Construction Grants Awarded to 31 Public Libraries
August 14, 2008
Celeste Bruno
Communications Specialist
1-800-952-7403 x208
celeste.bruno@state.ma.us
At its Board Meeting at Falmouth Public Library on Thursday, August 14, 2008, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) voted to award twenty nine General Construction Provisional Grants and two partial awards for a total $94,269,464 in grants to the thirty one communities on the MBLC Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program Wait List. After several years of preliminary planning, the libraries first applied for state funding in January, 2005. After extensive review, the Board placed them on a Wait List in July, 2005, with additions in April, 2006.
Funding for these projects was authorized by Governor Deval Patrick and the Legislature in the
$3 billion General Governmental Needs Bond Bill, signed by the Governor on August 11, 2008.
“We applaud the Governor, the Legislature and most importantly the libraries on the construction wait list,” stated MBLC Board Chair George T. Comeau. “Funding to these communities will yield great new public libraries and additions across the Commonwealth at a time when library use is at an all time high. When combined with local and private funding, the grant awards of $95 million in state funding have the potential to infuse local economies with more than $300 million dollars in construction projects, creating local jobs and stimulating local and regional economies over the next five years or so.”
Please see below for award details.
For more information about the MBLC's Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program please visit: http://mblc.state.ma.us/grants/construction/index.php
Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program Award List August 14, 2008
| Municipality | Library | Award |
|---|---|---|
| Auburn | Auburn Public Library | $4,188,822 |
| Belchertown | Clapp Memorial Library | $3,347,565 |
| Belmont | Belmont Memorial Library | $5,323,564 |
| Boston-Mattapan | Boston Public Library-Mattapan (Branch) | $5,222,907 |
| Bourne | Jonathan Bourne Public Library | $2,852,702 |
| Boxford | Boxford Town Library | $2,784,242 |
| Buckland | Buckland Public Library | $529,598 |
| Dartmouth | Dartmouth Public Libraries (Branch) | $2,732,307 |
| Dighton | Dighton Public Library | $2,341,560 |
| Dudley* | Pearl L. Crawford Memorial Library | $87,813 |
| Edgartown | Edgartown Free Public Library | $4,593,557 |
| Everett | Shute Memorial Library (Branch) | $1,578,115 |
| Falmouth | Falmouth Public Library | $3,071,749 |
| Foxborough | Boyden Library | $3,461,606 |
| Gloucester | Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Library | $4,549,808 |
| Granby | Granby Free Public Library | $988,483 |
| Holbrook | Holbrook Public Library | $1,965,616 |
| Holyoke | Holyoke Public Library | $4,367,594 |
| Hull | Hull Public Library | $2,809,680 |
| Mashpee* | Mashpee Public Library | $382,766 |
| Millis | Millis Public Library | $2,789,569 |
| North Attleborough | Richards Memorial Library | $4,866,363 |
| Norwell | Norwell Public Library | $3,098,877 |
| Shrewsbury | Shrewsbury Free Public Library | $3,964,293 |
| Upton | Upton Town Library | $2,755,392 |
| Walpole | Walpole Public Library | $3,896,184 |
| Ware | Young Men's Library Association | $2,868,458 |
| Westhampton | Westhampton Memorial Library | $1,065,074 |
| Westwood | Westwood Public Library | $3,698,929 |
| Winchendon | Beals Memorial Library | $3,310,544 |
| Woburn | Woburn Public Library | $4,775,727 |
Awards include a 15% inflation factor over the amount in the Waiting List dated November 2, 2006.
*Partial awards: Dudley was awarded $585,421 on September 6, 2007, with a 15% increase to that amount contingent at that time on legislative approval of additional bond authorization, scheduling in the Governor's Capital Budget, and based on their inclusion in the November 2, 2006 Waiting List. The amount in this award list represents that 15% increase. The library was also awarded $1,729,153 on November 2, 2006. That award is not eligible for the 15% increment. The total amount awarded to Dudley in this grant round is $2,402,387.
Mashpee was awarded $2,551,775 on September 6, 2007, with a 15% increase to that amount contingent at that time on legislative approval of additional bond authorization, scheduling in the Governor's Capital Budget, and based on their inclusion in the November 2, 2006 Waiting List. The amount in this award list represents that 15% increase. The total amount awarded to Mashpee in this grant round is $2,934,541.
About MBLC
The Board of Library Commissioners (mass.gov/mblc) is the agency of state government with the statutory authority and responsibility to organize, develop, coordinate and improve library services throughout the Commonwealth. The Board advises municipalities and library trustees on the operation and maintenance of public libraries, including construction and renovation. It administers state and federal grant programs for libraries and promotes cooperation among all types of libraries through regional library systems and automated resource sharing. It also works to ensure that all residents of the Commonwealth, regardless of their geographic location, social or economic status, age, level of physical or intellectual ability or cultural background, have access to essential new electronic information technologies and significant electronic databases.