Hopkinton
Massachusetts
Hopkinton Public Library
The Hopkinton Library Society was formed in 1820. All who wished to become members could have that privilege if they were approved by the Directors, subscribed to the Constitution, paid $2.00 entrance fee and twenty-five cents annually for six years.
Each member could take out two books at a time, to be returned in three months on penalty of twenty-five cents fine for each book. No book could be loaned to any person not a member of the society. If this rule were broken, the fine was equal to the value of the book.
The Library contained no fiction, as very little was published at that time. Plutarch, Paley's Philosophy, Goldsmith's Rome, Hume, The Spectator, Watts on the Mind, Life of Bonaparte, Josephus Young Night Thoughts were among the volumes on the library's shelves. The scarcity of American writers is noticeable as there were few at this date.
About 1840 the State had a series of books prepared under the supervision of the Board of Education, which was furnished, upon payment, to those towns that desired to introduce them. These books treated upon scientific and historical subjects and were bound in uniform style. Fifty or more volumes were placed in each of the schoolrooms and were issued to the households in the districts. Much interest was manifested and the books were eagerly read, but as no new books were added, the interest declined and the books became scattered and lost.
The Young Men's Christian Association gathered a library in 1867, which served the public long after the organization ceased to be operative, and its 2000 volumes became the nucleus of the Hopkinton Public Library incorporated in 1890.
Recent News
Hopkinton Public Library News And Programs - January 2024
Frayed Knot Fiber Arts Circle Wednesday, January 10 & 31 6:30 - 7:30 pm Join us for the Frayed Knot Fiber Arts Circle! Bring your current project or pattern. This group is open to teens and adult of all skill levels. All fiber arts crafts…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library News And Programs - December 2023
Database of the Month - Wowbrary Wowbrary is a nonprofit service that provides you free weekly emails and RSS feeds about our most recent acquisitions. We've found that users of Wowbrary emails are both awed and excited when they discover…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library News And Programs - November 2023
Database of the Month – HeritageQuest With more than 4.4 billion records, HeritageQuest delivers an essential collection of genealogical and historical sources—with coverage dating back to the 1700s—that can help you find…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library Upcoming Events - October 24, 2023
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26 7:00—8:00 PM on Zoom A Lifetime of Writing: A Conversation with Bestselling Author John Irving You are in for a treat when you join us for an intimate conversation with John Irving as he chats about not only his most…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library Upcoming Events - October 2023
Saturday, October 21 Friends Holiday Photo Shoot Fundraiser Friends of the Hopkinton Public Library Fundraiser"Capture the Moment" Mini photo session with Hopkinton Photographer Tricia LaCascia. October 21-22 and October 28-29. Sittings:Mornings…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library News And Programs - October 2023
Trick or Treat at the Library! Join us Tuesday, October 31 for trick or treating. Visit all the departments desks for a treat. Costumes encouraged but not required! One Book/One Hopkinton Book Discussion Tuesday, October 3 6:00 - 7:00 pm…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library Happenings Newsletter - September 26, 2023
OB/OH - Suitcase: A True and Inspiring American Dream Story, by D.N. Chadha Tuesday, September 26 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Join us for an engaging evening with D.N. Chadha, Hopkinton resident and author of Suitcase: A True and Inspiring American…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library News And Programs - September 2023
As summer comes to a close, so ends our Summer Reading program for the year. Many residents completed the program, and I’d like to share some of our statistics with you. There were a total of 1,160 participants in the combined adult (150),…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library News and Programs - August 2023
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June 2023 From the Director's Desk On March 22, 2023, The American Library Association (ALA) released data that showed there had been 1,269 demands to censor library books in 2022. That is the highest number of recorded demands for removal…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library News - May 2023
From the Director's Desk As you know, the Town of Hopkinton has made a commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Library has been doing its part by displaying our pronouns on our nametags, offering intergenerational…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library News - April 2023
From the Director's Desk National Library Week is sponsored by the American Library Association and was first celebrated in 1958 as a time to celebrate our nation’s libraries, library workers’ contributions and to promote library use…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library News -March 2023
THE READING MARATHON IS BACK! March 1 through April 21 All ages are invited to join us. Register at https://hopkintonpubliclibrary.readsquared.com Wednesday, March 8 & 29 6:30 - 7:30 pm Frayed Knot Fiber Arts Circle Join us for the Frayed…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library News - February 2023
VIRTUAL Back in a Spell: Author Talk with Lana Harper Thursday, February 9 7:00 - 8:00 pm Join us for a magical evening with New York Times bestselling author Lana Harper as she discusses the enchanting third installment of her immensely popular…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library News - January 2023
Reflections on the Past Year From the desk of the Library Director The end of 2022 coincides with the completion of my first year as the Director of the Hopkinton Public Library. We managed to accomplish quite a bit together. With funding from…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library This Week - December 11, 2022
Events at HPL this week VIRTUAL: The Roosevelts At Christmas Tuesday, December 13 2:00 - 3:00 pm Learn about the customs and traditions followed by the Roosevelt family as they celebrated Christmas, one of their favorite holidays of the…
Read More »Hopkinton Public Library News - December 2022
From the Desk of the Director Hopkinton has made a commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. The month of December gives us an opportunity to put those ideals into action.Three major cultural holidays are celebrated this month,…
Read More »This Weeks Events at Hopkinton Library
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 VIRTUAL Author Talk: Kwame Christian 12:00 - 1:00 pm Join us for an enlightening hour with bestselling author Kwame Christian as he chats about his new book How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race: Practical Tools for…
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