About the Library
The Greenfield Public Library serves as a public center for enrichment, entertainment, access to technology, self-directed learning and the exploration of ideas. The Library serves all members of the community, regardless of age, income, education, religious or political beliefs, and makes no judgment on the nature of individual inquiry.
From 1909 until June 17, 2023 GPL was housed in the Leavitt-Hovey House which was designed by Asher Benjamin, the writer of the first architectural pattern book published in America. Built in 1797 for Atty. Jonathan Leavitt, it was later owned by George Hovey, a local area merchant. In 1907 the Town of Greenfield purchased the building for the purpose of renovating it to become a public library. While the exterior was preserved, the wings needed to be rebuilt. The library opened on January 11, 1909 with close to a thousand people in attendance.
On July 13, 2023 the new Greenfield Public Library opened right next door to its old home.
Visiting the Greenfield Public Library
The new Greenfield Public Library is located at 412 Main Street, across the street from the All Souls Church and next door to the post office. The large parking lot adjacent to the library offers free parking to library patrons during the library's opening hours. Commuter parking, EV charging stations and handicap parking are all available. There are two entrances to the library. The side entrance is the closest to the parking area. The main entrance is accessible via Main Street. Both entrances are handicap accessible.
The Friends of the Greenfield Public Library's mission is to provide funds for all adult, teen, and children's library programming and to advocate for the Greenfield Public Library. For more information about the Friends, please visit their website at www.friendsofgpl.org/
The Greenfield Public Library Board of Trustees
- Jonathan Cohen-Gorczyca, chair
- Sarah Ahearn Bellemare
- Bill Benson
- Doris Cowdrey
- Ann Dillon
- Sam Wood
- Jim Zaccara
Contact the Trustees at librarian@greenfieldpubliclibrary.org
In 2018 the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners voted to award a provisional grant of $9.4 million to the City of Greenfield for the construction of a new public library. The award was contingent upon the City using local funds to finance an additional $2 million of the balance of the costs for the whole project.
Some Greenfield residents expressed concern about the long-term tax implications of the new library project. Taking their friends’ and neighbors’ concerns to heart, the Library Board of Trustees formed an independent foundation tasked with raising the funds needed to build our new library. Because Greenfield is a community that cares deeply about community, education and learning, we were able to raise those funds and donate them to the City.
Today the foundation is run by a volunteer board of community members to help ensure the long term success of the library. Think of the foundation as the library’s capital committee. We’re here to help the staff and trustees anticipate and meet financial expenditures that are not funded by the city, state, or federal government.
In the first year of operation in our new facility library visits were up 264%, support by reference librarians increased 219%, and tech help was up 170%. Yet while generous in the context of the whole city budget, in the same year city support of the library increased less than 5%. We help close that gap.
All of the state support the library received to build our new home was in the form of non-recurring construction grants. But computer use alone is up 394%, and there is no allowance for replacing that equipment when it becomes worn or dated. This is where we come in.
People ask the difference between the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library and the Greenfield Public Foundation. The answer is simple.
Since the 1980s, the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library has supported the programs — from Author Readings to Zine Making workshops — that are not funded by the city, state, or federal government. They still do so with a very active volunteer board.
Since 2017, the Greenfield Public Library Foundation supports the larger capital needs — whether for staff training or replacement furniture — not covered by those same funding sources.
For more information about the Foundation, please visit their website at https://www.gplfound.org/.
Notary Services
One of our library staff members is a notary public, and is able to notarize documents as staffing allows. Notary services are available most weekdays, but an appointment is required. This service is provided free of charge.
To schedule an appointment, and to verify that your document meets the Massachusetts Notary Law requirements, please contact us at 413-772-1544 x 5124, or email Pamela McBride at pamela.mcbride@greenfield-ma.gov
Please bring the unsigned document and a state or federally issued photo ID to your appointment. Documents can only be notarized in person.
The library cannot ensure the availability of witnesses beyond the staff notary public; if your document requires witnesses, please bring them with you.
Because we are not experts in law or finance, we are unable to notarize some documents. The Greenfield Public Library Notary may not:
- notarize deeds, mortgages, or any other document that is part of a real estate transaction, or various types of financial documents.
- provide copy certification for government issued IDs, immigration forms and certificates, or vital records
- act as a representative for any third party
- provide any advice on immigration or other legal matters.
Please call in advance to verify that your document can be notarized at the library if you have any doubts. Notaries Public operate on behalf of the state of Massachusetts and the law may sometimes require that they refuse to perform a requested notarial act.
If Pamela is not available, please note that notary services may be available in the Court Services Center on the first floor of the Franklin County Courthouse in downtown Greenfield, and the Nahman Watson Library at Greenfield Community College. Many banks and shipping stores also offer notary services but may charge a fee.
Staff
- Anna Bognolo
Library Director
(413) 772-1544 x5109
anna.bognolo@greenfield-ma.gov
- Lisa Prolman
Assistant Library Director
(413) 772-1544 x5108
lisa.prolman@greenfield-ma.gov
- Jeremiah Rood
Head of Borrower Services
(413) 772-1544 x5100
- Ellen Lavoie
Head of Children's Services
(413) 772-1544 x5104
- Shawn Fellows
Administrative Assistant
(413) 772-1544 x5106
- Francesca Passiglia
Teen Librarian
(413) 772-1544 x5120
- Nancy Little
Information Services Assistant
(413) 772-1544 x5124
- Pamela McBride
Information Services Assistant
(413) 772-1544 x5124
- Jesse Cole
Technical Services Coordinator
(413) 772-1544 x5122
- Delia Lavigne
Assistant Head of Borrower Services
(413) 772-1544 x5100
- Tarah Dunn
Library Assistant
- Shannon Gilcreast
Library Assistant
- Mandy Higgins
Library Assistant
- Bridget Kowal
Library Assistant
- Marko Packard
Library Assistant
Volunteering Opportunities
GPL is looking for volunteers to assist staff with various duties in the library. If you are interested, please read the policy below, then contact the library to be added to our list. A staff member will then be in contact with you. The first step is to complete our Volunteer Interest Form.
Volunteer Policy
The Greenfield Public Library Volunteer Program is designed to expand and enhance public service to the community. Volunteers generally provide support services to paid staff; work on special projects; or deliver library materials to the homebound. Volunteers are expected to act in accordance with library policies and to reflect positive customer service attitudes to all library patrons.
Selection of Volunteers
Volunteers are selected based on their qualifications in relation to the needs of the library at any given time, and based on their ability to commit to a consistent schedule of volunteer hours. Selection of in-house volunteers is the responsibility of the Director and/or Asst. Director in conjunction with the Volunteer Coordinator; selection of delivery volunteers is the responsibility of the Homebound Volunteer Coordinator.
Prospective volunteers are requested to fill out an application form and will be interviewed by one of the above individuals. If there are no suitable volunteer opportunities, application forms will be kept on file for a period of one year. Applicants will be called if a project is identified which matches their interests or qualifications.
In-House Volunteers
Roles and Responsibilities
The library depends on its volunteers for a wide variety of tasks which otherwise need to be assigned to library staff. We therefore ask volunteers to be reliable in their commitment to the library and to notify the library in advance if they are unable to work their regularly schedule time slot. In turn, volunteers will be notified immediately on any given day when the library opens late or closes early for any reason.Individuals are asked to wear a name badge that identifies them as a volunteer while they are working at the library. Volunteers are expected to refer all requests for information to the library staff, other than purely directional questions (e.g. where is the bathroom; where is the children’s room, etc.).Volunteers are asked to keep an accurate record of the hours they work each week, for the use of the Director.
- Training and Supervision
The Library Director and Volunteer Coordinator coordinate the in-house volunteer program. Volunteers will receive specific training in their assigned duties from the library staff member who directly supervises their work. All reasonable care will be taken to ensure the safety of volunteers.
- Work Schedules
Volunteers shall only work during hours when adequate supervision is available. Typically, a volunteer works a 2-3 hour time slot once each week. Individual work schedules and specific time commitments will be mutually arranged in advance by the volunteer and the Director or immediate supervisor.
Homebound Volunteers
Roles & Responsibilities
The mission of the homebound delivery program is to provide books and other library materials to patrons of the Greenfield Library who are unable to come to the library, whether on a temporary or a permanent basis.Persons needing delivery are referred to the Homebound Volunteer Coordinator. The Coordinator will assess each homebound situation with the goal of assuring safe access and a healthy environment for the delivery volunteer and arranging a suitable match between the homebound patron and the delivery person.
- Training & Supervision
The Homebound Volunteer Coordinator supervises the homebound delivery program. The Coordinator provides continual support and guidance to homebound volunteers in their interactions with at-home patrons and in their selection of materials. The Coordinator also works closely with library staff to facilitate borrowing and delivery of library materials to the homebound.
- Work Schedules
Individual schedules and specific delivery times will be mutually arranged by the delivery volunteer and the homebound patron.
Community Service
Persons who seek volunteer assignments at the Greenfield Public Library to meet a requirement set by an outside agency for the performance of community service shall be subject to the above selection process and all other provisions of this policy.
Employment of Volunteers in the Library
Volunteers should follow the Town of Greenfield employment process in order to obtain paid employment in the library.
Leaving Volunteer Service
A volunteer selected for work on a special project will discontinue service when that project is completed or terminated, unless other arrangements have been made.
Whenever possible, the library will make an effort to reassign the volunteer. However, if no other mutually suitable volunteer position exists at the time, the volunteer will be asked to discontinue service and his or her application will be kept on file for one year, subject to review should a suitable position become available during that time.
In the event that a volunteer is unable to adequately perform the duties assigned to him or her, and no other appropriate positions are available, the volunteer may be removed from service.
Zines @ GPL
Greenfield Public Library is home to a circulating zine collection of 100+ zines. Stop by the library to browse, read, and borrow the zines in our collection.
You can find a list of zine titles we have available here:
Wait, What’s a Zine?
A zine is a self-published, non-commercial print-work that is typically produced in small, limited batches. Zines are created and bound in many DIY ways, but traditionally editions are easily reproduced-often by crafting an original "master flat," and then photocopying, folding, and stapling the pages into simple pamphlets. Zines may also be sewn, taped, glued-or even exist in unbound and other non-folio formats. The main rule is that there are no rules!
I Have a Zine I Want in the Library!
We want our zine collection to highlight local creators as much as possible, especially patrons of GPL! We’re happy to take any zine that meets our collection policy for zines. If you have a zine you’d like to see displayed, read, and circulated throughout Central/Western Massachusetts, please use this form below to submit information about your work:
For more information, please contact Jesse Cole, Technical Services Coordinator, at jesse.cole@greenfield-ma.gov or call (413) 772-1544.