Islington Branch Library, Wentworth Hall Opening with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Residents and supporters of Westwood’s Islington Branch Library will be happy to know that the cozy, neighborhood haunt that they have been missing for the past few years is finally reopening its doors to the general public in its new location at 273 Washington Street, directly after a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, February 14, 2022 at 4:00 p.m.

It has been almost two-and-a-half years since October 2019, when Islington Branch Library closed at its location at 280 Washington Street. It moved to a transitional space in Islington Community Center at 288 Washington Street for some time, while construction of the new building was ongoing. It wasn’t until just Thursday, February 10, 2022 that the last furniture was delivered to the new space at 273 Washington Street. Wentworth Hall appears now to be mostly complete, but for some finishing touches.

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In the last few days, the library has conducted a soft opening with a skeleton crew and open doors. A community group that has used the old branch library for meeting space was invited to take a look and provide comments. A new patron wandered in and was given a newly made library card.

Photo by Elizabeth McGovern. The new Islington Public Library includes well-lit spaces and large windows. With garden-inspired, artwork painted on the wall above the children's section, the design is reminiscent of the Main Library's children's space which includes a garden view through large windows.

Library Director Elizabeth McGovern noted that after the long wait, it felt important to host a community celebration of the new building. Monday’s ceremony is a chance for residents, library staff, supporters, town officials, and occupants of the shared building space at Wentworth Hall to mark a milestone. The new Wentworth Hall offers a home not only to the branch library, but also to Westwood Youth & Family Services, Early Childhood Education, and programming by the Department of Recreation.

Ms. McGovern wants longtime users of the Islington Branch to know that the feeling of a neighborhood library has been preserved in the new space. While the new design ties more closely to that of the Main Library, the warm and cozy spaces are still there, she says. There is a place for seniors to come in and sit in the morning, a children’s area that may bring to mind the special nook of the old library, and a special space for people to work quietly.

Photo by Elizabeth McGovern. The old library's children's nook is recalled in this special area framed on two sides by wall paintings by local artist Jason Sawtelle. His work also appears in Wellesley Public Library. The artwork was funded by Friends of the Westwood Public Library.

A new business center has been added, funded by the 21st Century Fund. This work space may serve as a welcome place for someone working from home who wants a change of scenery. There is free WIFI and a copy kiosk is planned. Due to supply issues, the copier is currently backordered, but there will be another option for copying. Hot spots will be available, and when power goes out in town, library visitors are invited to come in and pick one up, says Ms. McGovern.

Additionally, readers will be happy to find a “highly curated” book collection. It is comprised of popular and new titles that one might find at Barnes & Nobles, according to Ms. McGovern. The oldest books in the collection are only three to four years old.

Beginning Tuesday, the branch library will operate at regular hours. Business hours will be Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be extended hours on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Currently, due to budget and staffing, Islington Branch library will be closed on Fridays and weekends. However, the new operating hours represent an increase from the old library’s 21 hours a week schedule to the current schedule of 34 hours a week.

Photo by Elizabeth McGovern. A new train table anchors this cozy space to read to play at Islington Branch Library.

The bigger event of a grand opening will be sometime next month. “We want to give a gift back to the community,” says Ms. McGovern. She noted that delaying the grand opening means that outdoor space can be used when the weather warms up. One would expect that final touches to the new space would also be expected to be complete.

“I just want to thank everybody for their supporting the library. We are just really happy to bring the Islington Branch back to the community it loves,” she said.

Thanks to Westwood Public Library Director Elizabeth McGovern for being interviewed for this article.

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- Islington Library to Address Issues Before Reopening

- Islington Branch Library Reopening Date Tentatively Set for Late January 2022