Central Library

220 State Street
Springfield MA 01103

Parking: Visitors to the Central Library may park for free in the lot directly across State Street. A few accessible spaces are located in front of St. Michael’s Cathedral (church next to the Central Library) on State Street. Accessible parking is also available in the small lot between the Smith Art Museum and the Science Museum (enter via the driveway to the right of the library, next to the Cathedral).

Book Drop: The book drop is located across State St. in the parking lot – take an immediate right when you enter the lot, and you will see the drive-up book drop ahead on the right. (There is no after-hours book drop on the side of the street with the library building, only the one in the parking lot.)

PVTA Bus Route: G3, B6, B7

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413-263-6828

Reference: ext. 213
Circulation: ext. 218
Children’s Room: ext. 201

Manager, Borrowers’ Services: Zach Bartlett
Manager, Adult and Youth Information Services: Rachel Gravel
Manager, Technical Services:

The Central Library will be closed for the following holidays:

The libraries will be closed on the following dates for holidays:
January 1, 2024 (Monday)	New Year’s Day
January 15 (Monday)	Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
February 19 (Monday)	Presidents’ Day
March 31 (Sunday)	Easter: Central Library closed
April 15 (Monday)	Patriot’s Day (MA holiday)
May 27 (Monday)	Memorial Day
June 19 (Wednesday)	Juneteenth
July 4 (Thursday)	Independence Day
September 2 (Monday)	Labor Day
October 14 (Monday)	Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day
November 11 (Monday)	Veterans Day
November 27 (Wednesday)	Thanksgiving Eve: All libraries close at 5 pm
November 28 (Thursday)	Thanksgiving Day
December 24 (Tuesday)	Christmas Eve
December 25 (Wednesday)	Christmas Day
December 31 (Tuesday)	New Year’s Eve: All libraries close at 5 pm
January 1, 2025 (Wednesday)	New Year’s Day

Children: Six internet computers. Each session lasts 30 minutes. Children may have two sessions per day. Headphones are provided.

Adults and Teens: 24 computers available in Wellman Hall. Two one-hour sessions allowed per day with your valid library card or guest access. No headphones. Earbuds for $1 and flash drives for $5 are available at the Reference Desk.

Computer Lab: The computer lab on the lower level is reserved for computer classes.

Connect to WiFi: The Central Library provides access to WiFi for your personal device. Before you connect please read our Computer Use and Internet Access Policy. To connect, navigate to your WiFi settings and choose LibraryPublicHotspot.  Problems? Please ask a Librarian.

Fax Service: Fax service is available in Wellman Hall on the second floor of the Central Library. There is a $1 per job charge for a traditional fax. We cannot receive faxes.

Scanning: There is no charge to scan your document to an email address, USB, tablet or smartphone. To scan to your smartphone you must have a QR code app.

Mobile Printing: You can easily print on the Central Library’s public printer during library hours from your home computer, laptop or mobile device. Imagine that! You don’t have to be in the Central Library to print but you must pick up the print job on the same day during our open hours.

• Visit print.princh.com
• Enter the six-digit Printer ID for Wellman Hall (109262) or the Children’s Room (109881)
• Follow the instructions to upload your document. Remember to check the box to accept the Terms and Conditions
• Enter your email address. This will be used to identify you at the print release station
• When you’re finished uploading files, click “Done”

Your printing will be added to our queue, and will be released when you visit the print release station or reference desk to pay for the printing.

The Community Room and Computer Lab on the lower level are available to the public by application when these rooms are not needed for library purposes. The rooms may be reserved for use by educational, civic, cultural, and governmental groups. Visit the Meeting Room page for information about booking the Community Room or Computer Lab, to review our meeting room rules and policies,  and submit a meeting room request.

The Central Library boasts large and varied collections, free wifi, and Internet access on public computers, plus many programs for children, teens and adults. Children’s storytimes, book groups, and free computer classes are among the most popular.  PDF document of the Central Library floor plan.

Since its opening in 1912, the Central Library, a “center of intellectual life,” has given entrance to the State Street corridor. Solidly built of white Vermont marble with immense rooms and corridors, this library has a history of serving working people, at one time open 365 days per year! More than a collection of books and materials, it is an impressive yet inviting community-gathering space. The original 1871 red brick library building, temporarily and ingeniously moved back 200 feet while the current building was under construction, is long gone. Today’s building, an Andrew Carnegie Library, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The Rotunda was restored to its original elegance in 1998; the building is on the State Historic Register and is part of the Quadrangle-Mattoon Historic District in the City. Also solid is the history of the men and women who have guided the library. In 150 years only eight library directors have preceded the current director, Molly Fogarty.

For more information about the history of the Central Library, download our brochure.

Watch a video tour of the library here!