As a child, Holyoke native Tom Pueschel (1945-2019) dreamed one day of flying. What he didn’t know was that he would learn to fly, during his 423 days as helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War. His letters home, published in 2023, capture “a raw, unfiltered journey that navigates not just the perils of war but the emotional and ethical turbulence that comes with that.” Join us on November 9 in the Community Room of the Holyoke Public Library (4:00 PM) as Tom’s brothers and sons read from his letters and share stories of his life. Free and open to the […]

Drop in to find out how professional genealogist Irisneri Alicia Flores can help with your research.  Iris can help with general research and is also an expert in Puerto Rican, Caribbean, and South and Central American sources. Repeats December 5, January 2, and beyond.  Iris is fully bilingual (English//Spanish). Ven y descubre cómo la genealogista profesional Irisneri Alicia Flores puede ayudarlos con su investigación.  Iris puede ayudar con la investigación general y también es experta en fuentes puertorriqueñas, caribeñas y de América Central y del Sur. Se repite el 5 de diciembre, el 2 de enero y en adelante.  Iris […]

Guided tours of the five floors of the historic Library building will be offered from 9:00-12:00 during Doors Open. Plus, drop in at the Holyoke History Room on the Third Floor of the Library during special October 14 hours from 10:00 AM -12:00 PM to learn about History Room collections, view rarely-seen historical items, and perhaps start your own research. Regular Library services and self-guided tours available all day, 8:30-4:00.

Irisneri Alicea Flores’ July 25 Genealogy Drop-in at the History Room was filled to capacity!  On September 9, Irisneri returns for a rich and inspiring presentation on her work.  Irisneri is a professional genealogist and author of the Descubre Tu Historia blog. Irisneri will share her own story of the healing journey that comes with digging into one's own roots and offer practical tips on how to begin searching for your own family history using regional sources.  Anyone with an interest in genealogy generally, or in Puerto Rican, Caribbean, and South and Central American genealogy specifically, will have something to learn from the presentation. Irisneri […]

The Holyoke Public Library welcomed a recent gift of an oil portrait of William Dwight (1903-1996) from the Dwight family. The artist was Roy Spreter, a successful American illustrator and portraitist. It has been given a place of honor in the History Room, near the portraits of Dwight's parents, Minnie and William G. Dwight, long-time owners, publishers, and editors of the Holyoke Daily Transcript and Holyoke Transcript-Telegram. William Dwight became editor of the Transcript upon his father's death in 1930, while his mother became publisher. We invite you to attend the unveiling of the portrait on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 […]

The National Blank Book Company at the foot of Cabot Street (and later in Chicopee) was a Holyoke fixture for nearly a century and a half, producing internationally-distributed products from workforce ledgers, to diaries, to custom binders.  It ingrained itself in local factory culture in the process. As one former employee explained, "If you talked to a Holyoker and they didn't know someone who worked there or hadn't worked there themself, you knew they were new in town." Join us on Thursday, June 15 at 5pm for a Community Room panel discussion, Every Book Guaranteed Perfect: The National Blank Book Company in Retrospect. The History […]

Nationally-known, prize-winning author and former public editor of the New York Times Daniel Okrent will visit us virtually on May 4 at 5:00 PM on the big screen in the Holyoke Public Library Community Room. The author of six books, Okrent has been described by Publishers Weekly as “one of our most interesting and eclectic writers of nonfiction over the past 25 years.” Two of Okrent's books available to borrow from the Library and on Libby.  Informal, drop-in discussions of Last Call and The Guarded Gate take place at the Holyoke Public Library History Room on 4/25 and 5/2, 4:00-6:00 […]

Mini Golf and Games at the Library! – a series of FUN activities inside and outside of the Holyoke Public Library on Saturday, April 29: Mini Golf in the Library, for all ages (under 5 free), 9:30 am - 3:30 pm, 18 holes of  miniature golf inside the building!   Games outside in Library Park, 10:30 am – 3pm, featuring Human Foosball with teams of 6 competing for bragging rights and prizes. There may also be other outdoor activities for all ages.  Lucky Ticket auction with a range of donated prizes and services.  Since 2016, “Mini Golf in the Library!” has been a significant fundraiser for our Library.  This event […]