The Tenney Memorial Library is a Public library. This library is affiliated with the Vermont library system that serves Newbury, VT. The collection of the library contains 10986 volumes. The library circulates 8362 items per year. The library serves a population of 1090 residents. Tenney Memorial Library grew out of the ashes of Newbury’s Spring Hotel, a spa of the mid-1800’s that attracted clients to its sulfur springs. Martha Tenney of Haverhill, Massachusetts, wished to erect a library to honor her father, a prominent Newbury farmer. She realized her dream when the owners of the land, where the old Spring Hotel stood, offered her their prime village location, and the townspeople voted at a special town meeting to accept her offer to build a library on that site. The construction of the Romanesque-style library building began early in 1897. Its dedication was held on June 10, 1897, the 102nd anniversary of her father’s birth. The library proudly served Newbury’s residents for 100 years, but then, grappling with the mandate to create handicapped accessibility raised the broader question as to whether the library’s space was adequate to patrons’ burgeoning use. Thus it was that the Board of Trustees voted to erect an addition that both expanded Tenney’s space and provided handicapped accessibility. Rather than using an architect’s services, the Board invited Newbury’s tradespeople to design the addition. The resulting construction is a testament to the generous and skillful efforts of a large number of Newbury Village residents. Assembled townspeople broke ground for the addition in April of 2000. On October 14, 2001, Governor Howard Dean appeared on the landing of the new handicapped-accessible entryway, amidst a large gathering, to dedicate Tenney Memorial Library’s gracious addition. The addition ushered in a new era of increased library use: for art exhibits, for presentations, and for computer access from a bank of computers. And there were, of course, more stacks for books and other media, as well. Tenney Library had entered the 21st century, continuing its tradition of being a vital community resource.
Tenney Memorial Library 