NEWS RELEASE

On February 4, 2017, the residents of Eastham gathered to dedicate their brand new library. The two and a half year project cost $9,154,842 to complete, and was funded in part by a $4,331,923 Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC).

The ceremony was standing room only, as residents, town officials, and state officials celebrated the 17,000 square foot building that replaces the former 1988 renovation. The original Village Improvement Society (V.I.S.) library, built in 1898, was preserved and turned into a reading room. During the construction, the library was housed in a temporary trailer next to the Eastham town hall.

The new building includes large windows to allow natural light and stunning views of the pond that sits adjacent to the library. New children’s and teen’s spaces are located on the lower level, with a door leading to a small outdoor programming space behind the library. The upper level is arranged around a central garden, and features a multipurpose community room, reading alcoves, a fireplace, and the adult stacks.

The building was designed by Oudens Ello architecture firm. When the library attains LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, it will receive a Green Library Incentive of $125,523 - $219,665 (depending on the LEED level achieved) from the the MBLC.

State Representative Sarah Peake praised the design of the building, and the many possible uses the space provides. “If we only had a time machine, because I can only imagine the great events that are going to take place here”. Newly elected State Senator Julian Cyr said the library will become the envy of other outer Cape towns. “The children on the outer cape are going to want to come here, to this beautiful space”. He added, “The work of a public library is vital not just to the community, but is vital for our representative democracy”.

MBLC Chair Mary Ann Cluggish described the library as “17,000 square feet of pure joy” adding, “Nothing makes the MBLC happier than to award a construction grant to a deserving community, and to see it come to fruition”.

Director Debra Dejonker-Berry urged residents to use the library and give the staff feedback, “Suggest programs, use it, think about how you’ll use it, and it will be the best library it can be”.

Photos from the event can be found on the MBLC Flickr page, and a video recap of the event by Lower Cape TV can be found here.

Funding for the MPLCP is authorized by the governor and state legislature. The MPLCP was first funded by a state bond authorization in 1987. Since then, it has helped hundreds of communities build, renovate and/or expand their public libraries. The MPLCP also awards planning and design grants to support public libraries as they prepare to apply for a construction grant. MPLCP projects are currently underway in Hopkinton, Leicester, Scituate, Sherborn, Stoughton, Webster, and Woburn. Communities with recently completed projects include Edgartown, Framingham, Reading, Shrewsbury, and West Springfield.