Abbott Library becomes Sunapee hub for events, civic discussions

Abbott Library’s May 8 events notice did more than advertise children’s programs and calendar items. It steered Sunapee residents toward two public conversations on town ordinances held May 11 at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the Safety Services Building, putting the library in the middle of a local policy discussion that could shape everyday life in town.

That is why the short posting mattered. In Sunapee, the library is not just a place to borrow books. Its stated mission centers on free and open access to materials, services and programming, along with space for community gatherings, personal enrichment, creativity, enjoyment and lifelong learning. The events page showed that role in practice, gathering routine activities and a town government item in one place where residents already look for information.

The library operates at 11 Soonipi Circle, with public hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Its website also lists a broad mix of print and digital resources, including the InterTown Record, Valley News, The Wall Street Journal, Concord Monitor and New Hampshire Union Leader, plus Libby and hoopla. For a small town, that makes Abbott Library a daily information stop as much as a programming venue.

The institution’s roots run deep. Sunapee’s first public library dates to 1892. In 1918, Martha H. Abbott left 60% of her estate to build a library in memory of her husband, Almeron Abbott, and the original Abbott Library opened on June 1, 1926. The current building is newer, after voters approved a replacement in 2014. The project carried an estimated cost of $2.7 million, and the Abbott Library Foundation raised $1.3 million in two years. The new Abbott Library opened on November 15, 2014.

Publicly listed governance also shows how embedded the library is in town life. The board of trustees includes Bev Bjorklund as chair, Jim Harrison as vice chair, Tim Eliassen as treasurer, Nancy Berger as secretary, Susan Johanson, Jon Reed, Emma Brown and alternate Peter Maciaszek. Library card policy is similarly broad, offering free full-service cards to residents, taxpayers, renters, Sunapee business employees and town and school system employees, with nonresident cards at $40 a year and temporary cards at $50.

The result is a library that helps Sunapee residents track what is happening, from weekly events to ordinance talks, while also carrying the town’s history in a building shaped by community gifts, voter approval and ongoing local support.