Memorial Hall Library

150 Things to Do for MHL's 150th Anniversary

In honor of our 150th anniversary, the library has put together a list of “150 Things to Do at the Library!”

Scroll on and see how many of these library activities you have done!

Children and Family Activities

Teen Activities and Resources

 **Some of these free library resources require an MHL library card or are accessible only when visiting the library. Please give us a call or visit the Reference Desk if you have questions about any of these services.

  1. Sign up for a library card.
  2. Join a book club.
  3. Charge your phone or laptop.
  4. Borrow eBooks with the Libby app.
  5. Read newspapers from around the world with Newspapers.com.
  6. Read digital versions of your favorite magazines whenever you want.
  7. Borrow a book club kit. 
  8. Visit the Children's Room for weekly story time programs.
  9. Find a great book at a low price at a Friends book sale.
  10. Download an audiobook to listen on the go.
  11. Use the online catalog to request books from other MVLC libraries.
  12. Get homework help with Tutor.com.
  13. Get a customized reading recommendation from one of our expert librarians online.
  14. Pick up a customized teen book bag.
  15. Read the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post for free.
  16. Use our school supplies to make a poster or other group project.
  17. Browse the Commonwealth Catalog to borrow from libraries across the state.
  18. Book a meeting room for your next group, club or business meeting.
  19. Ask a librarian a reference question via online chat or our Ask a Question form.
  20. Teens- Volunteer at your own pace with our take-home packet.
  21. Attend a genealogy club meeting and dig into your family history.
  22. Learn just enough about any topic to fake your way through a cocktail party.
  23. Print in color.
  24. Sip a Grande Caramel Snickerdoodle Macchiato next to a cozy fireplace.
  25. Join Girls Who Code to help change the gender imbalance in STEM.
  26. Borrow the best travel guides to plan your next vacation.
  27. Access relevant, quality health information each month in the Harvard Health Letter and Harvard Women's Health Watch. 
  28. Print to the library's printers from home.
  29. Research local history in the Andover Townsman digital archive. 
  30. Check out New York Times Best Sellers.
  31. Scan and fax documents.
  32. Make copies for just 10¢ apiece.
  33. Create your own design and print it on a 3D printer.
  34. Explore new genres with our teen booklists.
  35. Display your artwork at Memorial Hall Library!
  36. Get crafty with a new teen activity every week.
  37. Stream and download music with Freegal Music.
  38. Fly into the pages of a Superhero Comic.
  39. Fish On! Join local fishing enthusiasts every February for programs on salt and freshwater fishing.
  40. Pickup a free COVID test (while supplies last).
  41. Teens- Use the free craft supplies from our craft cart to make a fun duct-tape wallet or other creation.
  42. Follow the library on Facebook.
  43. Visit the polar bear sculpture out front.
  44. Learn how to use a laser engraver.
  45. Borrow a pass to Zoo New England and visit the Stone Zoo or Franklin Park Zoo!
  46. Pick up federal and state tax forms.
  47. Learn to play Dungeons and Dragons.
  48. Get ratings, reviews and expert buying advice online with Consumer Reports.
  49. Start a vegetable or flower garden with seeds from the Seed Library.
  50. Borrow a mobile hotspot to connect to wifi at home or on the go.
  51. Patriots Fan? Take a trip to the Hall at Patriots Place at Gillette Stadium for free.
  52. Download legal forms for business or personal use.
  53. Use a self-checkout station.
  54. Prepare to take the GED test.
  55. Need help navigating the internet, using our databases and more? Sign up for Tech Help and get your questions answered.
  56. Convert your old photos into digital images you can share with friends and family.
  57. Wordle, Sudoku, Crosswords and more, play them online with NYT Games.
  58. Connect to free Wi-Fi without having to buy something first.
  59. Find out first when Memorial Hall Library purchases a new title by your favorite authors.
  60. Can’t get to the library due to a disability or injury? We can come to you with our home delivery service!
  61. Enjoy cool A/C in the summer.
  62. Borrow video games!
  63. Check out one of our board games and enjoy a fun day with friends and family!
  64. Make your own custom T-shirt by borrowing our Cricut machine from the Library of Things
  65. Visit the Makerspace and use the Silhouette vinyl cutter and heat press.
  66. Borrow the Historic New England pass to visit over 35 historic properties across the region for free.
  67. Follow the library on Instagram.
  68. Boost your job search with help from a professional career counselor for free.
  69. Attend the monthly cribbage club or board games club for adults.
  70. Practice your English language skills in a supportive conversation group.
  71. Prepare to become a U.S. citizen with Tutor.com and Peterson’s Test Prep.
  72. Research your great great great grandparents with Ancestry, American Ancestors, FamilySearch, and HeritageQuest.
  73. Borrow a pass to visit the Discovery Museum, Boston Children’s Museum, or Children’s Museum of New Hampshire at a discounted rate! 
  74. Search for your next great read with NoveList Plus.
  75. Enjoy a StoryWalk® with your little ones.
  76. Join the Friends of Memorial Hall Library.
  77. Convert your old mixtape cassettes to digital tracks.
  78. Learn all about birds with the Birds of the World database from Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
  79. Check out our vinyl records!
  80. Don't have a turntable? Borrow ours!
  81. Earn prizes for reading during the summer.
  82. Place an interlibrary loan request for books or articles from across the country.
  83. Take MHL with you everywhere you go.
  84. Ciao, Hola, Bonjour, Halló - Learn more than hello with Mango Languages and Transparent Language.
  85. Print an oversized poster for your business, school project or personal use.
  86. Learn how to write a winning résumé.
  87. Be in the know! Sign up for the MHL newsletter and receive the weekly newsletter with library events.
  88. When you sign up for the MHL newsletter, you also receive a weekly list of fun local things to do!
  89. Stream music from Naxos Music Library.
  90. Learn how to paint, crochet or make your own jewelry.
  91. Stream foreign films and indie flicks commercial-free.
  92. Entertain your kids with high-quality movies and TV shows with Kanopy Kids.
  93. Find a quiet space on the top floor to focus.
  94. Join a writing club.
  95. Get reliable investment info and stock reports through Value Line, Morningstar Online, and our investment newsletters.
  96. Be the life of the party! Borrow a karaoke machine from the Library of Things.
  97. Get an advanced preview of new titles about to hit our shelves.
  98. Get reading recommendations sent to your inbox.
  99. Pick up a kids craft to make at home.
  100. Play fun, educational games on ABC Mouse for free.
  101. Learn a new skill online, on your own time with LinkedIn Learning.
  102. Looking for the perfect gift? Use Giftmatch to have MHL staff help you find the perfect book, CD or DVD!
  103. Popcorn, peanuts, and candy pair well with a good movie! Check out DVDs or streaming movies from the library!
  104. Expand your knowledge with one of the popular courses taught by the world’s top professors from The Great Courses Library Collection.
  105. Sew what? Need to fix a hem or mend a seam? Stop by the makerspace and use our sewing machine...
  106. ...or better yet, borrow a sewing machine from our Library of Things!
  107. Don’t know how to sew? Learn to sew and more from Creativebug!
  108. Love the sunshine? Read a book, work on your laptop, or chat with friends on our roof deck.
  109. Convert your VHS to DVD at the digitization station or borrow the VHS/DVD digitizer from the Library of Things.
  110. Complete the monthly crossword puzzle.
  111. Broken chain, snapped pedal, new tires? Borrow the bicycle repair kit to prep your bike for your next adventure!
  112. Planning a cycling trip? Don't forget the bicycle pump and bike lock!
  113. Hang out on our patio and enjoy the flowers. The tables have umbrellas for shade!
  114. Check out a telescope from the Library of Things to take a closer look at the night's sky!
  115. Use the Optelec Clearview station or borrow the Optelec Video Magnifier to magnify small print. 
  116. Explore our local authors collection.
  117. Digitize film slides and negatives.
  118. Discover old maps of Andover on our walls, in the Andover Room and online.
  119. Attend a musical event during our fall concert series.
  120. Traveling to Boston? Borrow a discount pass to the Museum of Science, New England Aquarium or the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
  121. Feeling SAD during the wintertime? Borrow our light therapy lamp from the Library of Things.
  122. Research Andover history with our digitized historical documents.
  123. Check out BookBrowse for online book discussions, read-alikes, and more.
  124. Borrow the featured Book of the Month.
  125. Book a research appointment with a reference librarian.
  126. Borrow a local trail guide and head outdoors.
  127. Attend a virtual program from the comfort of home.
  128. Use the Listen Everywhere technology in Memorial Hall to amplify the volume of presentations with your smartphone.
  129. Get a document notarized for free.
  130. Learn the rules of the road and prep for the Massachusetts Driving Test.
  131. Borrow music CDs- we have collections of pop, jazz, blues, world music, and more!
  132. Solve the mid-month sudoku puzzle.
  133. New to social media? Learn how to safely navigate Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and more through Niche Academy.
  134. Backyard movie night! Borrow the projector and projector screen from the Library of Things and watch your favorite movie under the stars!
  135. Career day at school? Who do you want to be? Find a list of entrepreneurs, writers, actors, inventors, astronauts and more on PebbleGo!
  136. Get some friends together and play Cornhole or Bocce. Borrow the games from the Library of Things.
  137. Work on a jigsaw puzzle in the reference area.
  138. Interested in historic preservation and Andover architecture? Find out about Andover Historic Preservation.
  139. Read along with Tumble Book Library. Learn to read as you follow along with the animated storybook. 
  140. Donate gently used books to the Friends of MHL.
  141. Can't find the book or DVD you want to borrow?  Fill out our Purchase Suggestion form.
  142. Stream full length concerts and music documentaries with Qello Concerts.
  143. Borrow a keyboard, guitar or ukulele from the Library of Things.
  144. Attend a gardening program.
  145. Get ready to take the ACT and SAT.
  146. Take a look at the earliest known portrait of Abraham Lincoln in Memorial Hall.
  147. Borrow books written in Spanish, Russian, or Chinese.
  148. Bring your current craft project to the Fiber Arts Club.
  149. Discover information on hundreds of today's most significant science topics with our science databases.
  150. Get nostalgic for high school with our archive of AHS yearbooks in print and online.
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