Location
Richard Sugden Library
8 Pleasant Street
Spencer, MA 01562
+1-508-885-7513
Adult Services & Accounting – ext. 1
Childrens – ext. 2
Library Director – ext. 3
Spencer Historical Society – ext. 5
Hours
Monday
10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Friday – Closed
Saturday
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Sunday – Closed
Vision
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.
Mission
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.
History
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
Trustees meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.
Contact Cheryl Donahue, Library Director, to be added to the agenda.
Click to see the meeting agenda and the minutes of the meeting.
Mary Anne Slack (Library Trustee Chair)
maryanneslack@charter.net
Alyson Russo (Library Trustee)
abert1216@yahoo.com
Marie Norcia (Library Trustee)
mariespats@gmail.com
Staff
Cheryl Donahue (Library Director)
cdonahue@cwmars.org
508-885-7513 x 3
Katie Smith (Assistant Library Director/ Head of Children’s Department)
katiesmith@cwmars.org
508-885-7513 x 2
Denise Farmosa (Adult Reference & Circulation Librarian)
dfarmosa@cwmars.org
508-885-7513 x 1
Linda Allington (Library Associate: Cataloging and Inter-library Loans)
lallingt@cwmars.org
508-885-7513 x 1
Amy Paul (Library Associate: Accounts and Circulation)
apaul@cwmars.org
508-885-7513 x 1
Marta Szemiot (Library Associate: Children’s)
szemiotm@cwmars.org
508-885-7513 x2
Local Historian
Mary Baker-Wood (Volunteer, Spencer Historical Society)
mbakerwood@gmail.com (quickest reply)
508-885-7513 x 5 (messages retrieved weekly)
Friends of the Library
Email: rslibraryma@gmail.com (all general questions)
At this time, we are NOT accepting donations of materials such as books, DVDs, etc.
Please do NOT put donations in the outside drop box.
The library IS accepting gently used children’s books for the library at Powder Mill Park.
Please do NOT put donations in the outside drop box.
Mission of Friends of the Library
Our mission is to create public support for our local library. Your membership helps to fund the costs of materials, activities, and functions which allow us to enhance the cultural experiences of our community. Schedules of upcoming events are available at Adult, Teen and Kids pages.
Join the Friends of the Library
Did you know the Friends of the Library help fund the cost of the programs offered at the library? Please consider becoming a Friend of the Richard Sugden Library. Annual membership for the Friends is only $10 for an individual and $15 per family/year. Larger contributions are certainly welcome. All membership contributions are tax deductible. Download a membership form below.
“So…What’s in it for me?”
You help create and implement library programs, fund events and come up with ideas you would like to see at the library. Become more involved in your library today!
Please bring the application to the library,
or mail your check to:
Friends of the Richard Sugden Library
8 Pleasant St.
Spencer, MA 01562
or come in and pay in cash!