Petersham Memorial Library

What Petersham Memorial Library does

Petersham Memorial Library is a private nonprofit community library established in 1879 and incorporated by the Massachusetts Legislature on March 12, 1891, as a Civil War memorial. Located at 23 Common Street on Petersham Common in Petersham, Massachusetts, the library operates from its permanent 1891 building and serves local residents with free access to physical collections, digital media, and community programming. The institution is governed by a Board of Corporators and a Board of Trustees (nine elected by the Corporators and three by the Town of Petersham per its 1891 Act of Incorporation).

The library's service portfolio spans six core offerings: (1) online catalog access through the CW MARS consortium (150+ member libraries in Central and Western Massachusetts) and the statewide Commonwealth Catalog; (2) digital lending of ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines via the Libby app and a Boston Public Library eCard extending access to OverDrive and Hoopla; (3) a "Library of Things" lending collection of household tools, games, outdoor equipment, arts/crafts supplies, and AV equipment; (4) a museum pass program providing discounted or free admission to eight regional institutions; (5) free public WiFi via CW MARS and Matrix networks; and (6) community programs and events. Research resources are supplied through the Gale database. Underlying technology is entirely third-party and consortium-based, with no proprietary systems or internal tech development.

The library's revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit structure combining three streams: town appropriations from the Town of Petersham, a privately-held endowment stewarded by the Board of Corporators and Trustees, and community donations processed via PayPal. Core library services are provided free of charge to residents; the only paid offerings are select museum passes at institution-specific rates (e.g., MFA Boston at $10/adult) and optional donations. The named staff consists of four individuals: Director Hedda Monaghan, Assistant Director Amber Johns, Library Associate Fifi Scoufopolous, and Community Services Specialist Laura Davis. The library is open four days per week (Tue–Sat with limited hours). Customer outreach is limited to a Facebook page and community word-of-mouth.

Name

Petersham Memorial Library

Legal name

Petersham Memorial Library

Website

https://petershamlibrary.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1879

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Petersham Memorial Library is a nonprofit community library in Petersham, Massachusetts, established in 1879 as a Civil War memorial. It provides free physical and digital lending, museum passes, a Library of Things, and community programs to local residents, funded by endowment, town appropriations, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210), Libraries and Archives (51921)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community library programs
• Digital lending services
• Museum discount passes
• Library of things lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Petersham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal Funding: Town appropriations from the Town of Petersham for operational support, as part of the library's public mission.
2. Private Endowment: Private endowment funds sustained by careful stewardship by Board of Corporators and Board of Trustees.
3. Donations: Donations from community members to expand offerings and keep doors open, processed through PayPal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Petersham Memorial Library is a community public library offering free access to physical and digital library collections, museum discount passes, a Library of Things lending program (tools, games, outdoor equipment, arts/crafts, audio-visual equipment), research databases, digital lending via Libby and the Boston Public Library eCard, free WiFi, and community programs and events. Services are funded through a private endowment, town appropriations, and donations and are delivered at the library's permanent home on Petersham Common.

Product overview

Petersham Memorial Library is a community public library providing access to physical and digital resources. The library offers a unified service centered on knowledge access and community engagement, comprising online catalog services through CW MARS and Commonwealth Catalog consortiums, digital lending via Libby and Boston Public Library eCard, a Library of Things program for loaning tools and equipment, museum discount passes, free public WiFi, and community programs and events. The Library of Things and museum passes are distinctive programs that extend the library's role beyond traditional media lending to serve as a community resource hub.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library of Things A lending collection of useful but infrequently used items available for community borrowing, including home and garden tools (folding tables, tile cutter, pole saw, metal detector), games and outdoor equipment (bocce, cornhole, snowshoes, telescope, canopy), arts and crafts supplies (mending loom, ukuleles), and audio-visual equipment (projector, screen, VHS player). Intended to reduce waste and promote sustainable consumption among Petersham residents.
• Museum Passes Discount and free admission passes to partner museums and cultural institutions, including Museum of Fine Arts Boston ($10 for 2 adults and 4 children ages 7-17), Worcester Art Museum (50% off for 2 adults/children), MASS MoCA (free for 2 adults and 2 children under 16), Eric Carle Museum (free for 2 adults and 2 children), EcoTarium (free for 2 adults and 2 children), New Salem Museum (free for 2 adults and 2 children), Magic Wings (free for 4 guests), New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill (50% off for 2 people), and free DCR state park parking passes.
• Online Catalog Services Digital catalog access through the CW MARS consortium (over 150 member libraries in Central and Western Massachusetts), the Commonwealth Catalog (millions of titles statewide with inter-library pickup), and the Gale research database providing peer-reviewed articles, full-text magazines, newspapers, eBooks, primary source documents, and multimedia for academic research and lifelong learning.
• Digital Lending Services Access to ebooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines through the Libby app (streaming via Wi-Fi or mobile data, or offline downloads), plus expanded digital content through the Boston Public Library eCard providing access to OverDrive and Hoopla. Requires a library card.
• Public WiFi Access Free WiFi available through both CW MARS and Matrix networks, accessible from inside and outside the library building at all times for community members.
• Programs and Events A calendar of community programs and events including community gatherings, educational talks, and cultural programming available to library patrons. Promotion is handled through the library's Facebook page.

Quantifiable outcome

• Borrowing from Library of Things reduces waste and promotes sustainable consumption

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CW MARScoreTechnology or IntegrationCW MARS is a diverse multi-type library consortium of over 150 member libraries primarily in Central and Western Massachusetts. The library uses CW MARS for its catalog system and management.
• Commonwealth CatalogcoreTechnology or IntegrationStatewide library catalog providing access to millions of titles across participating Massachusetts libraries with convenient pick-up at local library.
• Museum of Fine Arts BostonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMuseum pass program offering 2 adults and 4 children (ages 7-17) at $10 each admission.
• Worcester Art MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMuseum pass program offering 2 adults and/or children 50% off admission.
• MASS MoCAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMuseum pass program offering 2 adults and 2 children (under 16) free admission at North Adams location.
• New England Botanic Garden at Tower HillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMuseum pass program offering 2 people 50% off admission at Boylston location.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New Salem Public Library: Small public library in nearby New Salem, Massachusetts, also partnered with PML through the museum pass program. Highly comparable in scale, rural setting, and programming.
• Forbes Library: Independent endowed public library in Northampton, Massachusetts, serving a comparable Western Massachusetts community with similar collections, programming, and museum-pass partnerships. Closest analog in operating model and regional footprint.
• Worcester Public Library: Larger urban public library in central Massachusetts that also maintains a museum pass program including Worcester Art Museum, with comparable CW MARS consortium membership and digital lending services.
• Erving Public Library: Small rural public library in Erving, Massachusetts, within CW MARS territory. Closely comparable in operating scale, governance structure, and community-library mission.
• Greenfield Public Library: Public library serving Greenfield, MA, also a CW MARS member. Comparable scale, similar mix of physical lending, digital resources, and community programming in a small-town Western Massachusetts setting.

Others

• OverDrive: Digital lending platform operator providing the Libby app and e-book/audiobook infrastructure Petersham patrons access. Comparable as an enabling technology provider in the public-library content delivery chain.
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Major cultural institution that partners with PML via the museum pass program. Comparable as a downstream cultural-access partner whose offerings the library bundles for patrons.

Broad incumbents

• CW MARS: Central and Western Massachusetts library consortium of 150+ member libraries providing the shared catalog, ILS, and WiFi backbone Petersham relies on. Comparable to other regional library cooperatives in scope and function.
• Boston Public Library: Largest public library system in Massachusetts and a direct partner via the BPL eCard program, which extends OverDrive and Hoopla access to Petersham patrons. Functions as the broad incumbent whose digital infrastructure the small library leverages.
• Massachusetts Library System: Statewide cooperative providing support, consulting, and shared services to Massachusetts public, academic, and school libraries — a structural peer at the regional library-system level.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/petershamlibrary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Petersham Memorial Library