The C. H. Booth Library is situated in Newtown, CT, which has a population of about 28,000. The library primarily serves the town and surrounding community. Whether in person, online, over the phone, or making a home delivery, expert staff are available and ready to help. The library works to provide equitable access to information, and to help its patrons connect with that information, with each other, with the community, and with the world at large. By helping create these connections, the library can help you live your best life!
Mission
The library’s mission is to promote the joy of lifelong learning, stimulate curiosity, support the exchange of ideas, and provide a welcoming gathering place for the community.
Brief History
The C. H. Booth Library was a posthumous gift of Newtown’s benefactress, Mary Elizabeth Hawley. It was named after her maternal grandfather, Cyrenius Hard Booth, who served as a physician in Newtown between 1820 and his death in 1871.
December 17, 1932: The library opened with a capacity for 25,000 volumes, and cutting-edge features missing from many libraries even today.
Early 1980s: Up until this point, the taxpayers of Newtown paid nothing for the library, thanks to operating revenues generated by interest from a trust fund that was part of Hawley’s gift.
Summer of 1996: Construction began, for an addition that would double the available floor space.
January 11, 1998: The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new addition took place.
The expanded space provides areas for meetings as well as displays of art and historical artifacts of Newtown from the library’s extensive collection.
Media Contact
Douglas Lord, Library Director
dlord@chboothlibrary.org
(203) 426-4533, ext. 5
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