Winning Reviews!

Summer Reading 2021

The reveal of our winning book reviews is here and these avid readers have all won a $10 gift card!

Adult Category:

Week 1 Winner - Martha S. for Those Who Are Saved by Alexis Landau

"A fascinating book about love and hope -- Also there is a great further reading list at the end of the book"

Week 2 Winner - Anonymous for The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

"This is the fourth installment of the second series featuring Percy Jackson and his demigod friends. The series is getting better as it goes along, though not as good as the first set of 5. Looking forward to see where it goes next."

Week 3 Winner - Anonymous for Later by Stephen King

"Fun, fast-paced story involving seeing/speaking with ghosts. It follows a narrator’s story from age 6 through 18, as told by a 22 year old recounting his memories. I couldn’t put it down!"

Week 4 Winner - Anonymous for Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey

"The book is really well written. I enjoyed reading this memoir of a daughter coming to terms with the brutal murder of her mother by her stepfather. The author won a Pulitzer prize for Poetry and she is truly a great storyteller. I would highly recommend this book."

Teen Category:

Week 1 Winner - Adrián G. for Deep Dark Fears by Fran Krause

"I liked this book because it shows irrational fears that aren’t real. I would recommend this book because some of the fears make you laugh."

Week 2 Winner - Jaleel R. for Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

"I liked this book because it's different from other books in the sense that it has a not happy, but meaningful ending. I think other people should read this book because it's a moral cleanse for the soul."

Week 3 Winner - Adrián G. for You might be an artist if… by Lauren Purje

"I like this book because it shows how someone may be a writer in funny little comic strips. I would recommend this book to someone who likes comedy and comic books or graphic novels."

Week 4 Winner - Anonymous for The Giver by Lois Lowry

"I liked this book because the main character was curious and wanted to take action. The main character kept on fighting for what he thought was morally right. I just did not like the way the author chose to end the book. I wish there were more details about what happened in the end."

We Are Open!

Welcome Back to the Holyoke Public Library

We are happy to remind you that we are open to the public again and cannot wait to see you all!

Most services are currently available with seating and computer use in limited capacity.

Computer use is limited

You will only by allowed one hour of use per day, and the amount of computers available are limited. Library cards in good standing are required for computer use. Computers will close after 3:30. If you have any questions or wish to reserve a computer for yourself at a certain time, please call the computer coordinator at (413) 420-8118.

History room use is by appointment only

Please call the historical collections librarian at (413) 420-8107 to schedule an appointment to view and use the history room's resources.

Services not currently available:

Bathroom Use
Water Fountain Use

Operation hours are 10:00am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday (with holiday exceptions). Curbside services are still available.

We provide plenty of sanitation options and still highly encourage the use of masks while in a public setting.

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to call us at (413) 420-8101 or email us at library@holyoke.org.

Summer Reading 2021

Come to the library and check out our Summer programs.

- Children's Room Activities

- Teen Reading Challenge

- Adult Reading Challenge

NEW Library Services

Hotspots to go, Live Tutors online, MCAS Practice

In fulfilling the Library’s mission to provide access to information and educational resources, the Holyoke Public Library has added the following new library services:

Wi-Fi Hotspot Lending Program-

Wi-Fi Hotspot Lending Program to assist patrons in our community needing Internet access for a limited time. The intention of the Hotspot Lending Program is to provide Internet access for:

Students to use for help with remote learning, schoolwork and projects.
Patrons to search and apply for jobs, housing, and other assistance.
Employees to travel with reliable internet access to meetings and presentations.
Patrons to have access to the library’s digital resources such as our databases, eBooks, online courses, and other electronic resources from the comfort of their home.

The program is not intended to provide a subsidy of continual Internet access for any one household. To borrow a hotspot kit, patrons must be 18 years of age or older and have a Holyoke Public Library card (in good standing -- i.e. library card is not blocked due to unpaid fines or lost material). The loan period for the hotspot kits are three (3) days or 14 days with no grace period.

Brainfuse HelpNow/JobNow/VetNow connects people who want to learn with experts who love to teach. It is an online resource with live tutors where patrons access real-time assistance through the intuitive Brainfuse online classroom. Brainfuse tutors are trained to not provide answers, but to help users master a problem's underlying academic concepts.

offers tutoring and homework help services in Spanish for all subjects offered in English.

provides live help in job hunting and bridges the divide by connecting users with experienced career coaches and vast resources to assist them during all stages of their job search.

helps veterans and their families understand and apply for the benefits they are eligible for from local, state, or federal programs. From housing and health care to education, mental health, and more, VetNow navigators are ready to help.

Lumos StepUp^TM Library Database Resource is a comprehensive supplemental study program for patrons in elementary and middle schools. It provides MCAS aligned assessments and online workbooks with hundreds of practice questions for Math and English Language Arts for students in grades 3-8.Students can conveniently access this program from anywhere using a personal computer, android phone, iPhone or a tablet computer with internet access.

Check out our July 2021 Newsletter!

Dial-A-Story

The library has an exciting new service: Dial-A-Story! Available 24/7, our Dial-A-Story provides a selection of wonderful stories read aloud by your local librarians and featured guests such as the fantastic storyteller Mary Jo Maichack!

New stories will be released once a month and we're taking requests; what stories do YOU want to hear on our Dial-A-Story? Email nhayes@holyokelibrary.org with your requests and we'll make them happen!

To listen to our Dial-A-Story, please call 413-420-5600!

Online Story Time

The Children's Room has a bunch of story time videos (in Spanish and in English) available to watch at your fingertips! Check them out here!

Book Bundles

The Children's Room is now offering Book Bundles through our curbside pickup service! Each bag has a selection of books from a certain genre or theme that we think you'll love,

Please call the Children's Room at 413-420-8105 or email nhayes@holyokelibrary.org to get yours today!

At Home Learning

Online Resources

Erasing the line between homework support and fun exploration, The World Almanac for Kids includes exclusive online-only material as well as content from award-winning The World Almanac®, Chelsea House, and Facts On File sets and series. Each topic area provides resources for homework, reports, and projects, and kids—including homeschoolers—can explore age-appropriate subjects while developing online research skills with a trusted content source.

The Mailbox® School & District is packed with 52,000+ fun and engaging ideas, activities, and worksheets that help inspire imaginations. All of the activities and ideas in The Mailbox® School & District are educationally sound, practical, easy to use, error-free, and child-centered and teach essential skills.

The Just for Kids Streaming Collection for public libraries gives children—and their parents—a thoroughly kid-safe, advertisement-free media platform they can freely explore and enjoy. Just for Kids has the educational videos children want to watch—Sesame Street, The Electric Company, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, The Berenstain Bears, Franklin, and thousands more—plus songs, games, and other interactives that are sure to entertain, educate, and inspire young patrons. Plus, the collection is ideal for librarians hosting a video storytelling hour, homework help for students, or resources for remote learning that they can access anywhere, anytime.

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Online Resources available from a number of Federal agencies

"Please note that the materials presented below concerning resources available on a number of Federal agencies' websites are being provided for your convenience as a potential resource for parents, students, schools, teachers, and other educators to use during this challenging time.

They were not developed by the U.S. Department of Education, and we do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this information. Furthermore, the inclusion of any hyperlinks and the content presented is not intended to convey their relative importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered. The Department does not control, direct, or encourage any particular curriculum or the information related to the curriculum. The use of materials or information by a school or educator is strictly a State and local matter."

Department of Defense: Learn about careers in STEM fields

Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics: Kids' Zone

Department of Energy: Games and Activities; Virtual Field Trips to National Energy Labs

Environmental Protection Agency: Games, Quizzes, and Videos about the Environment

The Library of Congress: Presentations and Activities to Help Students Learn about History

NASA: Interactive Lessons about Space, Earth, Solar System, and Universe; Lessons from Astronauts about Living in Space; STEM Activities for Students of All Ages

The Kennedy Center: Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems; Tour the Kennedy Center with The Pigeon

The Smithsonian: Free Smithsonian STEM Games and Simulations; Meet the Animals of the National Zoo; 3D Exhibits and Virtual Tours; Smithsonian Magazine Ten Museums You Can Virtually Visit; The Museum of Natural History Virtual Tour; Digital Smithsonian American Art Museum; Distance Learning Resources

NOAA: Use Real-Time Ocean Data to Explore the Environment

USGS: Learn from Home About Physical science, Geography and Maps

Newspapers Online

Explore our new full-color image edition of The Springfield Republican! All you need is a Holyoke library card number.

This digital archive replaces the physical microfilms covering from May 1, 2018 through the current date. Archival issues prior to May 2018 are available on microfilms in the Holyoke History Room. Please contact us for assistance

Other Massachusetts newspapers can be access here.