Massachusetts Approves $41.8 Million for Library Construction in Eight Communities
The state on Friday approved more than $41.8 million to build new libraries in eight Massachusetts communities, including Belmont, Scituate, Shrewsbury and Framingham.
The grants by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners amount to roughly half of the cost of the new projects. The individual towns will have to pay the other half.
The Belmont Public Library will get nearly $7.6 million, Framingham more than $4.1-million, Scituate nearly $5 million, and Shrewsbury nearly $8-million, according to a press release by the board.
Other recipients include the Reading public library, which would get $5.1 million; the Edgartown libary, which would get just over $5-million; the Salisbury library, which would get $3.85 million and the Acushnet libary, which would get just under $3.2 million.
Read the Complete Announcement
From the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
During the next nine months grant recipients will work with their community to gain the local match funding necessary to move forward with the grant. “Local support is really key to the success of a project because it ensures that each project meets the unique needs of its residents,” said Rosemary Waltos, MBLC Construction Specialist.
Funding for the MPLCP was authorized by Governor Deval Patrick and the Legislature in the General Governmental Needs Bond Bill in 2008. This is the second round of grants awarded since July 2011 when libraries in Athol, Everett, Grafton, Granby, Shutesbury, South Hadley, West Springfield and West Tisbury received provisional grant awards and the initial waiting list was created. In May 2012, the Board approved the addition of projects in Somerville, Stoughton, Hatfield, Sherborn and Leicester to the existing waiting list. Athol, Everett, Granby, South Hadley, West Springfield and West Tisbury have projects underway. Construction on the East Boston Branch of the Boston Public Library, which is currently on the waiting list, began in April 2011.
Filed under: Awards, Funding, Libraries, News, Public Libraries
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.