Best Libraries in MA

There are many libraries in or near Acton and Boxborough, like the Acton Memorial Library, West Acton Citizens’ Library, Sargent Memorial Library, Concord Free Public Library, Reuben Hoar Library, Chelmsford Public Library, Harvard Public Library, Bolton Public Library, Hudson Public Library, and the Maynard Public Library. There are some that I’ve missed on here, like the Randall in Stow, but I’m gonna go and review the ones I did say and rank them in order. The Acton Library is pretty good, all things considered. The book selection is quite large, with a nice, large kids’ section as well. The builtin museum is cool and an excellent way to look at the local town’s wartime history. Of course, the study facilities are good as well, with a bunch of study rooms and a solid mix of quiet solo areas and louder talking areas. West Acton Citizens’ Library is a little small, and I’m pretty sure they just actually filled someone’s home with books. It’s nothing much, just bookshelves all around. Not much study space to really even talk about, with just a few chairs and a sofa, but at least it’s there, and you can’t really expect too much from a branch library. One positive is that I really don’t see why anyone would even go there, so you’ll probably be able to study in peace, although it might feel like you’re crashing in a random person’s home. I’m a little partial towards Sargent Memorial Library, since I live decently close to it. It’s nice, pretty pretty I’d say, and it has some comfortable seating. It’s quite small, and the working area is mostly out in the open on big desks, and it’s not big enough to have a specific “quiet section”, but I do believe the trajectory is going upwards. They’re adding some working pods, which is excellent since I haven’t seen many around this area. As of now, they’re still getting installed, but overall I’d say it’s decent. The Concord library is honestly a little too good, I’d say. Lots of books, really exceptional, a full makerspace, a little gallery, and not only study spaces and study rooms, but a variety of them. One of the areas is spacious and open, like you’re studying in a nice cafe, some of them are like quaint, old libraries, and some are in that weird in-between space, the kind with the rows upon rows of metal bookshelves. They even have one under a staircase, Study Room C, which is honestly really depressing, but in a way that you might actually want your study space to be. Basically, it’s amazing. Reuben Hoar Library in Littleton is actually really nice, which honestly surprised me when I actually went there, though I couldn’t really tell you why. Amazing, great big glass windows, super big ceilings, the study rooms are large and glasswalled. It’s just all so big and open, so it’s honestly just lovely. I will say, though, not much in terms of quiet study areas, as far as I’d seen. Chelmsford Public Library is okay. I spent a lot of my childhood years here, so maybe I would be a little biased, but it’s like, alright, at most. The space is good, study space exists, not the best, but it looks cool. However, it’s really big, the areas look attractive, and there’s even a little garden. Harvard Public Library is really chill. Three floors, a big wooden reading space, and other attractive areas. Amazing for studying, and they have a few cubbies for studying as well, which makes it just a nice overall place to go and work. The Bolton Public Library is way better than I would’ve guessed, but it is just absolutely amazing. The outside structure is wooden, but the inside has two kinds of areas: a really big and open kind of modern style, as well as an older, wooden area. The study areas in the wooden area look really good, and it just looks like an amazing building. It is much too small for my liking, but it is a nice little study space. The Hudson Library is okay. It looks nice and all, the top floor quiet section is cool, with a great view, and in a nice area, but not too, too much to speak of. The Maynard library is drab, a little boring. They have a courthouse kind of design, which would be appealing had the walls not been kind of ugly. However, they are great on study spaces, with a study pod, multiple study rooms that require no booking, which lets you stay however long you want, and a convenient location. Final reviews: 1. Concord 2. Harvard 3. Acton 4. Reuben hoar 5. Bolton 6. Chelmsford 7. Sargeant 8. Hudson 9. Maynard 10. West Acton Citizen’s