The Only Library in America Where You Need a Passport to Return Books to the Shelves

Derby Line Library (Vermont)

Most libraries worry about late fees and noisy patrons. Derby Line Library deals with customs agents and border patrol.

Half the building sits in Vermont, the other half in Canada. Visitors cross international lines just to check out a book.

This is the story behind America’s most complicated library visit.

A Library That Sits In Two Countries

The Haskell Free Library sits right on the line between Vermont and Quebec. Built from 1901 to 1904, it’s the only library in the world that straddles two countries.

Martha Haskell and her son Horace built it to honor her husband Carlos who had died. which was designed by Architect James Ball in a fancy Queen Anne style.

People from both the American and Canadian sides have been sharing books here for over 100 years.

Martha Haskell’s Vision For Border Communities

Martha Stewart Haskell was born in Canada in 1831 to Horace and Catherine Stewart.

She later married Carlos Haskell, an American businessman who died young in an accident, but his legacy lives on at the library.

After his death, Martha had money from both her parents and her husband. She wanted to create something that would honor people on both sides of the border.

When The Cornerstone Was Laid

On October 15, 1901, a crowd watched as the cornerstone was set in place.

Members of the Golden Rule Lodge and other Masons from both countries performed the ceremony. Colonel Horace Haskell, Martha’s son, took part in this big moment.

Stanstead architect James Ball and his Boston partner Gilbert Smith had drawn up the plans. Nathan Beach from nearby Georgeville supervised the building work.

The Books That Crossed National Lines

The library opened its doors in 1905, a year after the opera house upstairs.

When you walk through the front door in Vermont, you’re in America. But take a few steps to the bookshelves, and you’re in Canada.

It’s the only American library where all the books sit on foreign soil.

A thick black line runs right across the floor of the reading room. This marks the exact spot where Canada ends and America begins.

Reading Rooms With International Views

The main reading room was built to cross from one country to the other.

You can sit in a chair and read while your feet are in one country and your head in another. Big fireplaces keep readers warm during cold Vermont winters.

The room still looks much like it did when it opened, with original details preserved. Fine woodwork and beautiful fireplaces surround you while you read.

How Two Different Languages Filled The Shelves

Books in English and French sit next to each other on the shelves.

More than 20,000 books make up the collection, serving readers in both languages. You can tell which language a book is in just by looking at the spine.

English books have titles running top to bottom, while French books have titles going bottom to top.

Two Nations Under One Roof

The building has two addresses: 93 Caswell Avenue in Vermont and 1 Church Street in Quebec. It even has two different phone numbers.

Mail comes with two postal codes: 05830 for the American side and J0B 3E2 for the Canadian side.

The library is run by a board with four Americans and three Canadians working together.

For over a hundred years, Canadians could walk to the American entrance without going through customs.

The Library That Became A Historic Site

Both countries protected it in the 1970s and 1980s.

The U.S. added it to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Canada named it a Quebec heritage site in 1977 and a National Historic Site in 1985.

That same year, the Canadian government put up a marker explaining its history.

When The Library Reunited Separated Families

In 2017, during the Trump travel ban, the library became a meeting place.

Family members who couldn’t cross borders met inside where both could legally enter. These meetings inspired a play called “A Distinct Society” by Kareem Fahmy.

COVID closed the library in March 2020. It stayed shut until spring 2022, the longest it had ever been closed since opening day.

The Winter The Old Agreement Changed

In March 2025, U.S. officials ended the old border arrangement.

Suddenly, only Canadians with library cards could use the main door in Vermont.

The library quickly turned an emergency exit into a temporary Canadian entrance. People from both sides raised money to build a proper Canadian door.

Famous author Louise Penny gave a big donation to help. Despite new rules, the library kept serving both communities just as Martha Haskell intended.

Visiting Haskell Free Library and Opera House

You’ll find this one-of-a-kind building where Derby Line, Vermont meets Stanstead, Quebec. Inside are over 20,000 books in English and French.

Anyone living within 30 miles can get a library card, no matter which country they’re from. Don’t miss taking a photo with the black line on the floor showing the border.

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