Featured Businesses

May 2019

Arms Library

The Arms Library has served the towns of Shelburne and Buckland since 1854, when Major Ira Arms established the Shelburne Falls Circulating Library Society with a bequest. In 1913, Francis R. Pratt and Lydia Taft Pratt of Greenfield offered to give an appropriate library building in memory of his parents, Josiah and Catherine Pratt.

In 2011, as the beautiful Pratt Memorial Library Building neared its centennial, Tropical Storm Irene swept through Shelburne Falls. The storm caused damage that revealed the urgent need for a new roof and copper dome, as well as other structural repairs and reinforcements. With the help of community donations and the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, many major renovations came to fruition—and the library is ready for its next 100 years.

In a second phase, the Arms Library has recently undergone seven months of interior renovations, preceded by several years of fundraising. Included in the renovations are: a new children's and young adult room, meeting space, adult fiction room, historical displays, electric wiring, air conditioning, lighting, and space for more computers. One of the goals of the renovation was to make the Arms even more of a community meeting space. The building was modernized while maintaining its historic nature.

Join the Arms Library for its reopening on May 19, 2-4 p.m. There will be tours of the newly renovated spaces, including our new children's room and meeting room, music for all ages, a brief time for acknowledging our donors, and refreshments. Contact us at 413-625-0306, or find us at the Arms Library website and on Facebook.