About Us

The Mason Public Library began as an idea by the young people of Mason in 1860. At the time it was called the Mason Library Association and was nothing more than a cupboard kept in private homes. During the Civil War, that young idea was forgotten and even the small cupboard was lost.

In 1893 the New Hampshire legislature passed a resolution to help small towns establish libraries. Mason pledged "$30 more or less". A new two-door cupboard was purchased and installed behind the post office boxes in the Mason Center Store. Now called the Mason Free Library, it outgrew its cupboard, so the selectmen portioned off a section of the classroom at the Centre School House.

At the turn of the century, the library was very cramped. Warrants to build a library proposed in 1904 and 1905 failed. The library continued in its small space until 1916 when a lease was signed with the church for the former office space of Dr. Willis Johnson on the east side of the parsonage. Doris M. Flagg was librarian in 1922. The library is now called the Mason Public Library. In the years between 1890 and 1930 the library grew from 200 books to 2,000. The Dewey Card Index System was installed by Miss Francis Hobart, Secretary of the Public Library Commission.

In the 1940's it became apparent that 50 percent of the library patrons were children. The Mason Public Library became a working part of the Mason school program. Each Friday afternoon, the schoolchildren would come to the library to borrow books. In March 1955 the former woodshed connected to the rear of the library was devoted to children. At Town Meeting, $200 was allotted and permission granted to enlarge the library. The bookmobile from the NH State Library would provide an added selection of books every eight weeks, and as many as 150 books would change hands on those Friday afternoons.

In 1975 a Tuesday book delivery began from other Hillstown Co-Op libraries. The library was now open two days per week for a total of nine hours.

In 1984 plans to move the library to the Mann House are underway. A donation from New England Apple Products to purchase the Mann House made this a reality.

On November 23, 1985, an enthusiastic crowd of volunteers moved approximately 7,000 books a distance of 173 feet between the old library and the new library in the Mann House. Some young, some old, some sitting and some standing participated in the "book brigade" which took exactly 289 minutes from start to finish.  More than 20 percent of the town turned out to help with books, babysitting and a hearty lunch.

By 1990 505 patrons were registered and had borrowed more than 8,000 books.

In 1994 the first computer was connected to the New Hampshire State Library system and the first annual poetry contest was held in April.

Technical services came to the library in 1996 with a computer and fax machine available for public use.

The task of bar-coding began in 2007 in preparation for library automation. In 2014 library staff spent the year creating a digital record of the entire collection and how to use the new online system.

2018 finds the Mason Public Library a central hub in Mason. We continue to serve as the Mason Elementary School library, and we are available to answer questions, locate books for our patrons from our own collection and around the state, and generally be supportive and helpful to all who visit.