Public Internet Access: The Salem Public Library
Address
The Salem Public Library is located at:
370 Essex Street
Salem, Massechusetts
Phone Number: 978-744-0860
The library is located two blocks from the First Church of Salem.
Unique Facts and Features
On November 1st, 2010, an episode of Lifetime's Fairy Job Mother was filmed at the Salem Public Library. The Internet area was the central focus point as the host, Hayley Taylor was showing the prospective job seeker how to use the Internet to search for a job.
Number of Computers
There are three computers available for a quick twenty-minute session.
The remaining eight computers are for a single ninety-minute session per day.
To Get on the Internet
The Salem Public Library is a part of the NOBLE network, also called North of Boston Library Exchange. This means you can use your library card to borrow books at any of the libraries in this system. Similarly, if you have a library card from Marblehead you can use your card to get online at the Salem Public Library.
The computer area is on the second floor. There is a single computer near the drinking fountain where you can make a reservation. Or, if one of the Internet computers is not being used and shows "available" on the screen, you can sign in right at the computer.
Type your account number into the appropriate field. Your number will be on the back of your library card, below the barcode. Or if you made a reservation ahead of time and you have the piece of paper that printed out, type in the four digit number next to the word PIN.
If you do not have a library card, you will need proper ID to show the librarian so that they may issue you a guest pass.
Protip: If there is a number of other people rushing to get on a computer, go the reservation computer. Type in your library card number as fast as you are able to so that when you make the reservation, you are actually able to beat someone else to the punch.
The Fairy Job Mother films on location at the Salem Public Library
If the Library Staff aren't careful, She'll be visiting them again Soon enough.
Customer Service Rating -1
From personal experience, the staff at the Salem Public Library can be very rude and very nasty towards customers. You will be hard pressed to find the one or two librarians that you can actually ask for help without getting a snotty remark or a condescending glare for your trouble.
At the check out desk, the staff have a tenancy to allow pressure to get to them. If there's a line they will be rude to you. It's not a question of maybe they were having a bad day, it's more like they know they can get away with taking out their frustrations on you, even if you are a regular patron.
A number of times I have felt as though I were dealing with high school students, rather than women in their twenties to fifties. So for a fair warning ahead of time, if you think you're going to have difficulty or that you may have questions, you should consider using any of the other libraries in the North Shore.
