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January
1974

The two schools merge to become Buckingham Browne & Nichols

Fall
1979

The brand new Almy Library opens at the Upper School

Fall
1992

The Middle and Upper School libraries digitize their card catalogs

Fall
1987

Librarian Ethel "Smoke" Twitchell creates the BB&N Archives

Summer
2020

The Almy Library goes through a significant renovation

The Libraries

BB&N is unique among independent schools for having four distinct libraries ranging across the three academic campuses: the Morse Library for grades B-1, the Brick Building Library for 2-6, the Library Learning Commons for 7-8, and the Almy Library for 9-12. The libraries' role in the curriculum at each campus is described:

A black and white photo showing a long bookcase in the library. A young student is positioned left of center, bending over to look at the books on the shelf.
A black and white photo in the Lower School library, with five yound students sitting on the left listening to a librarian on the right reading a book to them. Behind the group are bookshelves.

Lower School students engage in weekly library classes where they experience the joy of reading, enrich their vocabulary, and develop listening and research skills. Students engage in a variety of library programs such as taking global journeys with picture books, which was inspired by the parent-sponsored Diverse Bookshelf Campaign.

A black and white photo of a group of middle school students and the lirbarian siting around a circular table in the library, with bookshelves behind them. The students are all turning to smile at the camera, and all eating pizza slives.
A Middle School student is seen in profile looking to the left at the card catalog. She has opened a drawer and is looking through the cards.

The Library Learning Commons at the Middle School is a thriving space for teaching, independent study, research, creativity, and reading. The library is able to accommodate individual study sessions or classwide collaboration, and offers a wide variety of resources to help students in all aspects of their academic journey.

A black and white photo of four students sitting around a table in the Upper School library. They have books and notebooks out in front of them and are laughing together.
A black and white photo of two leather armchairs facing the camera in the library. In the right chair, a student is sitting with one leg crossed over the other, reading a large book in her lap.

With expansive resources that run the gamut from conventional print to online periodicals, the Almy Library serves as both a physical and symbolic hub of learning at the Upper School. Collaboration is a library trademark—whether it's classmates working together or librarians and faculty partnering with students.

In 1979, the Almy Library opened at the Upper School. Named for Trustees Charles and Elizabeth Almy, the library featured study tables and carrels, a music listening station, and sunlight streaming in through the windows.

A black and white photo of a study table in the Upper School library, with two chairs on each of its four sides. The table is photographed from one corner; on the left wall behind the table is a bookshelf; on the right behind the table, there is a low bookshelf; over the top of the bookshelf in the background is the circulation desk, card catalog, and a window.
A black and white photo of a scale model of the Upper School library. The model includes the whole building around and under the library, trees on the outside of the model building, and figures of people in the library space.

Above: a scale model of the new Almy Library, on display at the dedication, 1979. 

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Left: a study space in the Almy Library, looking toward the circulation desk, 1979.

Below: students using the Upper School library for both relaxing (left, 1980s) and studying (right, 1984). Both activities remain popular for students in the library today. 

A black and white photo of six Upper School students sitting and chatting in the library. In the center foreground, a student sits in a chair with his feet up on the chair across from him, and appears to be speaking with the others.
A black and white photo of students sitting at four study tables in the library, all focused on their work. There are bookshelves on the walls behind them.

In 2007 alongside a larger Upper School renovation, the library's circulation desk and office were moved, and a Quiet Room created. In 2021, the Almy Library received another renovation, generously funded by the Class of 2020 Senior Parents' Gift. The renovation included all new furniture, a new circulation desk, and a range of spaces for quiet study. 

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Right: Librarian Camille Hoven and students in the classroom area of the Almy Library, 2021.

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Below: Middle School students in the LLC. 

A color photo of students and a librarian sitting around a white table with rolling chairs. All of them are wearing face masks, and turning to look at the camera. Behind them is a window showing a tree with green leaves.
A color photo of two Middle School students sitting in lime green chairs at a white table, facing away from the camera and looking at a laptop screen. Behind them in the background are other tables, a long low bookshelf, and windows to the outside.

In 2016, the Middle School Library underwent a substantial renovation as part of a larger Middle School building project. The Spring 2016 Bulletin described the Learning Commons as "spacious, spanning almost the entire length of the Vaillant Wing's terrace level" and "combining a traditional, book-based library approach with technology-enhanced workspaces for both individuals and groups." This combined approach remains a focus of the library today.

In 1987, Ethel "Smoke" Twichell started to collect historical materials documenting the school and organizing them in a closet appended to the Almy Library. From her dedicated work, the BB&N Archives was created. Today, the archives closet has been converted into a light-filled study room for students and the Archives is located in a new climate-controlled space on the Upper School's North Campus. 

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Right: Ethel Twichell in the archives, 1980s. 

A black and white photo of librarian Ethel Twichell, taken from an angle near the ceiling. She is sitting with a yearbook open in her lap, and smiling up at the camera. Around her are file cabinets, record boxes, and framed pictures along the walls in the narrow space. A framed photo of a trophy hangs on the left wall.
A librarian stands at the front of a classroom, with students sitting on the floor and at tables in front of her. She is holding up two paperback books and speaking to the students; in front of her on a table is a stack of other books.

The librarians spread across BB&N's three campuses all welcome students into the libraries themselves, but bringing library resources to the classroom is just as important. This outreach includes story times, teaching research skills in the classroom, providing books in support of the curriculum, meeting with students for one-on-one research appointments, and creating book displays at school events. 

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Below: Upper School librarian Shawnee Sloop (left) and Middle School librarian Christina Dominique-Pierre (right) with their book display at the One School One World event, May 2023.

A color photo of a book display table in the gym. Behind the table, smiling for the camera, are librarians Shawnee Sloop and Christina Dominique Pierre.

Left: Middle School librarian Jane Dibble Ferris giving a book talk to a class, 1980s.

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Below: a reading list booklet from the Middle School Library, 2019.

A color image of the cover of a pamphlet. There is a drawing in the center of colorful patterened book spines on a shelf, in rainbow colors, with the words "BB&N Library" written below them. In grass green text above and below the drawing, the pamphlet reads "Reading Suggestions 2019 — BB&N Middle School Library, 80 Sparks St., Cambridge, MA 02138, 617-800-2340."

Below: Austin Blake '12 and Paul Bodet '12 embracing books at the Lower School Book Bonanza, 2001.

A black and white photo of two lower school students smiling at the camera. They are both holding a stack of books in their arms.
A black and white photo of author Jan Brett drawing at a large standing easel and speaking to students off-frame. The drawing is a bear's head in profile looking right, with a small mouse on its nose.
A black and white photo of author Molly Bang signing books and speaking with students. Molly is seated at a table on the left, and is speaking with a student on the right; two other students look on, one holding Molly's book "The Paper Crane".

Above: authors visit the Lower School for Landess Luncheons, 1998; on the left, Jan Brett illustrates her stories; on the right, Molly Bang speaks with students.

 

This outreach also includes author visits, in which students can attend readings and Q&A sessions with authors. In the 1990s, the Lower School hosted authors every year for the Landess Luncheon, an annual event in honor of beloved teacher Helen B. Landess. Students at the Middle and Upper School have also welcomed authors for events: when the pandemic led to remote learning from 2020-2022, BB&N librarians arranged "Author Zoom Bombs". In the remote learning environment, students could also request books from librarians and pick them up from a library cart in the gym when they came in for hybrid learning. The long tradition of author visits continues today, with recent guests Josh Funk and Vicky Fang '94 visiting the Morse Library. 

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Below: on the left, an event notice for the Author Zoom Bomb with poet José Olivarez, 2020; on the right, librarian Lynda Dugas with author Josh Funk, 2024. 

A colorful poster advertising an author zoom bomb with José Olivarez. The background of the poster is blue and green; in the foreground, there is a photo of José and the cover of his book Citizen Illegal; next to those images, there is a blurb recommending the book and information about the date and time of the event.
A color photo of author Josh Funk posing with librarian Lynda Dugas. Both of them are holding up his books and smiling at the camera.

In addition to books, classes, and author visits, the BB&N libraries engage with students across a variety of technologies. For more than 35 years, the Morse Library Film Festival has gathered Lower School students together to watch film adaptations of books. As technology has changed, so has the format of the film festival, and formats have included 16mm reels, VHS tapes, DVDs, and now streaming. For older students engaging with research, databases cover a wide range of subjects and types of sources, including academic journals, ebooks, articles, and primary sources. The Upper School Library now offers streaming video over Swank, and all four libraries provide access to Sora, an ebook and audiobook library tailored specifically for schools. 

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