Provincetown

Provincetown Public Library

356 Commercial Street

Provincetown, Massachusetts

Adventure date: 4/23/2025

P is for Provincetown

This library Adventure had it all! Perfect weather, coastal town, history, artist community, nature, great food and an awesome hotel!

For this library visit Carl and I packed a suitcase! A two hour drive had us arrive in Provincetown mid morning. We knew if was going to be a successful adventure when we found FREE parking across the street from the library. It's funny how happy it made us to learn that parking is free until May.

As you can tell by the picture , the library is a building with a history. Originally a Methodist church built in 1860, it has had a few lives. It housed an art museum and then a "Center For the Arts." In 1975 it was placed on the "National Register of Historic Places." The town bought the building in 1976 and it eventually became the Provincetown Public Library in 2002. Citizens of Provincetown are lucky to live in a town that recognizes the importance of their public library.

The original library was in a home just a few blocks down the street from the current location. That cool house, built in 1874, was an good example of second empire architecture.

We met a really friendly man working the circulation desk. I didn't get his name. :( He works part time at the library, which he can walk to. This job is his retirement gig. When we arrived he was giving tourists recommendations on sights to see. I asked him what brought the people in. His reply was quick. "The boat and the bathrooms." Public restrooms are advertised out front. The boat we would learn more about once we went upstairs.

We were curious about the book bike. It was a cool looking bike with a large container attached in front. It is used to deliver books to patrons who could use that service. We learned that it doesn't get used often as the it is a heavy bike without any gears. That makes for some challenging bike riding, especially on the hills!

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Check out the book shelves in the pictures below. They were made by salvaging several pews from the church - clever and beautiful.

Before heading upstairs we made a couple of purchases. There was a display of library merch and it caught our eye. Carl bought a Moby Dick - themed T-shirt with a picture of whale swimming in a book and I picked up a beautiful post card showing the outside of the library. An easy way to support the library.

Ascending the stairs took me back in time. Not that I was alive in the 1800's , but I could imagine families climbing these stairs each Sunday. There were a lot of details to notice and photograph.

There are several adjectives to describe what greets you on the second floor.

Pictures will do a better job than my description. Over the span of eleven years a team of craftsmen made a half-sized replica of the ROSE DOROTHEA, a famous race winning ship!

In August 1907 the Rose Dorothea won a Fishermen's race in Massachusetts Bay. It was a 42 mile race. The victorious ship and crew returned to Provincetown with the golden cup and a lot of fanfare.

Even though there is a large boat in the middle of the second floor, the library staff still fits a lot of fun, books and points of interest. The children's area dominates one side of the room.

I peeked my head into an office, asking if the person trying to work had time to talk. Once again, a library assistant was friendly and generous with her time. Her name is Courtney. One of her favorite tasks is choosing new children's books. When buying books for the middle grade she chooses various sized books. "Kids like variety." She chooses some short books, some fat books.

Courtney explained the many programs that happen in this special place. They have a "Crop Swap." Gardeners share their vegetables with the community. Others donate grocery store gift cards for the purchasing of vegetables . There are also two, 6 ' tall hydroponic garden towers. The "Friends of the Library" organizes the maintenance. Volunteers tend to the towers weekly.

Every library has old library card catalogs and they are usually put to good use. The Provincetown Library filled one with recipe cards that were donated by one family! I looked through them and I can verify that they are arranged alphabetically.

Above the Library card catalog is a "Confidential Corner." This where patrons can borrow a book that they do not wish to check out at the front desk. This will make it easier for people to leave with a book on a sensitive subject. You skip the check out and simply take the book.

Who imagines and creates these programs? Courtney said the ideas come from the director and the assistant director, along with input from community. There is a theme each week! The themes reflect the town and the LGBT community. Courtney said the library has a focus on community programs and actually overlaps with the Veteran's Memorial Community Center in town. She described the Provincetown Library as "Library adjacent." I like it!

A popular annual event happens in September. The Provincetown Book Festival is held at the library. It runs for three days, is open to the public and FREE! The festival attracts hundreds of people.

Call me Ishmael

We happened to visit the library when the Moby Dick Marathon was taking place! Readers and listeners gathered on the second floor by the boat to celebrate this "world classic literature." This 720 page book is read over the course of three days in three sessions. We got comfy seats and sat back to listen to a few chapters. It is relaxing to have a story read to you.

There are chairs on the balcony that would be my reading spot if I lived near this library. Reading in a rocking chair by a window with a fantastic view in a classic old building would be a very good thing! I tried it and can confirm that is ideal.

This was our first overnight "Library Adventure." We toured the library Thursday morning, returning Friday morning for the Moby Dick Marathon. You can't go to P-Town without having some fun, so we set out find some.

The scenery, people, food and walk-ability made for a perfect day. Courtney the librarian gave us a great restaurant recommendations! We managed to have both lunch and dinner in wonderful restaurants with ocean views.

There are miles of ocean views and sand dunes. April is a great time to visit without traffic on these amazing scenic roads. Bike trails are everywhere! We pulled up to an old white building on top of the hill. There were 15-20 photographers with their cameras poised and no one was talking. We tip toed and whisper asked a man (without a camera) what are they looking for??? There was a mother fox and several kits entertaining the crowd. It's not easy getting 7 baby foxes to stay together.

Our choice of hotel was the SEAGLASS INN! There are a lot of choices in P-Town and we were so glad we chose this one! What made our stay so special was the owner who was so kind, informative, friendly and she makes a fabulous espresso martini! We were impressed with the continental breakfast which was delicious. We headed home knowing we will return to the Seaglass Inn.

Miles traveled: 216