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The Billerica Public Library is a
public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants.
There are ...
in
Billerica, Massachusetts
Billerica (, ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 42,119 according to the 2020 census. It takes its name from the town of Billericay in Essex, England.
History
In the early 1630s, a Praying Indian ...
. Since 2000 it has been located on Concord Road.
History
In the late 19th century, "Billerica's free library, known as the Bennett Public Library, was founded by Mrs. Joshua Bennett, who erected, at a cost of $9,000, a suitable building for the purpose, and deeded it to the Bennett Library Association in 1880. ... The town contributes nothing for the support of the library." The architects of the Bennett building were Boston architects
Rotch & Tilden.
Initially, subscribers were charged an annual fee for use of the library. By 1899, "the membership fee to the associates, to whom a few special privileges are allowed, is one dollar, but all citizens are given the free use of the library."
In fiscal year 2008, the town of Billerica spent 1.09% of its budget on the library—some $29 per person. The library's total budget was $1,209,203.
[July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008; cf. The FY2008 Municipal Pie: What’s Your Share? Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Board of Library Commissioners. Boston: 2009. Available]
Municipal Pie Reports
References
Further reading
* Catalogue, constitution, rules and regulations of the Bennett Public Library Association of Billerica. C. F. Jones & Co. Printers, 1882
Google books* Paula D. Watson. Carnegie Ladies, Lady Carnegies: Women and the Building of Libraries. Libraries & Culture, Vol. 31, No. 1, Reading & Libraries (Winter, 1996)
External links
* http://www.billericalibrary.org/
* https://www.flickr.com/photos/pkeleher/1579977566/
Flickr Photo of
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high ...
at the library, 1983
Flickr Photo of library building, 1979-2000
Flickr Billerica Public Library's photostream
Image gallery
Image:1883 BennettLibrary Billerica Massachusetts.png, Bennett Library, Billerica, 1883
Image:1899 Billerica public library Massachusetts.png, Bennett Library, Billerica, 1899
Image:Billerica Public Library 2004.jpg, The Billerica Public Library, 2004
{{Authority control
Public libraries in Massachusetts
1880 establishments in Massachusetts
Libraries in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Libraries established in 1880