Summer is a beautiful season in the northeast, and the library staff loves to make the most of the sunny weather and the annual events unique to our region.
Explore the great outdoors:
Matt Sylvain, systems and digital services librarian, is a fan of kayaking the Slocum River or hiking in the White Mountains (such as in the Pemigewasset Wilderness). Kari Mofford, undergraduate & user services librarian, likes to walk or read at Duxbury Beach, and Olivia Piepmeier, arts & humanities librarian, recommends nearby Horseneck Beach. Lorraine Heffernan, business & economics librarian, suggests enjoying time out on the ocean on a whale-watching tour.
Kayaking 
Thirteen Falls 
View from Galehead 
View from Galehead
Experience local festivals:
Special events abound in the summer. Judy Farrar, archives & special collections librarian, notes that the Barnstable County Fair (July 22-28 in Falmouth) offers a fun Demolition Derby. She, Natalie Ferreira, learning commons, and Karen Tavares, library administration, all suggest the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament in New Bedford (August 1-4). Both Maureen McDevitt, access services, and Joanne Garfield, acquisitions, recommend the inexpensive and hugely popular New Bedford Folk Festival (July 6-7).
Take in some culture:
Lorraine is a veritable font of information about the local cultural scene. She suggests enjoying some Gilbert & Sullivan at the College Light Opera Company in Falmouth and picnicking at Westport Winery’s Friday night Sunset Music Series. Prefer a movie? Smithfield, Rhode Island, still has a drive-in theater, the Rustic Tri View Drive In, where Hilary Kraus, nursing & health librarian, enjoys the occasional current double-feature (her favorites are retro weekends, like the time they showed Jaws & Jurassic Park). She also recommends you catch a full lighting of Waterfire in downtown Providence.
Don’t forget to eat!
Olivia is a big fan of consuming oysters al fresco, and Lorraine notes that if you want to spend lavishly, you can reserve a table on weekend evenings at Just Right Farm for a local farm-to-table experience. Spending time in nearby Rhode Island? Hilary loves getting a huge scoop of ice cream at Sunshine Creamery in Rumford.
Travel farther afield:
Book Barn 
Book Barn 
Tanglewood
Massachusetts is marvelous in summer, but don’t forget other nearby destinations. Olivia enjoys long weekends in Vermont. Need something to read on your trip? Check out the Book Barn in Connecticut; Hilary goes at least twice a year. Susan Raidy-Klein, collection development & acquisitions librarian, suggests the Lenox, in the Berkshires, where you can spread a blanket on the lawn at Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony, or enjoy a theater performance at Shakespeare & Company.