The Salem Public Library is a

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending 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 servic ...

at 370 Essex Street in

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem was one ...

. The library building was constructed in 1855 for

John Bertram John Bertram (16 October 1837 – 28 November 1904) was a businessman and a Member of Parliament in Canada. Bertram was born at Fenton Barns, near Dirleton, Scotland, to Hugh Bertram and Isabella Mack. Bertram emigrated to Canada in 1860 ...

, a prominent sea captain, and his family. On December 1, 1887, the Bertram family wrote a letter stating their intent to donate the

Italianate style The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Ita ...

mansion to the city of Salem for use as a library, and the city accepted the offer. The library opened its doors on July 8, 1889. The library is part of the North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE), a consortium of 26 public and academic libraries, and is located within the Chestnut Street Historic District.

References

External links

Salem Public Library official website
{{authority control Libraries in Essex County, Massachusetts Public libraries in Massachusetts