A New Vision for Library Services in Tiverton

The new Tiverton Public Library will revitalize our Town if we put aside old notions about libraries. Modern small-town libraries go well beyond book collections. They offer a wide variety of services and programs that town residents want and need. 

Certainly, a new library in Tiverton will move us to the forefront of small-town libraries. It will offer expanded collections of books, e-books, videos, audio and state-of-the-art research tools. The Trustees’ vision for library services, though, is much broader. We see a new library as a multipurpose town center that will provide:

• Meeting rooms for Town groups, organizations and businesses
• Social, cultural and educational opportunities for residents of all ages
• Climate controlled archives room to house important documents related to local history, stretching back to the 1600s
• Free internet access to everyone in the community
• Computer-based instruction and other lifelong learning opportunities
• Resources and databases for local businesses, job seekers and economic development professionals. 

Our vision is firmly rooted in the success stories of small towns across the United States that have built new libraries over the last 10 years.  Those towns that have made library services about providing a wide range of resources that help the community create its own future. Tiverton can do the same. It can have a library that becomes an essential Town service — a Town hub dedicated to enhancing the educational, cultural, historical, social, recreational and economic well-being of our community.