Stoughton Public Library Expansion Project Added to State’s Waiting List

The following is adapted from a press release from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners:

Don’t expect to see construction equipment at the anytime soon, but Thursday marked an important step in the of its current Park St. facility.

At its May, 3, 2012 Board Meeting at the newly dedicated Walpole Public Library, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) approved the addition of library construction projects in Somerville, Stoughton, Hatfield, Sherborn and Leicester to the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP) Waiting List. 

The libraries are part of the 2010- 2011 MPLCP Grant Round in which fifteen libraries were placed on the Waiting List and eight communities received provisional construction grants.

“Because we know first-hand the difference libraries make in the lives of all our residents, we are pleased to add these communities to our Waiting List.  As Commissioners our efforts to secure funding for these projects continue,” MBLC Chair Katherine Dibble said in a press release.

Funding for the MPLCP was authorized by Governor Deval Patrick and the Legislature in the General Governmental Needs Bond Bill, signed by the Governor on August 11, 2008.

While libraries that received a provisional MPLCP grant are guaranteed funding, funding for Waiting List libraries depends on several factors including the state’s five year capitol plan and whether libraries that have provisional grants are able to secure local match funding and move forward with a project.

Provisional grant recipients that have secured local funding are Athol, South Hadley, Granby, West Tisbury and Everett. The communities of West Springfield, Grafton and Shutesbury have until June 30, 2012 to secure local support or request an extension from the MBLC.

The good news for Stoughton is that the Stoughton Public Library has already secured local funding with , which overwhelmingly supported the expansion project and the funding for it.

Stoughton, the 16th town on the waiting list, is slated to receive a grant award of $6,702,689 from the MPLCP, with the town of Stoughton agreeing to match those funds, a voted at the May 11 session of the 2011 Town Meeting.

The Stoughton Public Library, built in 1969, is 22,000 square feet. The planned expansion, which is estimated to cost about $14 million, would modernize the library, make it handicapped accessible and almost double its current size to 39,000 square feet.

“It’s a process that’s going to take a while,” Josh Olshin, the Reference/Adult Services Librarian said. “[But] bottom line we’re happy. We got approved and we’ll let the process unfold.”

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Waiting List

Rank

Municipality

Library

Award

1

Reading

Reading Public Library

$5,105,114

2

Belmont

Belmont Public Library

$7,597,928

3

Edgartown

Edgartown Free Public Library

$5,002,139

4

Salisbury

Salisbury Public Library

$3,856,187

5

Framingham

Framingham Public Library - McAuliffe Branch

$4,186,560

6

Scituate

Scituate Town Library

$4,985,480

7

Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury Free Public Library

$7,959,989

8

Acushnet

Russell Memorial Library

$3,189,536

9

Webster

Chester C. Corbin Public Library

$5,366,489

10

Sandwich

Sandwich Public Library

$6,683,197

11

Woburn

Woburn Public Library

$9,906,275

12

Eastham

Eastham Public Library

$4,331,923

13

Hopkinton

Hopkinton Public Library

$4,533,580

14

Boston

Boston Public Library - East Boston Branch

$7,255,988

15

Somerville

Somerville Public Library

  $18,100,101

16

Stoughton

Stoughton Public Library

    $6,702,689

17

Hatfield

Hatfield Public Library

    $3,211,427

18

Sherborn

Sherborn Public Library

    $3,633,603

19

Leicester

Leicester Public Library

    $4,233,264

TOTAL

 $115,841,469