What is a Library?
By Tom Burke, Treasurer, Otis Library Board of Trustees and Building Committee
March 2025
Ask that question of any third grader from Farmington River Regional School District or senior citizen at the Otis Council on Aging, and you will probably get the same answer: It’s a building with books. A library is a building with books, but it is so much more than that.
In today’s world libraries go way beyond just books. In the last year alone the Otis Library hosted events like Laura Tupper’s “Start Your Writing Project,” an art exhibit and conversation with Barry Moser, a workshop featuring Otis’s best-selling author, Kathi Casey and more. Many of these events are sponsored by the library, the Otis Cultural Council or the Otis Preservation Trust. These events bring crowds from all over to our library.
Patrons come to our building to access computers and Fiber Optic Wi-Fi. We even have a 3D printer available for the curious-minded. Your Otis Library card is your passport to all this and more.
The library is also a meeting place. There are monthly meetings for our book club, cookbook club and Dungeons and Dragons club. Children’s programs include Ed the Wizard, a Lego club, a weekly story hour for children during summer break, The Story Walk and summer reading programs.
Every July, the Otis Library puts on our annual Library Country Craft Fair on the town green. We also have an active Friends of the Otis Library group for those interested in getting more involved. The group has periodic book sales and other fun activities in town.
And of course, we have books. These days there are so many ways to enjoy books, and The Otis Library has them in all their formats: books on tape, downloads for your tablet, via the Libby app to use on your phone or other devices, in addition to actual bound books. Just about any book in any form is available for request at our library using the Central and Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing online system (CWMARS). If you are looking for other entertainment, check out our collection of DVDs and CDs. If we don’t have what you are looking for, you can also request those from CWMARS.
And that is just the beginning. Last October, Otis was awarded a grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) to fund a new library building (Otis Observer, November 2024). This new and larger space will open up many opportunities to serve the town and significantly expand our community’s offerings.
The plan is to include a makerspace to foster creativity, innovation and hands-on learning. Workshops and classes can enlighten patrons on a variety of topics, from coding to robotics, woodworking, sewing and more. Interactive projects can help kids and adults explore science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
We are also exploring after-school programs and delivering books to homebound patrons. There is the possibility of creating a Library of Things where patrons can borrow items like musical instruments, tools, electronics and science kits, providing patrons access to resources they might not otherwise have.
Not bad for a building with books. Our library is a community hub and portal to new and old worlds. Check out our website at OtisLibraryMA.org, or better yet, come on by and see for yourself.
