LYNN — The Lynn Public Library is holding two special in-person events in April to celebrate its anniversary and National Library Week.
During the week of April 3, the library will be hosting several activities to celebrate its 122nd birthday and National Library Week, the latter of which is a holiday that celebrates libraries across the country.
These activities will include tours, games and historical exhibits.
Theresa Hurley, director of the Lynn Public Library, said there was going to be a 120th birthday celebration in 2020, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is a way to show people that we are back in action,” Hurley said. “We were open then, but now we are doing in-person events again.”
Hurley said she is meeting with her staff on Tuesday to go over details of the celebration and will release more information throughout the week.
In 2020, Hurley said the library offered online services. Now that cases are declining and vaccination rates are rising, the library is offering more in-person services, she said.
“We’ve been holding book clubs during the beginning of the year,” Hurley said. “We are also holding tutorials on our electronic resources.”
Hurley said the library will be distributing and providing tutorials for Chromebooks, which will be available for patrons to check out. The library will also be offering a library of items that people can check out for use, such as cake pans and board games.
“People can borrow cake pans, for example, like how they check out books, if it’s for a birthday, anniversary or holiday,” said Hurley.
The Lynn Public Library was built in 1900, at 5 North Common St.
According to the library’s website, it was first a “social library” formed in 1815 before it was officially chartered by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1818.
In 1862, an ordinance was passed for the establishment of the library, which was originally located at the corner of Market and Tremont streets.
In 1868, the library was then moved to the second floor of the old City Hall, and in 1893 Elizabeth Shute formally requested that an official library be built in Lynn.
Today, the library is home to not just books, but art pieces as well, including a cast-iron pan that dates back to the 17th century.
“We just want to let everyone know that we’re back in action,” Hurley said. “We want to tell them to come on in and enjoy the library.”
