In 2001, as a result of a dedicated volunteer effort, residents of Madbury voted at town meeting to establish a public library. Originally located in a closet at the Town Hall, the library was moved in 2003 to its present location, a town-owned ranch house formerly the home of the police department.
A Capital Reserve Fund was established at the March 12, 2002 Town Meeting for the purpose of a Library Building Fund. Residents have voted annually at town meeting to support the eventual construction of a new library facility. The Selectmen have designated a parcel of land adjacent to the Town Hall as the site for the new library.
In 2008, The Friends of Madbury Library, a designated 501(c)3 entity, received a grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Fund to hire a professional library consultant. Meetings were held with town residents and a survey revealed considerable support for the eventual construction of a new library. The complete “Building Program for Madbury Public Library” is available for review at the library.
In just over a decade, the library has become an important and integral part of our town. In 2014, there were over 5,500 visits to the library and today our collection numbers over 14,000 books, audio books, and DVD’s. Our experienced and professional staff and our volunteers have created a first class library with a wide variety of programs and activities for patrons of all ages to enjoy. Once it became clear we had outgrown our long-time building at 9 Town Hall Road (now called the Estes House), we began the long process of planning and building a new library. To make a very long story short, construction began in April 2019 and on December 8, we held a celebration to officially open the new Madbury Public Library building.