News Release
DATE: May 03, 2012
Construction Projects added to Waiting List
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,” said MBLC Chair Katherine Dibble.
| 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 |
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.
MPLCP was first funded by a state bond authorization in 1987. Since then the MPLCP has helped build 51 new library buildings and 126 addition/renovation or conversion projects. The MPLCP also awards planning and design grants to support public libraries as they prepare to apply for a construction grant. Libraries that complete building projects with the MPLCP are also eligible for a Green Library Incentive, created by the MBLC in 2008 to encourage sustainable energy-efficient public library construction. Libraries that obtain the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification qualify to receive additional state funding. For more information about the MBLC's Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program please see the Construction Fact Sheet or click here for general information.