Richard Sugden Library
8 Pleasant Street, Spencer, MA 01562
+1-508-885-7513
Opening times
Mon:
10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Tue:
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wed:
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thu:
10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Fri:
Closed
Sat:
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Sun:
Close
The Richard Sugden Library creates an open environment that brings the power of information, literacy, imagination and inspiration to all the people of our community.
The Board of Trustees and the staff of the Richard Sugden Library will work together to respond to our community’s evolving needs and the changing nature of library services to remain relevant and vital to the public. The library is a significant resource and advocate for youth as they develop from birth to thoughtful inheritors of our community. The library has a special mission to promote and support literacy and foster a love of reading in people of all ages. Our space serves as a place to gather, engage and discover.
On April 2, 1888, the Town of Spencer received the gift of a much needed library building from Richard Sugden, a wealthy local wire manufacturer. Sugden’s gift reflected his childhood love of reading and the memory of his limited access to books as a child in Yorkshire, England. He also wanted to provide a wholesome refuge for the dozens of workers in his factories. The Richard Sugden Library was dedicated on August 15, 1889. Located in the center of town, it is a fine Romanesque Revival style building of East Brookfield red brick with Longmeadow red stone trim. It is an important part of the Spencer Town Center National Register District and has retained most of its original features including beautiful stained glass windows, a slate roof, the prominent bell-cast tower, and many original interior oak furnishings. It houses significant paintings by prominent local artists as well as the collections of the Spencer Historical Society Museum.
The library was first wired for electricity in 1904. In the same year, the Good Samaritan Association completed an emergency room in the basement complete with hot and cold running water and surgical and medical supplies. Named “The Wheeler Surgery” after a local doctor who served on the Library Board of Trustees, it was in use for a short time and later converted into museum space. A glass-floored balcony was added in 1907, and a Children’s Room in 1930. The library has been renovated several times over the years, most recently in 1996, when a new addition more than doubled the space and modernized the building systems. The original card system of cataloging books was introduced in 1897 and the catalog was computerized in the 1990’s and became part of the C/W MARS regional automated system. In recent years, library users have come to rely on access to a wide range of modern services including internet access, e-books, and community programming. The library has always been a major part of the downtown streetscape and an integral part of community life.
Trustees meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Contact Cheryl Donahue, Library Director, to be added to the agenda.
Library Trustee Chair
mariespats@gmail.com
Library Trustee
abert1216@yahoo.com
Library Trustee
virginia_davidson@yahoo.com
cdonahue@cwmars.org
Assistant Library Director/ Head Children’s Department
katiesmith@cwmars.org
(508) 885-7513 x1
Adult Reference & Circulation Librarian
dfarmosa@cwmars.org
(508) 885-7513 x1
Library Associate:Cataloging and Interlibrary Loans
lallingt@cwmars.org
(508) 885-7513 x1
Library Associate: Accounts and Circulation
apaul@cwmars.org
(508) 885-7513 x1
Library Associate: Children’s
szemiotm@cwmars.org
(508) 885-7513 x1
Trustees meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.
Contact Cheryl Donahue, Library Director, to be added to the agenda.
Volunteer, Spencer Historical Society
mbakerwood@gmail.com (quickest reply)
(508) 885-7513 x5 (messages retrieved weekly)
Friends of the Library
The Friends of the Richard Sugden Library is a volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the library through fundraising, advocacy, and community outreach. The Friends group sponsors programs, purchases materials, and helps fund special projects that enhance library services.
Mission of Friends of the Library
The mission of the Friends of the Richard Sugden Library is to promote the library as a vital community resource, support its programs and services, and encourage community involvement in the library’s growth and development.
Join the Friends of the Library
Become a Friend of the Library and help support your local library! Membership is open to all community members who share a love of reading and a commitment to supporting the Richard Sugden Library.
Closings, updates, upcoming events, and highlights from the library—shared as they happen.
