New Bedford: New Bedford Free Public Library

The New Bedford Free Public Library serves its constituents from its Main Library, four branches, and a bookmobile. The Main Library is noted for its historical holdings, including the third largest collection of American Whaling materials. Three of the branches were built with funds left in the trust by Sylvia Ann Howland Green Wilks, daughter of Hetty Green (known as the “Witch of Wall Street” and the “richest woman in America” during the Gilded Age). Reflecting the rich diversity of this port city, the Casa Da Saudade branch contains materials in English, Portuguese, and Crioulo; the Howald-Green branch specializes in Spanish language materials; the Woo Collection at the Wilks branch has a collection focusing on Chinese culture; and the Lawler Library has a collection of books on Jewish religion and culture. For more information, visit http://www.newbedford-ma.gov/library/.