Rochester
- Kathy
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
Plumb Library
Rochester, Massachusetts
Adventure date: 7/23/2026
R is for Rochester
A quaint, small white building on a charming town green in a rural town. Expectations were blown away!!
My exploration partners were my husband Carl, his brother Neal and sister in law Joyce. We took in the lush green grounds, gazebo and sweet statue of children reading. Before entering the library we strolled by the neighboring church, church building and town hall. All beautiful, historic white buildings.
The library grounds:
Little did we know that the town hall once housed the original Rochester public library. Mrs. Charles Leonard donated the funds to build the town hall in the late 1800's. Her one stipulation was that the building had to house a public library. She also donated her collection of books.
We approached the circulation desk, met Kristen the library director and were soon joined by Jen, the librarian. These two women gave us almost two hours of their time. If I have learned nothing else through my library visits, I've learned that librarians have varied skills, with creativity and ingenuity topping the list, and serve several roles in the library. The myth that librarians relax and read all day couldn't be further from the truth. What became evident to me is that these two librarians love their jobs.
Each library has a personality as it strives to serve their specific community. Kristen and Jen know their patrons names and their tastes in books. Their "Library of Things" includes "Hot Spots", a device that provides internet access. Being a rural community, they lose power often. The library is among the first to regain power. People can work in the library using the internet or take out one of the hot spots while they wait for their electricity to be restored.
The Rochester library is a popular spot and has a great reputation. They told us that "they are the local bar without the alcohol." :) They are the biggest draw in town along with the Council on Aging and the Grange. The Grange has a summer fair that is happening soon. A classic old fashion fair with ribbons being awarded for home made pies! We may have to return for that. They told us that the library competes with i-phones, Amazon, family time and sports for their patrons.
An exciting remodel project is underway. Kristen credits their town facilitator for securing a grant to enable the remodeling of the basement that houses a meeting room. The project will create a beautiful new "Teen Space!" The remodel includes a bathroom and an elevator!! They are excited to offer the teenagers a dedicated space. When you think of it there are not too many places for teenagers to gather without spending money. This room will be perfect for the middle school bus drop off that happens three times a week. When I asked what programming would be offered their response was awesome! They are going to listen to the teenagers to see what they may want.
The way they listen to the teenagers also shows their level of caring and understanding. They recently hosted a book bedazzling activity. While A LOT of bedazzling was being done the library staff listened closely to their conversations, picking up what their interests may be. An upcoming outdoor "Tea Party" for children ages 6-12 will be another opportunity to connect with and listen to tween-agers.
Programs for early childhood education is huge!! The librarians said that they "want to give the kids of Rochester the best opportunities!" The children and their parents/caregivers have a long list of activities to choose from. They offer music, art projects, story times, touch a truck and probably a lot more I didn't hear about.
The Rochester "Friends of the Library" runs a book sale in the library, raising funds for programming at $1 per book. They ran a big "Savers" fundraiser that brought in $500 for the library! Everyone with extra "stuff" in their house loaded it onto a large truck that then dropped it all off at Savers. Savers weighed the haul and split the amount with the library. The friends of the library group get to decide how to spend what they raise. One of the fun items they chose is an inflatable movie screen.
Rochester is part of the SAILS library consortium which includes 40 libraries. The state employs couriers to to transport items from one library to another. This allows a small library like Rochester to function like a big library. You want a particular book? They will get it for you!
The library was named for Joseph H. Plumb, a prominent Rochester resident. Mr. Plumb was gifted an impressive wooden rocking chair by the Canadian prime minister. The rocking chair has been a well loved seating option since the library opened in 1976. I can confirm that it is roomy and comfortable.
What is a "MOBY " backpack?? The acronym is My Own Back Yard. Each backpack contains everything needed for an outdoor exploration. The activities included are; Stargazing, Nature Photography, Insects, Bird Watching, Camping, Nature Journalism and On the Shore.
Daily scavenger hunt! Each day the librarians display one item on a bulletin board at the entrance to the library. The kids know to look at the board and then scour the library or during nice weather they run around outside looking for that exact item. After finding it, the children get to pick a prize from the treasure box at the front desk. Huge hit!!!
The library director, Kristen does not have an office. She prefers to be at the circulation desk so she can interact with the patrons. She certainly does a lot more than check in books! She described running a monthly legislative breakfast where librarians along with political leaders come together to discuss library issues. Kristen's book recommendation to us was Be Here Now by Ram Dass (Formerly Richard Alpert,)
Jen, the librarian has been with the Rochester library for 28 years! She gets to interact with several generations of the families that she has come to know. Jen recommends the author Geraldine Brooks.
The library was built in 1976 . It was designed to resemble a bank. The town has a big 50th anniversary party planned for August, outdoors and open to the public. The local ice cream shop will be there as well as the commissioner of the MBLC. There library cards currently have a special, vintage looking picture of the library on it for the occasion.
Before entering the library that afternoon I worried that it was too small of a library to bring my relatives to. After all, it was their first "Library Adventure." You have heard not to judge a book by its cover. Add to that, never judge a library by its size.
Off to explore the neighboring towns of Mattapoisett and Marion. Not having any experience in this area we were in for another fantastic surprise! Ned's Point is a postcard perfect spot. A light house, ocean, beach front for swimming, picnic spots, book reading nirvana and public restrooms with an outdoor shower!!
I had insider knowledge from a Mansfield friend, Beth, who is a life long Mattapoisett summer resident. We followed her recommendations and drove down picturesque Water Street to the Town Warf General Store. It was exactly what you would expect in beautiful seaside town. Carl was able to buy himself a hat and we chatted with the super friendly staff and their adorable little dog.
We took Beth's dinner recommendation and went to Turk's, a Mattapoisett hot spot for seafood. Getting there early we parked with ease. Upon leaving there wasn't a parking spot to be found. Beth had said that people come from all over to eat there.
We drove into the town of Marion, finding "Fish Brew." A huge brew pub/restaurant with attractive outdoor seating and live music. Perfect ending to a day that brought us a lot of fun, and it all started with a library!
Here are Joyce's thoughts from the day:
"I recently visited the Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library in Rochester and wanted to share how much I appreciated the experience.Although the library has a staff of only three, it is clear how much they do for the community. I especially loved how animated the director and the librarian became when talking about the local area. The surrounding churches, trees, and the outside gazebo create a beautiful, serene setting that seems like the perfect place to sit and enjoy a book. If the weather is bad they have Mr. Plumb's rocking chair to relax in and read. I loved the picture on the wall where you had to find a list of books represented in the portrait. I also found it very cool that the local school's late bus has a drop off at the library. That makes it so much more accessible to the students.
Then we went over to the town of Marion and enjoyed a Brewfish Bar and Eatery dinner. The food was delicious. The surrounding area is breathtaking. The Ned's Point Lighthouse and its outer buildings were so much fun to explore although I would have loved to go inside. The grass area around the lighthouse was a perfect spot for a picnic lunch or to read one of the books you got from the library. The ocean view was gorgeous with the sailboats in sight. It all looked like something on a postcard. Then we jaunted over to the Mattapoisett general store and we got to pet the store's dog and enjoy a nice chat with the store owner. We added a stop at a local pub which just topped our day off. All I can say is if this an example of a typical Library explore, I wish I had gone on all of them. I learned some things, had great company, food and drink! What a wonderful day."
Neal appreciated the punctuation poster!
Distance traveled: 78 miles
"S" is next. There are 35 choices! Not sure what town we will explore next.
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