South Berwick Public Library
The Sanctuary
I can say with all seriousness that I did not expect to walk into this building and have it be a literal church. My visit was right after the snowstorm of January 2026, so the high snow piles were distracting me from the actual outside of the building which probably would have been a good clue. In fact, the storm is why there are no outside pictures of the building, though I would like to go back this spring and add those.
South Berwick’s library building acquisition was the epitome of a labor of love. The town and friends of the library came together to secure and update the former St. Michael’s Church - and I am so glad that they did. We are all lucky enough that they were able to save many details (stained glass, wood details, lighting).
In a metaphysical sense, the layout of an ecclesiastical church for a building is sort of amazing. In this case, they have chosen to build the children’s department in the literal sanctuary of the building (where the altar would have been). Indeed, it is a sanctuary that provides kids with play space, seating, and so much natural light. The info/reference desk is located in the crossing - right in the middle of everything, accessible to anyone and perfect to point anyone in the direction that they need - the beating heart of the library. What I’m saying is that not only is the building itself beautiful, but the application of the building’t original application is both practical and beautiful.
With a new director at the helm, I am very excited to see what’s next for them.
Building Amenities
The first positive aspect that stuck out to me is the abundant natural light that the building allows for with its East -> West layout. There are plenty of tables and spaces for working. The upper level of the building does appear to be severely underutilized. I would imagine that developing it would/will be a huge undertaking as the space itself is very unique and presents accessibility issues. Currently it is serving as a quiet sitting/reading area - which is perfect - they could probably just use more seating.
There are some tables outside for working/hanging out, as well as plenty of parking. It looks like the building may also be covered in solar panels - good job guys! We love to see community resources and sustainability come together. In the spirit of community, the library also provides a number of resources on recovery and harm reduction that are free to take and discreetly placed.
There are several desktops available for use, as well as laptops that can be rented for use in the building.
Children’s Room
Lovely! Simply lovely. I’m a big fan of the bench seating placed around the edge of the old altar. I like to be comfortable while my kid explores. The picture book selection absolutely delivers by providing the classics and a good amount of new releases. There are also DVDs available for kids to grab and they are on child-eye-level, adding to the independence of their check-out experience.
The children’s programming is, as usual, packed and relevant. There are a number of different storytimes, as well as big yearly events such as the upcoming annual (and highly anticipated) Storybook Ball where participants are encouraged to join in their costumes.
Beauty
10/10, no notes
Collection
Surprisingly big! They have certainly figured out how to utilize their space and provide classics, new releases, and historical documents. I also appreciate the individualized recommendations from the library staff at the entrance.
Programs/Events
Their events and programming calendar can be found here.
When a library offers more than one book club, you can tell that they really have their thumb(s) on the pulse of the community. I really appreciate that there is a queer book club - reaffirming that libraries are indeed for everyone.
The absolutely insane amount of cake pans that are available for rent add to whimsical feel to the library’s programming.