To engage our community in lifelong learning that builds knowledge and promotes understanding.

A publicly funded institution, Beebe Library serves the people of Wakefield as a gateway to resources for managing and enriching their lives.

As a department of the Town of Wakefield, Beebe Library is funded by and accountable to the taxpayers. In developing its policies and procedures, the library’s focus is on the best interests of the patrons.

The library’s target population includes residents of all ages, income, education, races and ethnic origins. The library serves Wakefield institutions, businesses, government agencies, and other organizations.

Beebe Library strives to be among the first resources that come to mind when people seek information for the various roles they play in the various stages of their lives. From cradle to grave, the library is a resource for understanding issues, making decisions, solving problems, improving performance, and satisfying curiosity. The library strives to enhance the quality of life of its patrons and support their aspirations.

The library provides services and a collection of materials tailored to the needs and interests of the community. The library provides resources in a variety of formats (print, audio, video, electronic) that are appropriate for the informational content of the material, and for the learning styles and preferred means of access of users. Librarians act as intermediaries between patrons and the universe of resources.

Broader services are achieved through collaboration with other Town organizations and active participation in regional, statewide, and national cooperative endeavors. Beebe Library participates in the state certification program, thereby both earning library privileges for Wakefield residents at public libraries across the state and incurring an obligation to serve residents of other Massachusetts municipalities.

The library encourages independent learning, responds to the information needs of all ages, and supports educational endeavors from kindergarten through high school.

Recognizing that free access to information is fundamental to a democratic society, Beebe Library promotes inquiry. Recognizing that the intellectual growth of citizens strengthens a community, Beebe Library encourages independent learning. The library functions as a clearinghouse of information in a complex and rapidly changing world, offering resources and technology, access to the resources of other libraries, appropriate referrals, and assistance in obtaining information and materials.

The library also acknowledges a secondary obligation to support the formal education of Wakefield’s young people, from kindergarten through high school, by supplementing curriculum support material available in school libraries. Material for first year college courses is frequently available in the collection, and more advanced material can often be provided through interlibrary loan.

Beebe Library nurtures a love of reading, fostering literacy in children and making connections for readers throughout their lives.

The library is uniquely positioned to promote literacy in the critical early years of life. A focus on language development fosters a community of readers capable of advancing their intellectual pursuits.

The library encourages recreational reading, which advances understanding of others by providing a window on the world’s humanity, enabling readers to make enlightened assessments of their own lives. Recreational reading fosters imagination, communication skills, analytical abilities, and intellectual development. By providing a collection, readers’ advisory services, and programs, the library empowers the recreational reader to make connections with books and creates opportunities to tell and hear each other’s stories.

The library promotes an informed and enlightened citizenry and strives to strengthen the fabric of the community.

The library promotes the spirit of inquiry and community dialogue in its programs and its meeting rooms. The library particularly honors the exercise of the First Amendment rights of free speech, press, and peaceable assembly. The library strives to serve as the first contact for local government and community service information.

To these ends,

the library strives to provide materials, technology, and services appropriate for the Wakefield community, a clean and welcoming facility, an open and inviting atmosphere, and a friendly and well-trained staff to respond, without discrimination, to the diverse needs of individuals seeking information or literary recreational material.

Lucius Beebe Memorial Library’s FY21-FY25 Strategic Plan identifies five goals.

  1. Champion literacy and the value of reading for all ages.
  2. Foster proficiency in technology and information literacy skills.
  3. Increase visibility and awareness of library services and programs.
  4. Build connections that strengthen our communities.
  5. Remain relevant to the community, adapting to an ever-changing environment.

For full information, included planned strategic actions, please download and read the full Strategic Plan.