guides

North Shore Library Guide

By Cheryl Lachendro - Macaroni Kid North Shore & Merrimack Valley January 6, 2024


The North Shore of MA is home to some incredible libraries that offer an array of wonderful family-friendly events and activities for FREE all year long!

On our calendar, we use a book emoji to signify a library event. This means that when you want to quickly find everything at your local library you can do a quick scan for different colored book emojis.

We track all weekly recurring storytimes, updated monthly to keep our calendar from getting hard-to-find events for older families. So, if you are looking for storytime to attend check our event calendar.


Benefits of including early learners in reading :

  • Young children will gain self-confidence and a love for reading, books, and the library
  • The groundwork will be laid for children to become lifelong readers and learners
  • Entire families will have the opportunity to participate in age-appropriate reading 
  • The library may become a community destination for more families all year long


The benefits of  reading  for school-aged children:

  • Children are motivated to read.
  • Children develop positive attitudes about reading, books, and the library.
  • Children maintain their reading skills year-round.
  • Children have access to experiences that further their sense of discovery.
  • Children have access to experiences through which they can learn to work cooperatively.


Benefits of encouraging teenagers to read:

  • Many teenagers find enjoyment in reading
  • Having high levels of literacy is needed for higher education and future employment
  • Most standardized tests that teenagers will take include a reading comprehension portion.






Your local libraries:


Amesbury Public Library (APL)

149 Main Street Amesbury, MA 01913


Beverly Public Library (BPL)

32 Essex St., Beverly, MA 01915


Burnham Free Library (TOHP)

30 Martin St. Essex MA 10929


Emma L. Andrews Library (ELAL) - 

Schedule coordinates with Newburyport Public Schools

77 Purchase St, Newburyport, MA 01950


G.A.R. Memorial Library (GARML)

490 Main St, West Newbury, MA 01985


Hamilton-Wenham Public Library (HWPL)

14 Union St., South Hamilton, MA 01982


Ipswich Public Library (IPL)

25 N Main St, Ipswich, MA 01938


Magnolia Public Library and Community Center (MLACS)

1 Lexington Ave., Gloucester, MA 01930


Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library (MBTSPL)

15 Union St., Manchester, MA 01944


Newbury Town Library (NTL)

0 Lunt St, Byfield, MA 01922


Newburyport Public Library (NPL)

94 State Street Newburyport, MA 01950



Peabody Institute Library( PIL)

15 Sylvan St. Danvers, MA 01923


Peabody Institute Library (PIL)

Main Library

82 Main Street, Peabody MA 01960


South Branch Library

78 Lynn Street, Peabody MA 01960


West Branch Library

603 Lowell Street, Peabody MA 01960


Rockport Public Library (RPL)

17 School St. Rockport, MA 01966


Rowley Public Library (RPL)

141 Main St, Rowley, MA 01969


Salem Public Library (SPL)

370 Essex St., Salem MA 01970


Salisbury Public Library (SPL)

17 Elm Street Salisbury, MA 01952


Sawyer Free Library (SFL)

2 Dale Ave. Gloucester MA 01930


Topsfield Town Library (TTL)

1 South Common St., Topsfield, MA 01938