The Lynnfield Public Library applied for a grant with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) in 2017 and were placed almost last on a long waiting list. Finally, in July 2023, we were told that our time was now! To accept the grant, Lynnfield must vote by a 2/3 majority at Town Meeting to fund the new library. Otherwise, the grant money will go to other communities. Here are all the libraries that have been created using this grant!
The grant amount – initially $8.2 million, now just over 9 million – is based on a careful funding formula. It can only be used for eligible project costs. The MBLC covers roughly 35-60% of the eligible costs for library projects. The grant is then handed out in five equal installments over the course of the design and construction of the library. The town must also promise to keep that building as a library for the next 20 years and also to fund the library adequately in its operations, so that it will be able to remain open during that time. They do NOT ask that staffing increase in any way. There is no staffing formula – that is a decision made by each municipality. The MBLC building experts then offer their expertise to help make sure that each town gets a flexible, functional library, but the town decides who the architect is and what the building will look like. After all, this is YOUR library!
Don’t forget, we’ll be having another round of public hearings about the library building project on February 1st, at 10 AM and 7 PM, again at the Merritt Center in Marketstreet and we would love for you to join us. We will also be hosting more open houses and library tours for those unsure of the issues the current building is facing, check the library calendar for the dates and times. Please feel free to email or call me with any questions or concerns.
– Abigail Porter, Library Director