New Releases - September Edition

Check out these highly anticipated new releases featuring fiction and nonfiction titles. Click on the title to request a copy or get your name on the waitlist. Don’t forget to watch for more featured releases next month!

FICTION

The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy
*Flournoy (The Turner House) follows a group of close friends, all Black women, through their 20s and 30s as they withstand grief, motherhood, relationship difficulties, and professional successes and setbacks in New York and Los Angeles. The women have very different personalities and end up in various places. Desiree deals with the death of her beloved grandfather and a related estrangement with her sister Danielle. January is troubled by existential questions about motherhood and a marriage that doesn't make her happy. Nakia, a chef, learns hard lessons about success, inside and outside the kitchen, while librarian Monique makes a career pivot, dedicating all her efforts to becoming an online influencer. Flournoy juggles the character development well, creating relatably flawed women. She also expertly conveys the power of lifelong friendships that can feel closer even than familial bonds. Their friendship comforts and fortifies the women as they navigate the perilous, thorny, messy wilderness of modern adulthood. VERDICT Flournoy is a talented writer, and this will be a good book club pick for fans of Brit Bennett, Terry McMillan, and Jacqueline Woodson.
—Leah Shepherd ©2025 Library Journal

The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)
by Rabih Alameddine
*Alameddine's (Comforting Myths: Concerning the Political in Art) newest novel does not unfold chronologically but instead works its way forward in time and then backward again, spanning decades and set mostly between Lebanon and the United States. These shifts add personal context to world events, with particular attention paid to the impact of the 1975–90 Lebanese Civil War. Despite the historical and political setting, the story is ultimately a personal one—dealing with the life of one man, Raja, as he navigates his relationship to his mother, his family, his country, and his sexuality. Some passages are difficult, with painful glimpses of homophobia, war, and other traumas. Still, Raja and the other characters are so humorous and the tone is so glib that the book remains readable and deeply human. Alameddine is probably best known for his 2014 novel An Unnecessary Woman, which won the Arab American Book Award, and his PEN/Faulkner Award-winning 2022 novel The Wrong End of the Telescope. His newest novel measures up to those lauded works. VERDICT: Readers will be grateful for this funny and touching book dealing with the complexities of family, sexuality, life, and death.
—Alice Kallman, ©2025 Library Journal.

The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez 
* DEBUT In this dark-fantasy retelling of Jewish folklore, Malka's village is caught between the grinding rock of the Ozmini Church and the hard place of the evil forest that surrounds her home. The Church has scapegoated Malka's people, and her mother has been falsely accused of murder. Malka's only choice is to brave the dangerous woods that are killing her people, slay the monster at its heart, and bring its corpse to the tithe collectors. In a place where Malka only expected to find death, she instead meets a creature whose entire purpose is to save her people and who may also be the love of her life. Death might yet find her, unless she can call upon the magic she fears. This sapphic romantasy narrates Malka's coming of age and into power while also telling a tale about corrupt men and desperate empires determined to fight the rising tide of change, enfolding it in the monstrous arms of a creature that everyone has been taught to fear. VERDICT In Martinez's debut, the writing is beautiful, and the story is fantastic. Highly recommended for readers who love the work of Naomi Novik, Katherine Arden, Natasha Siegel, and Allison Saft.
—Marlene Harris ©2025 Library Journal.

NONFICTION

Replaceable You by Mary Roach
Returning to biomedicine as her topic, Roach (Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law) guides readers through the technologies—past, present, and future—of how original limbs, organs, and other body tissues can be replaced when missing, damaged, or otherwise less than perfect. Covering the body from head to toe, each chapter illuminates both the wonders and limitations of anatomical replacement and regeneration, whether through the clumsy attempts of the past, current medical and engineering solutions, or promising applications just starting to be explored. Through interviewing doctors, patients, and researchers on the front lines of the fields of transplantation, artificial organs, and prosthetics, and shadowing them while they work or attend conventions, Roach serves as a stand-in for a naive but inquisitive public. She uses her access, opportunity, and general lack of squeamishness or shame to ask questions with her characteristic empathy and clarity and shares her experiences in witty and engaging prose laden with amusing footnotes. A treat for Roach admirers, this book also serves as an excellent introduction to her body of work. VERDICT: This approachable and humorous explainer will delight the scientifically curious while removing stigma, fear, or embarrassment around biomedical adaptive technologies and body enhancements.
—Wade Lee-Smith ©2025 LJExpress

The Last Extinction: The Real Science Behind the Death of the Dinosaurs by Gerta Keller, PhD


* Keller (paleontology and geology, Princeton Univ.; Mass Extinctions, Volcanism, and Impacts) recounts her decades-long fight to prove that an asteroid strike did not lead to the fifth mass extinction. After being raised in poverty on a farm in Switzerland, Keller moved to San Francisco to study, ultimately earning her PhD from Stanford. Skeptical that an asteroid was responsible for the fifth mass extinction, she began to study the question and concluded that the asteroid widely held to have caused the mass die-off hit Earth 200,000 years before species, although declining, disappeared. She goes on to share her hypothesis that it was volcanic eruptions, specifically Deccan volcanism on the Indian subcontinent, that was the cause of the mass extinction. Her argument was vilified by scientists supporting the asteroid strike theory, but Keller collaborated with colleagues across disciplines, and here she presents their meticulous research in an accessible way, sharing their exciting lab and fieldwork. VERDICT: A fascinating look at the process of researching scientific questions and the power of entrenched theory; Keller was often belittled and blocked from sharing her discoveries. She perseveres in this compelling tale, of interest to readers who enjoy books about scientific study, mass extinction theories, and the work and struggles of women scientists.
—Sue O'Brien ©2025 Library Journal

Every Screen on the Planet: The War Over TikTok
by Emily Baker-White
Inside the creation and survival strategies of the controversial social media app. In concept, TikTok shouldn’t be controversial at all. It’s designed to deliver short, generally upbeat video content algorithmically aligned to users’ interests. But it’s been entangled in politics practically from the start, as Baker-White’s well-researched book explains. Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Yiming founded ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company in 2012, and the app itself in 2016; in a few short years it became an international phenomenon—unusual for a Chinese social media company. Because Chinese companies operate at the pleasure of the Chinese Communist Party, TikTok has been subject to questions about whether U.S. user data is fed to the CCP. An internal effort to partition U.S. user data, called Project Texas, has proved imperfect at best; Baker-White, a technology reporter at Forbes, depicts an anonymous source’s realization that the company was riddled with security holes, and the author herself found evidence that she was surveilled by the company while reporting on it. Those issues prompted congressional intervention, which the company’s U.S. leadership tried to wriggle out of via lobbying and efforts at tighter restrictions. But its main strategy has been to appease Donald Trump, who despite ordering a ban on the app in 2020, has facilitated its survival to spite Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a perceived enemy, and because he sees the company as willing to pay his administration “key money” (i.e., funding for pet projects). It’s no way to govern, but it keeps the app alive in the U.S. Baker-White, who broke numerous stories around Project Texas and Trump’s self-dealing around the app, delivers a thorough accounting of the story; those looking for a narrative as vibrant as what the app serves will have to look elsewhere. But its seriousness is an asset, and an object lesson of what happens when international security becomes a casual plaything. Smart and sober business reporting.
Copyright Kirkus 2025 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

CDs, Playaways, eAudiobooks-- OH MY!

Did you know that Worcester Public Library has audiobooks available in many different formats?  We have audiobooks in the following formats– CDs, Playaways, and Downloadable Audiobooks. 

Let’s talk about each: 

CDs

Come to the library to find audiobooks on CD.  These types of audiobooks can be played using any boombox, radio, or disc reader. The loan period is 3 weeks with 2 automatic renewals. (And we're are fine free!)

Playaways

Playaways function very similar to an MP3 player or an iPod. Playaways are MP3 players with an audiobook downloaded onto it. You can use earphones or an auxiliary cord to connect to a speaker to listen to them. Some cars have auxiliary ports that will allow you to play them through the car's speakers. The loan period is 3 weeks with 2 renewals.

Downloadable Audiobooks  

To access the library's downloadable audiobooks you can use our two apps, Libby or Hoopla. Libby is the app for Overdrive, which allows you to check out up to 10 titles at a time and up to 10 holds. With Hoopla you can borrow up to 4 titles per month. Both of these apps have automatic returns and will allow you to return the books early. The loan period for Hoopla is 21 days. Libby loan period can be 7, 14, or 21 days. You can set which loan period you prefer. 

Check our online catalog for titles on CD and Playaways. Titles available on Hoopla, however, will not show up in our online catalog, so, you must log into Hoopla to see what is available. Many Libby titles will show up in our online catalog, although it takes time for the newly added titles to show up, so be sure to use the Libby app for accuracy. Remember to check both apps to see if the audiobook you are interested in is available. 

With Libby you can add other Library systems in Massachusetts to your account with your library card so that you can have access to more titles. The more library cards you have-- the merrier! You may need to use the “deep search” function to see if another library system has what you are looking for.   

For more information about Libby and Hoopla please check our website's Ebooks and Digital Media page.  

If you need assistance with learning how to access or use Libby or Hoopla you can request to have a one on one appointment  with a librarian for assistance. Request assistance by clicking this link. 

If you need to get a library card you may come to any of our locations or apply for an ecard online. For more information on what is required to get a library card please check our website.

Tales of Branch Libraries Past: The Main South Branch

Today's blog post is all about a popular but relatively short-lived branch in the history of Worcester Public Library: The Main South Branch. This storefront branch had multiple addresses over the years before succumbing to the Proposition 2 1/2 budget cuts in 1990. 

The Birth of the Main South Branch

In June 1945, the Worcester Telegram first reported on the upcoming opening of the new Main South Branch. This branch, located in a leased storefront at 992A Main Street that was formerly a laundry, was scheduled to open in September with Miss Margaret C. Crimmins at the helm and Mrs. Hazel S. Robbins as her assistant. Both had previously worked at the Main Library in different departments and Miss Crimmins had also worked as a bookmobile librarian. Head Librarian Thurston Taylor described the branch space in the June 23, 1945 issue of the Worcester Evening Gazette as, "eight feet wide and 32 feet long, really a vest-pocket library, but at least a beginning." Mrs. John C. Mahoney, the chairwoman of the library extension committee of the library board, believed the new branch was necessary to accommodate the needs of the students from the local schools as well as the men who were returning from the war.

New Library Branch Site, Worcester Evening Gazette, June 23, 1945

Appointed Librarian, Worcester Telegram, June 23, 1945

The new branch officially opened on September 4, 1945 and while the branch would have plentiful books for high school students and adults, it would initially lack a children's section due to space limitations. Instead, younger school children would have to rely on their school's book collections. By late 1946, the Main South Branch doubled in size after it expanded into the former cobbler's shop next door, but still did not have a children's section.

Library Branch Opened, Worcester Evening Gazette, September 4, 1945

On the Move

Of course, a public library branch without a proper children's collection is unacceptable but the library made do for a couple of years. In 1950, there had been some talks of potentially moving the library to the old Coes House at 1058 Main Street as part of a Coes Community Center, or perhaps to a property owned by the St. Mark's Church at Main and Freeland Streets. Ultimately, nothing happened on the new branch space front until 1953.

In April 1953, the library board asked City Manager Francis J. McGrath for funds to set up a new Main South Branch at a proposed 2,100 square foot storefront (formerly a grocery store) located at 984A Main Street. The size of that space would be more than triple the size of the original Main South Branch and most importantly, it would be large enough to accommodate a children's section. The library board indicated it would need more staffing, equipment, and furniture to set up the branch. McGrath agreed to the proposal to move the library and sent it over to the City Council to approve. 

The new Main South Branch opened on September 28, 1953 with Miss Crimmins still head of the branch and with Miss Catherine C. Brosnahan, formerly of the South Worcester Branch, as the new children's librarian. She would be responsible for serving the needs of the over 4,000 children in the area. The new branch was freshly stocked with 2,500 children's books, which thrilled the young patrons who visited the library on its first day. The library also made use of its storefront window space by adding thematic book displays. For instance, Miss Brosnahan partnered with the Worcester Natural History Museum to create a book display on animals in 1954.

Attend Opening of Branch Library, Worcester Evening Gazette, September 28, 1953

Among Many Visitors, Worcester Telegram, September 29, 1953

Remember that old Coes House property that we mentioned earlier? In 1961, there was additional discussion of using a land bequest from Miss Mary Maynard Coes to potentially build a new branch at 1058 Main Street, which would potentially replace both the Main South and South Worcester branches. However, this proposal never came to fruition. Instead the library continued to exist at 984A Main Street, where children and adults alike enjoyed books (including books in Spanish) and programs, such as regular film screenings (Citizen Kane, The Quiet Man, Man of Aran, and more!), craft programs, story hours, puppet shows, and a five-week series of programs for older adults in 1977. By 1979, the Main South Branch was the second busiest library branch in Worcester based on circulation numbers. 

Then in April 1979, the owners of the building, the Thomas A. Hickey Trust, put the building up for sale. At that time, the attorney for the Hickey family indicated that the library was protected by the terms of its lease and therefore would not have to move immediately.

Main South Branch at 984A Main Street, Circa 1970s

The Main South Branch Closes (For the First Time)

In April 1981, the Thomas A. Hickey Trust served an eviction notice to the library to vacate before a deadline of May 1 because a potential buyer for the building had signed the purchase agreement. Christine Kardokas, head of branch and extension services for the library, scrambled to find a suitable replacement location for the branch. Even though the library secured an extension for the deadline to vacate until June 15, the library board of directors voted on May 12, 1981 to close the Main South Branch on May 23, 1981. The Branch staff would continue to work at the branch to prepare and move the materials, with the library storing most of the branch materials and the rest being redistributed. The staff would then be reassigned to different branches. Ms. Kardokas also requested that the bookmobile serve the Main South neighborhood two days a week to partially fill the gap in service left by the branch closure. The bookmobile would be located across the street in the parking lot of St. Mark's Episcopal Church starting June 15. In the meantime, the South Worcester branch on Southbridge Street temporarily benefited from the Main South Branch's closure: it would be able to remain fully open in the face of Proposition 2 1/2 budget cuts while the bookmobile served the Main South area. 

As James Dempsey of the Worcester Evening Gazette wrote on June 8, 1981, "Today Main South area lost a little bit of its personality as city workers packed books into boxes at the Main South Branch Library."

Main South Library Branch Packs Up, Worcester Evening Gazette, June 8, 1981

Bureaucratic Nightmare or A Series of Unfortunate Events

Over 800 members of the community, especially those related to the Freeland Street School advisory council and who were parents of children attending the school, signed petitions and penned letters demanding a new Main South Branch. 

Petition, Circa January 1983

Finally, the local newspapers reported in May 1983 that the City Council had approved of opening a new Main South Branch at 998 Main Street, previously occupied by Lincoln Pharmacy. In June 1983, City Manager McGrath recommended that the City Council appropriate $49,700 from the city's upcoming year budget for the new branch's operating expenses. In September of the same year, the Worcester Evening Gazette reported that head librarian Joseph S. Hopkins had announced that the library was in the process of signing a 10-year lease for the property located at 998-1000 Main Street but that there could be "considerable delay in opening the branch because of new state requirements..." relating to the selection of an architect to redesign the interior of the space. The library board signed the lease for the property in February 1984, with Joseph S. Hopkins indicating that the library could open in May or June.

It turns out that Hopkins was incredibly optimistic because there was one setback after another on the road to opening this branch. City building inspectors had initially found a couple of issues with the building prior to the signing of the lease and the owners of the building had agreed to fix them. However, in March 1984 the architect working on the redesign discovered additional serious problems with the building, including an electrical system in poor condition, a lack of fire and vandal alarms, and structural issues that would "make the building unfit to house a library" (Worcester Telegram, September 29, 1984). In fact, the floor would not be strong enough to support the weight of shelves full of library books. Unsurprisingly, the library, City Council, and City Manager were irate and frustrated over this development and the subsequent delays. By now, the city began to withhold rent for the building that they could not use.

In April 1985, the City Council asked the library to consider opening a new temporary branch at a different location until the work at the new building was complete. A library review team recommended using the Main South Neighborhood Center as the interim location for library service. The neighborhood center would be "an enriched senior stop," where the bookmobile and a van would bring materials to the site, where patrons could register for library cards and check out books. They would also do occasional events including a summer reading club. Worcester Public Library and the Main South Neighborhood Center co-sponsored a children's puppet show program at the St. Mark's Episcopal Church in August 1985.

By September 1985, it seemed that progress was being made: the City Council agreed to an amended lease with the Glass Realty Trust for the new Main South Branch building. The most recent renovation estimates for the project would cost over $200,000, and the lease meant that the city would be on the hook for the majority of that cost. However, if the city had backed out of the current lease, it could have faced breach of contract. City Councilor Jordan Levy expressed displeasure over the amended lease and the mistakes made throughout this debacle, stating, "We could have put up our own building for less than it will cost us to renovate a building we will not even own" (Worcester Telegram, September 24, 1985). 

But wait, there's more! In December 1985, workers discovered that the roof of the building leaked! The renovations progressed but by March 1986, work on the Main South Branch building ground to a halt over a disagreement between the city and the Glass Realty Trust over who should pay for repairs for the installation of a firewall, electrical work, and strengthening the roof to support HVAC systems. However, it seems that all of these issues had been resolved by late-April 1986 and it was quite possible that the branch would be able to open by mid-June.

Reopening of the Main South Branch (Finally)

After many delays, the Main South Branch finally reopened on July 21, 1986, with a sign on the window proclaiming, "OPEN AT LAST!" and an official opening ceremony on November 2, 1986. The branch would be led by Robert Caldwell, Branch Librarian, and Iris Cotto, Children's Librarian. In addition, the Worcester Talking Book Library, which previously had a space in the Quinsigamond Branch, would now occupy a separate room in the Main South Branch. 

Life at the Main South Branch continued for the next couple of years, with books, programs, and other activities for all ages. Below are selection of photos of life at the Main South Branch from the late 1980s.

"Main South's Wait for Library Reaches Its Final Chapter," Worcester Telegram, July 16, 1986

Circa August 1986

Invitation for Grand Opening of the Main South Branch, November 2, 1986

Librarian Robert Caldwell and Patrons Celebrating the 1st Birth of the New Main South Building,
Circa 1987

Halloween 1987

Main South Patrons with the McDonald's Mac Tonight Character, Circa 1988

The End of the Main South Branch

It's a tale we've told before: Proposition 2 1/2 budget cuts doomed the Main South Branch in 1990 and all library branches closed in May 1990. The Main South Branch's collection would need to be moved out of the building by June 30, 1990, when the lease was set to expire. The library gave more than 10,000 books from the Main South Branch's children's collection to the newly opened Jacob Hiatt Magnet School. The Talking Book Library moved its services to the Main Library, where it still exists today, but storage space limitations at the Main Library meant that the Talking Book Library had to send back some of the talking books on tape back to the Library of Congress.

Branch Libraries Near Last Page, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, May 9, 1990

Thus ended the presence of a library branch in the Main South neighborhood until the One City, One Library initiative opened the Goddard Branch at the Goddard School of Science and Technology in 2014.

Sources:

"After 2 Years, Main South to Go by the Book." (1983, May 27). Worcester Telegram, p. 3.

"Ask Enlarged Library for Main South." (1953, April 22). Worcester Telegram, p. 1.

"Among Many Visitors." (1953, September 29). Worcester Telegram, p. 9.

Bliss, R.R. (1986, March 12). "Library Branch Reopening Stalled." Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 1.

Bliss, R.R. (1985, April 11). "Main South Library Branch Is Still Not Open." Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 3.

Bliss, R.R. (1984, September 11). "New Main South Branch of Library 'May Never Open.'" Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 5.

"Books About Animals on Display." (1954, August 22). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. C9.

"Branch Library in Main South May Open in June." (1986, April 23). Worcester Telegram, p.3.

"Branch Library in Main South Area Open Today." (1945, September 4). Worcester Telegram, p. 3.

"Branch Library May Return to Main South Area of City." (1983, September 14). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 7.

"Branch Library Site is Still Sought." (1981, May 25). Worcester Telegram, p. 28.

"Choice for Main South Library." (1950, May 31). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 4.

"City Council Gives Go-Ahead to Library for Main South Branch." (1983, May 27). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 20.

Collier, G.A. (1990, May 9). "Branch Libraries Near Last Page." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A3.

Cowan, M.A. (1961, April 7). "Worcester's Oldest and Youngest Branch Libraries." Worcester Telegram, p. 6.

Dempsey, J. (1981, June 8). "Main South Library Branch Packs Up." Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 12.

Doolan, R. (1990, May 9). "City Library Makes Do with Less." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A2. 

Duckett, R. (1990, May 2). "Library Outlook Worsens." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A3.

Duckett, R. (1986, November 3). "New Main South Library is Shown Off in Opening." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. 12.

Eames, R.B. (1984, February 15). "Library Directors Sign Lease for New Main South Branch." Worcester Telegram, p. 8A.

Frain, M. (1990, October 14)."Book Lovers Lament Shelving of Libraries." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. B3.

Hammel, L. (1981, April 15). "Library Branch Must Vacate Site." Worcester Telegram, p. 3.

Hammel, L. (1981, May 13). "Main South Library to Close May 23." Worcester Telegram, p. 13.

"Interim Library Use Recommended." (1985, May 9). Worcester Telegram, p. 4.

Kotsopoulos, N. (1985, September 24). "Council Finds Way to Open Main South Library." Worcester Telegram, p. 1.

Kotsopoulos, N. (1984, September 29). "Main South Library Site Under Repair." Worcester Telegram, p.3.

"Library to Weigh Branch Costs." (1985, June 29). Worcester Telegram, p. 6.

"Library Branch on Main South Given Extension." (1981, May 2). Worcester Telegram, p. 19.

"Library Branch Opened." (1945, September 4). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 20.

"Library Scouting Main-South for Site of Branch Library." (1985, April 28). Worcester Telegram, p. 30A.

"Library's Proposed Branch Building Has Leaking Roof." (1985, December 12). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 8.

"Library's South Branch Home is For Sale." (1979, April 7). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 7.

"New Library Branch Open." (1953, September 28). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 19.

"New Library Branch Site." (1945, June 23). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 2. 

"New Library Funds Sought." (1983, June 4). Worcester Telegram, p. 3.

Pinder, J. (1981, September 15). "Library Budget Cuts to Hit Books, Hours." Worcester Telegram, p. 5.

"Puppet Magic." (1985, August 22). The Evening Gazette and Worcester Telegram, August 22-23, 1985 Time Out, p. 12.

Rayner, E.H. (1953, September 29). "Library Branch Pleases Main South Children." Worcester Telegram, p. 9.

"Relocation of Library Branch Urged." (1953, June 19). Worcester Telegram, p. 25.

"Seeks More Funds for School Safety." (1953, June 2). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 26.

Taylor, G. (1986, July 22). "A Short Sign Can Speak Volumes." Worcester Telegram, p. 2.

Taylor, G. (1986, July 16). "Main South's Wait for Library Reaches Its Final Chapter." Worcester Telegram, p. 3.

"Weekly Library Programs to Start for the Elderly." (1977, July 3). Worcester Telegram, p. 6.

"Worcester Eyes Use of Land Bequest." (1961, March 15). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 21.

Tales of Branch Libraries Past: The Tatnuck Branch

You may know of the Burncoat, Roosevelt, Goddard, and Tatnuck Magnet branches, located in four of Worcester's public elementary schools and opened a little more than a decade ago, but did you know that one of these schools previously housed a book delivery station-turned-branch that officially existed for roughly fifty years? Today's blog post will feature the Tatnuck Branch, which closed in 1990, but reemerged in 2013 as the Tatnuck Magnet Branch.

Pamphlet circa 1975

Note: the name of the Tatnuck Magnet School has changed over the years, from the Tatnuck School to the Tatnuck Grammar School to the Tatnuck Elementary School, to most recently the Tatnuck Magnet School. We will use the name of the school as it appeared in the news depending on the year.

In the Beginning

We have previously detailed the use of book delivery systems throughout the expanding city of Worcester to serve the needs of the residents who lived far from the Elm Street library. While most of the delivery stations were housed in shops, a couple were located in private houses. The first delivery station to be located in the Tatnuck section was housed in the home of Miss E.J. Prentiss, at 725 Pleasant Street. Miss Prentiss and the other delivery station keepers would receive $50 per year to fulfill their duties.

Of course, there were limits to the usefulness of delivery stations in comparison to official branches. The funding of three branches by Andrew Carnegie sparked interest in creating other branches in the city. Less than a week after Carnegie and his wife attended the cornerstone laying ceremonies at the South Worcester, Quinsigamond, and Greendale branches in March 1913, the Tatnuck Woman's Club and other members of the Tatnuck neighborhood submitted a petition to the City Clerk to use the old Tatnuck school as a branch library (the old Tatnuck school had suffered from overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions (and a wily skunk!*) before being abandoned in favor of a newly built school building in 1910). 

Tatnuck Residents Hanker After a Branch Library in Old Schoolhouse,
Worcester Telegram, March 29, 1913

Alas, the residents were unable to secure an actual branch library at that time but did receive a new deposit station in the new Tatnuck school in 1914 under the command of the library's children's department. According to the Annual Report ending November 30, 1914, the school deposit meant that the library could essentially bring a branch to the school once a week with library assistants coming to help students and teachers choose, borrow, and return library books. According to head librarian Robert K. Shaw, "We were glad to open this deposit because of the great interest shown in the neighborhood, and the remoteness from the central library."

The opening of the school deposit did not stop the clamor for a full library branch. Tatnuck residents continued to petition the library board of directors and the city for a branch, including a petition in 1931, but the board did not request funds from the city for a branch that year. The next year was more productive - the city appropriated $4,000 to fund a library in a schoolroom at the Tatnuck school. The basement space would have to suffice until the library could secure a more permanent location for a branch. On May 24, 1932, a new "Tatnuck Book Station" (unofficially called a branch in some of the newspapers) opened to serve both adults and children. It would be open two days a week with separate hours for adults and children, with Mrs. Dorothy Stedman in charge of the children's section. Head librarian Robert K. Shaw called its opening "the most important event in the Library year" in the 1933 Annual Report. 

Branch Library Opens Tomorrow, Worcester Telegram, May 23, 1932

Of course, the Great Depression made it difficult to fund the construction of a branch building in the 1930s. According to a September 14, 1935 article in the Worcester Evening Gazette, the Tatnuck Men's Club was against the expense of building a branch library and felt that the "city should spend money only for what is essential."

By 1938, Tatnuck residents signed additional petitions with suggestions for building a new branch library at specific locations, including the historic Benjamin Newton house at 1125 Pleasant Street and another suggestion for the land at the corner of Coppersfield Road and Pleasant Street (across the street from the new Tatnuck school). Alas, once again funding was an issue. John H. Mahoney of the Worcester Taxpayer's Association declared in a Tatnuck Citizen's Association meeting in April 1938 that "city finances [were] in critical condition" and that a library branch was nonessential.

Petition to the City Council Re: Acquiring Property to Build a New Tatnuck Branch, March 25, 1938

The Start of the Official Tatnuck Branch

By September 1941, the library had reorganized the book station at the Tatnuck school as an actual branch that was open three days a week. The Tatnuck Branch remained open even when the winter 1945 coal shortage forced the closure of many of the Worcester public schools (including Tatnuck school) because the branch had its own independent heating system. The branch temporarily moved to the first floor of the school in January 1954 when the school began construction on a six-room addition and moved back to the basement in August of the same year.

Unfortunately, the branch did not benefit from the school's renovation. In 1955, the Worcester Telegram quoted head librarian Thurston Taylor proclaiming the Tatnuck Branch as the "'neglected step-child' of the library system" due to the new addition blocking off window access on one side of the room and therefore limiting ventilation. By the 1960s, the branch's lack of ventilation, storage space, staff room, and work space forced the library board to examine potential options for relocating the Tatnuck Branch.  

The Search for a New Library Building

Over the next decade, the library board studied several potential locations in the Tatnuck neighborhood for a new branch but none panned out. By 1972, the Tatnuck Branch was the busiest library branch in Worcester but encompassed only 684 square feet. In May 1972, the board asked the city to purchase the vacant lot at Pleasant and Mower Streets previously occupied by the Tatnuck House restaurant that was demolished after a fire. However, a subsidiary of the Consumers Savings Bank also signed a lease for the same lot at this time. The City Council was undeterred by the lease and voted to ask City Manager Francis J. McGrath to start eminent domain proceedings to take that property. At the same time, the city's Planning Board had recommended building a new branch at Pleasant Street and Howe Avenue, 400 yards from the current Tatnuck Branch. A June 15, 1972 editorial in the Worcester Telegram even questioned the necessity of having a new branch at all, let alone one at what they deemed a poor location at Pleasant and Mower Streets. During the same year, the First Congregational Church refused to sell their parking lot at Pleasant Street and Howe Avenue and the library board rejected two offers of other properties for the new branch.

Worcester Evening Gazette, May 17, 1972

A new proposed plan emerged in September 1973: if the state Banking Commission approved the Consumers Savings Bank's proposal to open a bank branch at Pleasant and Mower Streets, the bank would build the bank branch with an adjacent facility leased by the city for the new Tatnuck Branch. Unfortunately by December 1973, City Manager Francis J. McGrath rejected that plan because the bank wouldn't let the city own the library portion of the building once the lease expired.

Site Proposed for Bank, Worcester Telegram, September 30, 1973

Life at the Tatnuck Branch continued in the 1970s even as additional plans for a new branch were proposed and rejected. Space was so tight in the early 1970s that spring children's programs were held outdoors, weather permitting. The repainting of the branch did allow staff to rearrange the collection and furniture in 1975, although there still wasn't much room for seating. Children did enjoy the story times, as seen by the wide-eyed looks in the newspaper clipping below. In November 1976, the Staff Newsletter reported that the Story Hour was being held in the Faculty Women's Lounge at the school, "which permit[ed] new activities (like moving and breathing)."

Circa 1974

Circa 1975

Every Thursday It Happens, Worcester Evening Gazette, October 2, 1975

By the late 1970s, there were discussions of expanding the Tatnuck Branch at the Tatnuck Elementary School in lieu of relocating to a brand new library branch elsewhere in the neighborhood. The city's financial situation in 1977 had forced City Manager McGrath to deny a request for a new branch building for the third year in a row. In the meantime, part of the school nurse's room was given to the branch for a work and staff area. 

Circa 1978

Branch on the Move

Finally, in 1979, the City Council voted to ask the School Committee to make room in the Tatnuck Elementary School that would be more accessible and spacious than the small basement branch and City Manager McGrath agreed to make funds available. 

In December 1981, the newly expanded Tatnuck Branch opened on the first floor of the Tatnuck Elementary School. The $100,000 conversion allowed the new space to be triple the size of the basement branch, with more seating for patrons, and allowed it to be "more separate" from the school. The Friends of the Worcester Public Library donated a nearly $5,000 air conditioner for the branch. The Children's Librarian of the branch, Denise M. Dutil, wrote a letter published in the January 14, 1982 issue of the Worcester Telegram thanking the sixty students at the school who assisted with moving over 1,000 bags of books to the new space. The official rededication of the space came in September 1982. 

Branch Library Tripled in Size, Worcester Telegram, December 2, 1981

The End...

Of course, municipal budget cuts hit the Worcester Public Library in the next year and branch hours were reduced at several of the branches, including the Tatnuck Branch. By 1990, the Proposition 2 1/2 budget cuts loomed over the branches, with the threat of closing all branches and reducing hours at the Main Library. Even though over 100 people participated in the April 5, 1990 protest outside of the Tatnuck Branch, it could not stop the closures. The last program held at the Tatnuck Branch was a story time presented to the kindergarten students of the West Tatnuck Elementary School on May 11, 1990. The branches closed their doors in May 1990 (as previously mentioned, Great Brook Valley Branch opened soon after and the Greendale Branch opened two years later). 

"Last Program at Tatnuk [sic], May 11, 1990"

But Wait...There's More!

Over twenty years later, a public library branch sparked to life in the Tatnuck section of Worcester. In June 2013, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette excitedly reported on the new pilot program, "One City, One Library," where four elementary schools would each house a children's branch library. In recent years, the number of schools with professionally staffed school libraries had diminished. In fact, many elementary schools had done away with their libraries entirely. The first branch to be announced would be held at the Tatnuck Magnet School, which at that point had a school library organized by parent volunteers. 

Four City Elementary Schools, Library in Literacy Partnership, Worcester Telegram & Gazette,
June 16, 2013

These OCOL branches would be staffed by Worcester Public Library staff and would be open to the students, teachers, and other staff during the school day but fully open to the community during afternoons and school vacations. The other three branches were the Roosevelt Branch at the Roosevelt School, the Goddard Branch at the Goddard School of Science & Technology, and the Burncoat Branch at the Burncoat Street Preparatory School.

The new Tatnuck Magnet Branch held its grand opening on November 20, 2013. It was the second One City, One Library branch to open (after the Roosevelt Branch).

Worcester Telegram & Gazette, December 6, 2013

Tatnuck Magnet Branch circa 2014

The Tatnuck Magnet Branch is currently open to the public for summer 2025 hours at 1083 Pleasant Street in Worcester. See https://www.mywpl.org/tatnuck-magnet-branch for up-to-date hours. 

Exterior of Tatnuck Magnet Branch, August 2025

*In case you were curious about the wily skunk from 1910, here's two headlines from the Worcester Telegram:

Worcester Telegram, January 11, 1910

Worcester Telegram, January 29, 1910

Sources:

"Branch Library Opens Tomorrow." (1932, May 23). Worcester Telegram, p. 2.

"Discuss Question of Tatnuck Library." (1935, September 14). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 9.

Dutil, D.M. (1982, January 14). Worcester Telegram, p. 8.

Eames, R.B. & L.J. Merkel. (1972, June 14)."Landtaking Bid OK'd for Tatnuck Library." Worcester Telegram, p. 21.

"Every Thursday It Happens." (1975, October 2). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 20.

"Expansion in the Works for Library at Tatnuck." (1979, October 25). Worcester Telegram, p. 12.

"Filling a Vacant Lot." (1972, June 15). Worcester Telegram, p. 4.

Foskett, Jr., S.H. (2013, June 16). "Four City Elementary Schools, Library in Literacy Partnership // One City, One Library to Set Up Branches." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. B4.

"Librarian to Recommend 1-Day Cut at Tatnuck Branch." (1982, October 22,). Worcester Evening Gazette, p.8.

"Library Asks City to Buy Land for Tatnuck Branch." (1972, May 10). Worcester Telegram, p. 19.

"Library Board Still Plans New Branch at Tatnuck Square." (1972, May 13). Worcester Telegram, p. 13.

"Library Branch Open." (1945, January 31). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 5.

"Library at Tatnuck is Opened to Public." (1932, May 25). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 11.

"Library to Move." (1954, August 24). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 28.

"Library to Push for Tatnuck Branch." (1976, January 14). Worcester Telegram, p. 21.

"Library to Seek New Tatnuck Branch." (1975, June 12). Worcester Telegram, p. 23.

"Library Staff Turnover 33% in '54." (1955, February 11). Worcester Telegram, p. 2.

"Mahoney Opposes Tatnuck Library." (1938, April 27). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 11.

McKie, L.R. (1973, September 28). "Tatnuck Library Plan Offered." Worcester Telegram, p. 1.

Merkel, L.J. (1972, June 16). "City Offered Gift of Land as Site of Tatnuck Library." Worcester Telegram, p. 19.

"New Tatnuck Branch Listed in Library Board Projects." (1976, March 13). Worcester Telegram, p. 10.

"Newton House Petition Signed." (1938, February 17). Worcester Telegram, p. 5.

Parlett, D. (1981, November 11). "Library Faces Budget Bind Despite Slash in Energy Use." Worcester Telegram, p. 3.

"Proposal for Tatnuck Library Rejected." (1973, December 16). Worcester Telegram, p. 41.

"Public Library Hours Announced." (1941, September 6). Worcester Telegram, p. 9.

"Public Library Stations." (1898, May 7). Worcester Telegram, p. 3.

"Residents Ask for Branch Libraries." (1931, February 2). Worcester Telegram, p. 7.

Stanway, E. (2013, December 6). "Turning a New Page for Young Readers - Library Branch Opens at Tatnuck Magnet." Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

"Tatnuck Branch Library Rededication is Tonight." (1982, September 22). Worcester Telegram, p. 16.

"Tatnuck Library Closed Today." (1954, January 2). Worcester Telegram, p. 8.

"Tatnuck Library Site Suggested." (1938, March 9). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 7.

"Tatnuck Soon to Get Library." (1932, April 13). Worcester Telegram, p. 1.

"Upgrading Pledged at Tatnuck Library." (1977, March 11). Worcester Telegram, p. 24.