Hours of Operation

The library's hours remain the same year-round.

Monday-Wednesday,	
9:30 am - 8:00 pm
Thursday-Friday,
 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday, 9:30 am - 1:00 pm
Sunday, Closed

Library Staff

 Joseph Rodio
Director

 Meg Clancy
Youth Services Librarian

 Jennifer Comeau
Administrative Assistant

Lorraine Ensor
Head of Technical Services

 Liz Frosch-Dratfield
Library Technician

Jeanne Hebert
Senior Library Technician

 Jeff Lachowetz
Custodian

 Linda Manijak
Library Page

 Rena Stromgren
Head of Circulation

Desi Smelcer
Adult Services Librarian

Library Trustees

 Mitchell Resnick, Chair
Maxine Cechvala
Connie Clancy
 Susan Obremski-Crowther
Larry Fuller
Helen Gage
Hollis Haley
Ann-Marie Mahnken
Joyce O'Neil

Directions

Click here for an interactive map and directions

From the North or South:
(Follow Mass Turnpike, if necessary to Route 91 North, Exit 4)

• On Route 91, take South Hadley Exit (Route 202)—Exit 16.
• Continue on Route 202 through the City of Holyoke.
• Cross Connecticut River (over Mueller Bridge).
• At rotary, take first right onto No. Main Street (sign says South Hadley Falls).
• Proceed straight down No. Main St. to Carew St.
• Turn left onto Carew St. (there is a white church on the left at this corner).
• Proceed down Carew St. to the Stop sign. This is a four-way intersection. Look left, the Library is directly ahead—on the corner of Bardwell and Gaylord Streets.

There is limited parking around the building. Additional on-street parking is available, but be aware that parking is only allowed on one side of Gaylord and Bardwell Streets.

Alternate Route (from the north):
Follow Route 47 South until you connect with Route 116 South. You are now in the center of South Hadley. Follow Route 116 South into South Hadley Falls (approximately 4 miles). When you reach Gaylord Street, turn right and follow all the way to the end. The library is directly on the corner.

History of the South Hadley Public Library
 
South Hadley has a long history associated with libraries, beginning in 1802 with “Ye Social Library of So. Hadley.” In 1897 the town established a free public library with depositories located at the Center Village and South Hadley Falls.
 
Permanent buildings were constructed in the two villages at the turn of the 20th-century. A private library foundation, the Gaylord Memorial Library Association, was established in 1902 to receive a bequest from William H. Gaylord. That original building still stands at “the Center Village” and operates as an independent public library with limited services and hours.
 
In 1906, Andrew Carnegie donated $10,000 for the town to construct a public library building in “the Falls” section of town. A Colonial Revival, red brick building was designed by resident William Skinner and the firm of Putnam & Cox. The building is located on a small point of land at a five-way intersection.

The original building was expanded in 1974 with a single-level addition of 5,100 square feet. Because of financial constraints, the original design of this addition was curtailed to meet the projected 10-year needs of the town.

From 1968 to 1995, the South Hadley Public Library and Gaylord Memorial Library operated under a unified South Hadley Library System with the Gaylord functioning as a branch library. This association was dissolved when the town could no longer fully fund the staffing and maintenance of two library facilities. The Town of South Hadley continues to support the Gaylord Memorial Library through a small appropriation approved annually at Town Meeting. The two libraries continue to cooperate with joint sponsorship of programs.
 
As the main public library for the Town of South Hadley, the South Hadley Public Library continues to meet the needs of citizens by providing a full range of library services.