Lyme was established by a charter in 1761; the first library was formed on January 20, 1778 and called “the Social Library in Lime”. In 1908, the town voted to support a public library called the Lyme Town Library.
By 1936, the library had outgrown its space in the Lyme School and the town accepted a bequest to build a separate library building across the street in memory of Sidney Converse, to be called the Converse Free Library. An addition was added to the building in the early 1980s.
The collection today includes about 27,000 physical items to lend, in the form of books, periodicals, DVDs, and books on CD. The library functions as the school library also, sharing its resources with the Lyme Elementary School across the street through the efforts of the librarians in each building.
The mission of the Converse Free Library is to foster a love of reading in the Lyme community. In a welcoming environment, the Library provides services and resources that encourage learning, stimulate curiosity, and invite the sharing of ideas.
