There has been a library in
the town of Hampton Falls since 1780. In 1901, John T. Brown purchased the
Christian Baptist Meeting House, furnished the building as a library and
presented it to the town on August 25, 1901. In 2000, the overwhelming majority
of voters at town meeting voted to appropriate funds for a new library. On July
14, 2001 more than one hundred volunteers moved 13,000 items from the old
library to the new library, and the new Hampton Falls Free Library was dedicated
on August 25, 2001, marking the centennial of the first library's dedication.
The
mission of the Hampton Falls Free Library is to provide the adults and children
of Hampton Falls with the best possible recreational, informational and
educational materials and resources, both print and non-print, and to ensure
access to these materials, in order to supplement life-long learning and to meet
diverse needs and interests of the community.
It is the philosophy of the
Library Trustees that the Library serves all members of the community. We are a
small town and, as such, we can give personal service to those who need it.
Although we will supplement the curriculum of the local schools insofar as we
know it, we will not focus on the curriculum when purchasing our materials.
The library adheres to the
principles of the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights and
Freedom to Read Statement.
The library provides users
with books, magazines, DVDs, videotapes, CDs, audiobooks, and puzzles. All materials
circulate for two weeks. With the exception of the newest bestsellers, items may
be renewed for an additional two weeks in person or by phone.
Library registration is
offered free of charge to Hampton Falls residents and business owners. Those
registering for a library card must show proof of residency. Library cards are
available for out-of-town borrowers for $25 per year.
Computer workstations are
available to the public for Internet, word processing or compact disk use.
Research tools available on compact disk include encyclopedias, atlases and
magazines on disk. Library materials can be searched using the online public
access catalog. Three public access Internet workstations are available and may
be used for one-hour blocks of time. The Internet is available by reservation,
or on a drop-in basis.
The Library will be closed
on the following days in 2008:
Tuesday, Jan. 1 - New
Year's Day
Monday, Jan. 21 - Civil Rights Day
Monday, Feb. 18 - Presidents'
Day
Monday, May 26 - Memorial Day
Friday, July 4 - Independence Day
Monday, Sept.
1 - Labor Day
Monday, Oct. 13 - Columbus Day
Tuesday, Nov. 11 - Veterans' Day
Thursday,
Nov. 27 - Thanksgiving
Thursday, Dec. 25 - Christmas
