulation has steadily increased to almost 2 million items per year. A wide variety of educational and cultural programs, specialized children's programming, high-speed wireless access, and an ever-increasing audio-visual collection
39:
Before 1870, several citizen groups organized library societies to serve their neighborhoods, among them the Social
Library Society of West Newton, the Adelphian Library, and the Newton Centre Library Association. In 1866, one of these groups, the Newton Library Association, purchased land to
54:
The term 'Public
Library' fails to give full expression to the character of the Public Library and the many institutions of the same description which have been lately established in our cities and towns. The distinguishing term is the 'Free
59:
As the library's collection and membership grew, the physical space needed to be expanded. Several expansions were added to the original building on Centre Street, first in 1886, then again in 1952.
31:, provides an extensive collection of print, non-print, and electronic resources, a comprehensive reference service, and a wide array of educational and cultural programs for people of all ages.
40:
establish a public library for the residents of Newton. Construction of the building began in August 1868, aided by donations from private citizens.
369:
463:
134:
The library is a department of the city of Newton and has a board of trustees appointed by the mayor who serve a staggered five-year term.
473:
468:
341:
424:
257:
95:
63:
365:
87:
75:
316:
165:
62:
Demand for library services was so great that the Newton Free
Library built neighborhood branches in
79:
91:
71:
123:
196:
The Newton Free
Library loans out more items than any other library building in Massachusetts.
317:"Newton Free Library: Library Solar Canopy Parking Lot Project: Parking Lot Project Overview"
28:
199:
In 1870, a total of 1,360 people had "registered their names" with the Newton Free
Library.
67:
8:
205:
From 1905 to 1916 book deliveries between branches were carried out in a horse and buggy.
44:
99:
83:
16:
249:
457:
439:
426:
126:, being ranked in the top 10 nine times out of 10 reports between 1999–2010.
110:
150:
50:
Regarding the library's name, the annual report for the year 1887 reads:
142:
297:
208:
In 1870, the largest number of items loaned in a single day was 250.
416:
279:
392:
342:"Newton Free Library revamping teen/tween area, maker space"
202:
The first telephone for the library was installed in 1904.
154:
Statue of a young girl outside of the Newton Free
Library
227:
The Newton Free
Library: A pictorial history 1870-1991
174:
Square Footage: 91,405 square feet (8,491.8 m)
455:
393:"Hennen's American Public Library Ratings 2006"
250:"About the Library » Newton Free Library"
113:were constructed over the main parking lot.
180:Height of Atrium: 50' to bottom of skylight
224:
149:
141:
124:Hennen's American Public Library Ratings
15:
456:
390:
171:Layout: Three floors, all above ground
372:from the original on 29 November 2017
177:Lot size: 4.588 acres (18,570 m)
314:
260:from the original on 13 January 2023
244:
242:
240:
238:
236:
168:architecture made of brick and stone
464:Library buildings completed in 1870
13:
474:Libraries in Newton, Massachusetts
14:
485:
469:Public libraries in Massachusetts
410:
339:
233:
384:
358:
333:
308:
290:
280:"Auburndale Community Library"
272:
229:. Newton, MA: Draper Printing.
218:
137:
1:
212:
186:Dedicated: September 15, 1991
129:
321:guides.newtonfreelibrary.net
284:Auburndale Community Library
7:
225:Tashjian, Virginia (1992).
10:
490:
302:www.wabanlibrarycenter.org
34:
440:42.3387528°N 71.2075417°W
366:"HAPLR 1.0 Top Libraries"
20:Theodore D. Mann Building
116:
445:42.3387528; -71.2075417
391:Hennen Jr., Thomas J.
298:"Waban Library Center"
159:Architectural features
155:
147:
146:Main Library in Newton
57:
43:Designed by architect
27:the public library of
21:
153:
145:
52:
29:Newton, Massachusetts
19:
164:Style and Material:
25:Newton Free Library,
436: /
417:Newton Free Library
254:Newton Free Library
45:Alexander Rice Esty
397:American Libraries
368:. 12 August 2017.
183:Cost: $ 15,300,000
156:
148:
100:Newton Lower Falls
84:Newton Upper Falls
22:
481:
451:
450:
448:
447:
446:
441:
437:
434:
433:
432:
429:
405:
404:
388:
382:
381:
379:
377:
362:
356:
355:
353:
352:
340:Cohen, Julie M.
337:
331:
330:
328:
327:
315:Mercurio, Jill.
312:
306:
305:
294:
288:
287:
276:
270:
269:
267:
265:
246:
231:
230:
222:
96:Newton Highlands
489:
488:
484:
483:
482:
480:
479:
478:
454:
453:
444:
442:
438:
435:
430:
427:
425:
423:
422:
413:
408:
389:
385:
375:
373:
364:
363:
359:
350:
348:
338:
334:
325:
323:
313:
309:
296:
295:
291:
278:
277:
273:
263:
261:
248:
247:
234:
223:
219:
215:
140:
132:
119:
37:
12:
11:
5:
487:
477:
476:
471:
466:
420:
419:
412:
411:External links
409:
407:
406:
383:
357:
332:
307:
289:
271:
232:
216:
214:
211:
210:
209:
206:
203:
200:
197:
188:
187:
184:
181:
178:
175:
172:
169:
139:
136:
131:
128:
118:
115:
111:solar canopies
36:
33:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
486:
475:
472:
470:
467:
465:
462:
461:
459:
452:
449:
431:71°12′27.15″W
428:42°20′19.51″N
418:
415:
414:
402:
398:
394:
387:
371:
367:
361:
347:
343:
336:
322:
318:
311:
303:
299:
293:
285:
281:
275:
259:
255:
251:
245:
243:
241:
239:
237:
228:
221:
217:
207:
204:
201:
198:
195:
194:
193:
192:
185:
182:
179:
176:
173:
170:
167:
163:
162:
161:
160:
152:
144:
135:
127:
125:
114:
112:
107:
103:
101:
97:
93:
89:
85:
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
64:Newton Centre
60:
56:
51:
48:
46:
41:
32:
30:
26:
18:
421:
403:(10): 40–43.
400:
396:
386:
374:. Retrieved
360:
349:. Retrieved
345:
335:
324:. Retrieved
320:
310:
301:
292:
283:
274:
262:. Retrieved
253:
226:
220:
190:
189:
166:Neo-Georgian
158:
157:
133:
120:
108:
104:
61:
58:
53:
49:
42:
38:
24:
23:
443: /
376:29 November
191:Circulation
138:Quick facts
88:Newtonville
76:West Newton
458:Categories
351:2018-08-04
346:Newton TAB
326:2023-01-13
213:References
130:Governance
80:Auburndale
109:In 2020,
55:Library'.
370:Archived
264:16 March
258:Archived
92:Nonantum
72:Oak Hill
35:History
98:, and
117:Today
68:Waban
378:2017
266:2023
460::
401:37
399:.
395:.
344:.
319:.
300:.
282:.
256:.
252:.
235:^
102:.
94:,
90:,
86:,
82:,
78:,
74:,
70:,
66:,
380:.
354:.
329:.
304:.
286:.
268:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
