The North End Branch Library's adult fiction collection offers the latest best-sellers, romances, mysteries, classics, large-print fiction, books-on-tape and more. The reference collection includes encyclopedias, college catalogs, foreign-language dictionaries etc. The Branch maintains a popular non-fiction collection, with lots of books on cooking, health, literature, personal finance and computers. A small Italian-language collection is also available. The children's collection includes a variety of books and media for all ages: picture books, first readers, mysteries, fiction, non-fiction, biographies, reference and audio- and video-cassettes. The North End Branch maintains a local history collection which is mainly comprised of published monographs. The Branch recently acquired the archives of the North End Union as a supplement to this collection, this collection has been moved to the Rare Books Department. The Branch also has a large selection of popular magazines for adults, children and Italian-language readers. The Branch maintains subscriptions to several daily newspapers.

Unquestionably one of the finest North End restaurants for atmosphere, food, service, and value, Trattoria Il Panino serves up Italian treats to the crowds that gather anxiously in front of the door every night. The entrees of particular commendation include gnocchi alla sorrentina, potato dumplings with tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella ($14), risotto with mushrooms, lobster ravioli, and grilled swordfish ($23). The noise level tends to be rather high at times, and tightly packed tables can make you feel more intimate with the people at the next table than with your dining companion. But with food like this, it's worth it. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.