Building Program News February 2012

Library Trustees and administration are continuing to work with town officials and library supporters to plan a renovation and expansion of the 117-year-old “Highland School” building that has been home to the Reading Public Library for 28 years.

Last winter we filed a Construction Grant application with the State. We received notification that we are second on the state waiting list of approved projects. The state expects funding to become available to begin 44% funding for Reading’s project in July 2013. When Reading receives notice that the State award is imminent, the Library Trustees will ask the Town to vote to fund its share (56%) of the project. Once local funding is approved, design details will be developed and several months later, construction will begin.

In the meantime, we’re refining plans and keeping our eye on some of the “old building” problems that need major repair. We’re also keeping our fingers crossed that the state construction funding comes through soon!

We’ve temporarily suspended regularly-scheduled building tours as we work to confirm details and the timeline, but we’re happy to answer any questions you may have, go over the plans with you, or show you around this dear old building anytime you like – just give me a shout!

Ruth

Behind the Scenes Monday Dec 5 @ 7 pm

You are invited to join Library Trustees and staff for an insider’s tour of the library and a look at and discussion of schematic design plans for a renovation and expansion project.

Monday — December 5 — 7 o’clock

Hope to see you then!

Ruth

If you can’t join us on Monday, there will be more tours on Saturday, January 7 and Saturday, February 4, at 10:30 am and on Thursday, March 15 at 7 p.m.

Monthly Report for July 2011

E-Readers for Students -  Pilot Program

The library has 3 Nook Color E-reader devices available for check out to Reading residents. Each one is loaded with 19 RMHS summer reading titles.  All three Nooks were checked out with in a day with a quick developing waiting list.   Four Kindles will also soon be available.

Local History

Many thanks to Everett and Ginny Blodgett  for completing a compilation of the Birth, Marriage, and Death Records of Reading from 1850 to 1937.  The listing has been alphabetized, indexed, and corrected  and includes Eleanor Bishop’s work,  with additions from Town Reports.  We estimate the Blodgetts spent more than 1,000 volunteer hours on this valuable project which will prove to be an indispensable resource for current and future generations to search their ancestry.

The library is also newly offering in-library access to Ancestry.com.  Ancestry.com is a huge database indexing over 7000 sources of historical information, including census records, immigration documents (ships’ manifests, etc.), military records, and more.

Summer Reading

To date 164 teens have registered in the Jokers Wild program and they’ve read or listened to 385 books.

71 adults have joined Wild Card Summer, finishing 411 books.

1,060 children have joined All Over the Map.

Summer programming for all ages so far:  a walk in the woods, Get the Scoop senior booktalks, wild card adult craft night and three teen events Playing card crafts, Teen tarot cards and House of Cards competitions.

….  More to come next month with pictures and full story!

Farmers Market

Look for the Library at the Reading Farmer’s Market/Depot on Tuesdays from 4 to 6 every week!  With wireless access courtesy of Century 21 Real Estate and a cellphone, the Library-at-the-Depot provides full remote services for commuters and market customers, answering questions, checking out materials, placing holds and offering weekly recipes!

State Announces Public Library Construction Grants

At its Board Meeting on Thursday, July 14, 2011, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) voted to place Reading Public Library second on a waiting list for a provisional library construction grant for $5,105,114.

Twenty-eight libraries completed the grant round process. Through a rigorous review process, eight projects have been awarded provisional grants and fifteen projects, including Reading’s, have been placed on a waiting list. Wait-listed libraries will receive their grants as funds become available through the state’s five–year capital plan or if a grant recipient is unable to move forward with a project.

Reading Public Library Director Ruth Urell said:  “While we certainly hoped that our proposal would receive state funding in the current grant round, we are encouraged to be poised with a top-ranked project for future funding.  Now we know what work we have to do to press our state delegation to release capital funding to work with hard-pressed communities to build, repair, and improve aging and inadequate public library facilities.   I’m confident that this approved project will be funded within the next year or two, and the result will be a greatly enhanced library for people in Reading to enjoy for generations.

Everyone associated with the Reading Public Library appreciates the beautiful Highland School building, built in 1894, but we also deal daily with its shortcomings as a library facility.  The project would  increase space for children’s programs and learning areas;  create a new/expanded space for teens;  create new spaces for reading, tutoring, silent study, and group study; expand the capacity of a large meeting room and add two small meeting/conference rooms; and remedy outgrown and out-of-date service and infrastructure issues and extensively renovate the existing building to provide full access, updated lighting, traffic flow, security, HVAC, and wiring and to build in more flexible spaces for future growth, changes in services, and increasing usage.”

 Award List – July 14, 2011 (listed alphabetically)

Waiting List – July 14, 2011 (in rank order)

* Partial award:  Athol received a Partial Provisional Award of $1,335,390 and when funds become available for Waiting List libraries in a future fiscal year, the remaining $3,236,757 will be awarded as a priority. The total amount recommended for Athol in this grant round is $4,752,147.

Six additional libraries have been asked to work with MBLC Construction Consultants to revise their applications: In past grant rounds, libraries that revise their applications have had a good success rate and have been added to the waiting list for future funding.

Ebooks and downloadables show steady increase !

Summer Sizzlers Wed night – home in time for HOCKEY!

Feels like a sign of summer – Summer Sizzlers.

We speed review summer’s  hottest  new books, and you go home with a great list of must-reads.  It’s become an annual ritual -  a fun & free evening to jump start your summer.   AND, we promise we’ll do the whole thing in under one hour so you won’t miss out on the exciting 7th game of the playoffs.    Don’t believe me?  Come and see how fast we can run…

You won’t want to miss this special evening  – Wednesday   June 15   7-8  pm

Ruth

Common Threads Chat

Tuesday, April 26th
7:00 pm

Join us by the fireside in the Library’s  Local History Room  as we conclude our celebration of National Poetry Month.
Chime in – or just listen in -to a discussion of several poems that people all over Massachusetts have been reading and talking about together!
Common Threads is a  program of MassPoetry and the Massachusetts Center for the Book that seeks to have 10,000 people in the state read these seven poems in  April during National Poetry Month.

To read the poems online or read more about it, visit the Common Threads website – and join us next week  for a lively discussion and hear what your neighbors have to say….

Building Plans & Library Trustee -Saturday, April 9, 10 -2

Stop in on the Main Floor of the Library today if you’d like a close look at the library renovation and expansion plans.  A Library Trustee is available to discuss the plans and details  with you  today from 10 – 2 and for the next two Saturdays in April prior to Town Meeting.

The plans are on display at the library during open hours throughout April until Town Meeting if you can’t make it today – stop in anytime!

Peek at Plans – Library Building Program

Beginning this Saturday, March 26, a representative of the  Reading Public Library Board of Trustees will be available from 10 am to 2 pm every Saturday in the library to showcase the proposed renovation and addition to the library.   Click here for more information and a peek at the color plans.  Click here for a model view.

Photo by Richard Smith

Building Study

Here’s a sneak peak at the proposed site plan for a renovation/expansion project at the library.  Please stay tuned – we’ll put up more details in the next few days.   In the meantime, if you look closely at the plan, you’ll see the current footprint of the library and a small expansion proposed for the east (School St.) side.   The small circles are trees – some new, some current, some relocated  – the hatch marks are parking spaces – a few new ones on the east side – driveways and walkways similar to current layout.

In January, the library filed a construction grant proposal with the State for partial funding for the project.   The Library Trustees will be asking Town Meeting members to approve the plans at the April Town Meeting and, if all goes well, there will be a town-wide referendum in the Fall, 2011, on the proposal.

Library Trustees will be available with drawings and information on Saturdays at the library between 10-2 beginning Saturday, March 26.  Hope you can stop in and see all the details!