Phillips Library

The Phillips Library, which is in connection with the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), opens its Rowley, Massachusetts location in 2018. It is a rare book and special collections library that holds works from two former institutions, the Stephen Phillips Library of the Peabody Museum of Salem and the James Duncan Phillips Library of the Essex Institute, which merged in 1992 to create the PEM. 

The original location of the Phillips Library was Plummer Hall on Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts. The original intent of Plummer Hall was to provide space resources for the Salem Athenaeum (1857) a membership library which they rented to the Essex Institute as well as other institutions. In 1907, the Essex Institute purchased Plummer Hall to create the starting space for the Phillips Library. In the original building, these reading rooms and shelves filled with materials underwent several renovations including a $20 million dollar renovation in 2011 to update Plummer Hall as well as the John Tucker Daland House which was connected with the building.

Due to overcomplicated renovations, and a need for material access, the library temporarily moved to Peabody, Massachusetts in 2013 for limited access to materials. Eventually, the Peabody location was closed and access was temporarily suspended from 2017-2018. This is when the library made a full shift to its current location in Rowley, Massachusetts. PEM declared that the move would not only benefit the library, by providing better preservation for its material, but it would also utilize the 1.8 million objects that the PEM does not/cannot display. 

The Phillips Library’s current location is an appointment-only access library, this is due to the materials housed as they are not copies but the original material which increases the fragility. This location also created problems for Salem residents and others in closer areas as it is 40 minutes away from the PEM and not easily reachable by public transportation. This resulted in The Friends of Salem's Phillips Library to form in 2017 in the hopes of preserving the Phillips Library in Salem, however, it was to no avail. The stacks in the new location run 20 aisles deep with three rows of aisles, which provide more room for the library’s large and growing collections.

In the Phillips Library collection is a wide variety of personal and public materials published in New England between the 16th and 18th centuries. Its most recognizable works are the documents from 1691-1693 surrounding the Salem Witch Trials, which include public legal records such as confessions and personal documents such as letters between neighbors. The reading room in the Philips Library also provides secondary source documents that translate some of the more damaged materials. Other popular documents include maritime history with voyage and travel documents as well as materials and subjects that include Native American Culture and Essex County history.

Due to COVID-19, the original format for accessing the collections was temporarily suspended and limited online access prevented many materials from being viewed. However, the PEM website consistently updates its accessibility and recently they shared that they will begin access in a more controlled manner than before. While the accessibility by appointment has not changed, their capacity has and the reading room will limit the number of people in the rooms at the same time. To schedule appointments, visitors must contact research@pem.org​ at least 24​ hours in advance. Their access appointment hours are Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9 am–12 pm and 1–4 pm. 

Muldoon, John. Peabody Essex Museum Buys Rowley Property For $7 Million, Ipswich Local News. March 31st 2017. Accessed November 23rd 2020. http://thelocalne.ws/2017/03/31/peabody-essex-museum-buys-rowley-property-for-7-mill ion/

Roy, Matthew . A Modern Makeover, The Salem News Online. September 27th 2011. Accessed November 23rd 2020. https://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/a-modern-makeover/article_19e088f7-a5b 3-510d-95d5-2f42d80e7070.html

Shea, Andrea. As Library Moves To Rowley, Some Residents Tell PEM To Keep The Historic Papers On Salem In Salem, The ARTery. July 13th 2018. Accessed November 23rd 2020. https://www.wbur.org/artery/2018/07/13/phillips-library-salem-peabody-essex-rowley.