About WPL | Weeks Public Library

At the center of the Greenland community, the Weeks Public Library is a cornerstone of the town’s heritage, pursuing Caroline Weeks’s legacy goal of encouraging reading and literacy for all residents. As an active learning center for persons of all ages, it provides free access to informational, educational, cultural and recreational resources and programs in a variety of formats and technologies.

In memory of the people of color in the United States who have suffered injustice, violence and countless indignities, we as members of the Greenland community recognize that the time has come to say "enough." We join our voices with other members of the New Hampshire Library Association to be proactive in our community to counter racism and violence against people of color. The core values of libraries include democracy, social responsibility, diversity and education. Libraries have the ability to make a difference and must act to support people of color who have repeatedly experienced racism, exclusion or discrimination. Our reputation as a committed caring community makes us suited to the task. Adopted 7/21/2020

Library History

WEEKS PUBLIC LIBRARY

As early as 1893, there had been talk of establishing a public

library in Greenland. Nothing much was done until 1896 when
plans were begun to open a public library. In 1897, the 800
townspeople learned that Caroline Avery Weeks planned to

erect a public library on land belonging to the Clough Estate,

next to the Methodist Episcopal Church, now the

Congregational Parish House.

The pressed brick and granite building of colonial design was begun in July of 1897 and completed in January of 1898. The building was accepted as a library at the March 8th town meeting, and the official dedication was held on May 19, 1898. In the vestibule Caroline Weeks had a bronze tablet installed that reads: "This building erected as a memorial to George Weeks, [her deceased husband] Mary T. Weeks and J. Clement Weeks by Caroline Avery Weeks MDCCCXCVII"

If Caroline Avery Weeks visited the library today, she would find that it looks much the same as it did in 1898. But there have been changes over the years. Electric lights and a modern heating system have been added to the building along with air-conditioning. In 1977, Revenue Sharing funds were used to convert the old dirt-floor basement into a children’s room. This greatly increased the usable space. But one of the biggest changes has been the installation of the computers which now provide access to the Internet and allow us to be finally fully automated.

-- Trudy Beck

Adopted at Greenland Town Meeting, March, 1898

Article 6. To see if the town will vote to accept the Weeks Library building for a free public library for the town of Greenland upon the conditions named by the donor; that the property be used only for a Public Library, that the donor have the right to name a Trustee in addition to those elected by the town, that the town will maintain a Library therein and that the same shall be open at least one afternoon and evening a week.

Whereas Mrs. Caroline A. Weeks has erected and furnished a library building which she offers to donate to the town of Greenland, provided the town will accept the same upon the following conditions, namely;

That the building and grounds shall be used only for the purpose of a free public library and public reading room;

That the donor shall have the right to appoint some person to act as one of the town library trustees, in conjunction with the trustees elected by the town, as authorized by section 4 of chapter 118 of the laws of 1895, said trustee so appointed to continue in office with the right to nominate and appoint his successor, until some other person is appointed by the donor, said trustees so appointed need not be residents of the town of Greenland.

That the town will appropriate annually a sufficient sum to pay a librarian and to heat and light the building in addition to the sum required by law to be raised for library purposes.

That the library shall be kept open so as to be accessible to the citizens of the town at least one afternoon and one evening of each week and as much oftener as the trustees shall determine.

Resolved that the town gratefully accepts the very handsome gift of the Weeks Library building, and hereby expresses the thanks of the inhabitants of the town to the donor for the same and their appreciation of her munificence and the great interest shown by the Trustees of the Weeks Memorial Fund for their suggestions and supervision of the building.

That the conditions annexed to said gift are hereby accepted and adopted.

-- Frank D. Wentworth
Town Clerk

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