NEWS RELEASE

Donning masks and socially distancing, on September 28, 2020 residents of Weymouth gathered with local and state officials to celebrate the grand opening of the new Tufts Library. “This is a great day in what has become a difficult time for all of us and the world,” said State Representative James Murphy. Weymouth Mayor Robert Hedlund commented on the transformative power of a library and its role as the heart of a community and added, “Despite what we had to contend with, the library is on budget and mostly on time.”

Les Ball, Commissioner from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) also congratulated the community on its great achievement and highlighted the importance of the new and expanded technology that the library now offers. Weymouth received a Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program grant from the MBLC totaling $12,085,184 in support of this $33 million project.

Library Director Robert Maclean highlighted some of the features of the new library project including an expanded Children’s Services Department that meets the need of all patrons ages 0-12; a suite of five meeting rooms that have capacities ranging from 12 to 196 and are designed for after-hours use; a local history center that provides secure storage for a nationally significant collection and space for its use by historians and genealogists; programming spaces for all ages to match vibrant and growing library offerings; and a technology infrastructure and hardware designed for flexibility and expansion. The library’s outdoor space is also significant with an outdoor amphitheater and proximity to a playground and ball fields.

Opened in 1965, Tufts Library is the main library of the Weymouth Public Libraries, which also includes three neighborhood branch libraries: Fogg Library, North Library, and Pratt Library. The new library will meet the needs and interests of all residents well into the future. This project may also qualify for an additional funding through the MBLC’s Green Library Incentive if official LEED certification from the US Green Building Council is attained.

MPLCP grants provide critical funding that enables public libraries to meet the growing and rapidly changing demand for services. The MPLCP was first funded by a state bond authorization in 1987. Since then, it has helped more than 250 communities build, renovate and/or expand their public libraries. MPLCP projects are currently underway in Boston, Grafton, Greenfield, Hadley, Littleton, Marlborough, Medford, Norwell, Sharon, and Sherborn. Learn more about the program on the MBLC website and the Building Literacy podcast.