About
In 1900, Susan A. Peck was prominent and untiring among those who worked for the construction of a new library building. Through her efforts, she convinced her cousin Henry Hart Peck to donate the funds for a new building if a suitable location could be found. On May 3, 1901, the Kensington Library Society incorporated in order to receive land donated from Miss Harriet Hotchkiss and Mrs. Fannie Hotchkiss Jones. The land was tucked between the Hotchkiss and Moore family homes on Main Street. On November 5, 1902, the Peck Memorial Library building was dedicated with a building approximately 1,680 square feet and a collection of 1,120 books.
In a short time, the library outgrew both the addition and the original building. In 1986, Blanche Johnson Delaney led the negotiations so that the Town of Berlin took over the private library. For the first time, the Town of Berlin had a truly public library. Blanche Johnson Delaney and David Borthwick oversaw the building of a new facility near the Town Hall. On October 2, 1989, the new Berlin-Peck Memorial Library was opened and dedicated. The new building has 21,655 square feet on the main floor with a full basement for expansion in the future. The library collection had 58,669 items with a circulation of 108,041.
