Seekonk in Line for a State Library Construction Grant

Needham – July 13, 2017 – The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) voted to place the Seekonk Public Library on a waitlist for a Provisional Construction Grant. The grant is part of the state-funded Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP), which helps libraries across the state meet the growing demand for library services with expanded and improved library facilities
Thirty-three libraries completed the grant round process. Through a rigorous review, nine libraries were identified to receive grants and 24 were placed on a waitlist. Waitlisted libraries will receive construction grants as the funding becomes available either through the existing bond bill or a future bond authorization.
“Our residents support the library and are using it more than ever. Obviously we would have preferred to be one of the nine initial recipients, but it was a highly competitive grant round. We’re proud to have completed the process and we’ll be ready when the funding becomes available for our library, “said Peter Fuller, Library Director.
The Town of Seekonk proposes to replace the current library by constructing a new, two-story building of 24,389 gross square feet over the existing footprint. The design integrates the building into the Seekonk Meadows and provides abundant natural light and views of the natural surroundings. A main entrance facing the parking lot will greatly improve access. The design doubles the size of the children’s area, adds a dedicated young adult area, and increases space for meetings, quiet study, casual seating, and work areas.
The Seekonk Library Facilities Study Committee has been working since January 2014 on studying the community’s library services needs and developing a facility design that can met those needs for the next twenty-five years. Mr. Fuller said that the success of the application was due to the dedicated service of the committee and input hundreds of citizens who participated in the study and design process.
Libraries in the following communities have also been placed on the waitlist (listed according to rank): Greenfield, Monterey, Hingham, Marlborough, Littleton, Sharon, Erving, East Bridgewater, Amherst, Melrose, Westborough, Deerfield, Gloucester, Seekonk, Westford, Grafton, Orange, Fitchburg, Lynnfield, Boston, Dighton, Cambridge, Brewster, and Swansea.
The nine libraries that received Provisional Construction Grants are (listed alphabetically): Dartmouth, Hadley, Kingston, Medford, Norwell, Springfield, Sutton, Wayland, and Weymouth. These libraries have until January 12, 2018 to secure local funding.
Funding for the MPLCP is authorized by the governor and the legislature. Funding for this grant round is part of the general governmental needs bond bill filed in March, 2013 which included $150 million for the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program. This funding was also used to award construction grants to 11 communities that had been on a waitlist for several years and will be used to support a future Planning and Design grant round.
MPLCP library building projects are currently underway in Hopkinton, Leicester, Scituate, Sherborn, Stoughton, and Woburn. Communities with recently completed projects include Eastham, Edgartown, Framingham, Reading, Shrewsbury, and West Springfield.
The MPLCP was first funded in 1987. Since then, the program has assisted hundreds of communities in building new libraries or in renovating and expanding existing libraries. For more information about the program, please visit the MBLC's website. http://mblc.state.ma.us/.