Library Trustees to Reduce Size of Building Project

The board met last night and agreed to go back to the drawing board.

Shrewsbury Public Library Board of Trustee Laurie Hogan announced today that the board got approval from the state to reduce the size of the proposed 42,767 by 10 percent and still be eligible for the $8 million state grant. "We heard from voters that the library project was still a little too big, so we asked the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners if we could reduce the size to 38,490, and they agreed," Hogan said. "We've also scheduled a public forum on March 12 for people to come and tell us their thoughts and then we will submit the suggestions to the selectmen." Since the failed library vote in October, the Library Building Committee had been disbanded, but the trustees have been discussing how to fix the current library …

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Robbin Miller, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Advocate

7:38 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012

The town folks need to come together to vote for this upcoming renovation project for the library. The library needs handicap access for all to enter the library and infrastructure to be renovated and replaced. No more distortions and scare tactics from ignorance and misinformation. The time is now to make our library the best it can be for our residents.   more ›

Library Project Defeated by 158 Votes

Town officials are surprised that the library vote failed.

The Shrewsbury Public Library building project was defeated by 158 votes tonight. Town officials were suprised and will head back to the drawing board when it comes to the project. "I am surprised, but the board will be discussing how to move forward," said Board of Selectmen Chairman James Kane. "We're going to have to take a big breath and see how we move forward." "Tomorrow is a new day," said Library Director Ellen Dolan. "This is a disappointment, but I'm incredibly thankful for all the volunteers who put their heart and soul into the project. The voters spoke and we will look to them to see what changes they want." Library Trustee Laurie Hogan said she believes the library project is good for the town. "I'm very disappointed, but the…

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Salvatore Santoro

8:09 am on Friday, October 21, 2011

Jennifer ..you do not get it do you? The clear message send to people like you in the polls said " No More Spending" If our city manager learn to cut the waste and come up with some extra money to repair the library, so be it. At this time 1/2 or more the population of Shrewsbury is having a hard time dealng with a severe down turn of our economy and repairing or buiding a new library is not even…   more ›

Director Counters Opposition

Library Director Ellen Dolan answers questions raised by residents against the library project.

Shrewsbury Public Library Director Ellen Dolan understands there is opposition to the library building project, but she wants to clear up some confusion surrounding the project. "One of the biggest misconceptions is that if you vote no, then you can still build the library," she said. "If you vote no now, the grant money will not be available and the current library needs significant repairs upwards of $2 million for a new HVAC system and other repairs, that will probably not work with a library project in the future." Responding to letters to the editor and information that she's heard in town about the library project, Dolan said she wanted to make sure residents had the correct information moving forward for the Oct. 18 special election…

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Letter to the Editor

E-books Should Reduce the Size of the Library

A letter writer urges residents to vote no and reduce the size of the library.

To the Editor: How has the Library Building Committee missed so many clues as to how the proposed 42,000 square foot library could be built considerably smaller and thereby a less costly project? Apple announced the iPad 18 months ago and they have sold more than 30 million iPads in this short timeframe. E-Books and e-readers like the iPad and the new Kindle Fire are changing the way the young and old are reading and learning. Town officials have not explained the e-books impact on the size of the library. Their focus has been on our $7.9 million state grant share only. The Amazon Kindle Fire (an iPad light) announced in September is just another major product that is targeting the education of the K-16 children. One in three of the 110 …

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Jennifer Lucarelli

10:29 pm on Thursday, October 13, 2011

The grant money is definitely hard to turn away, but it will be interesting to see where technology takes us in the future. And it is true, so many people enjoy and use the library. Libraries have become so much more of a community center. It is going to be an interesting election day on Tuesday. I hope everyone gets out and votes - how will you vote?   more ›

Letter to the Editor

Local Mom Says Library Needs More Space

Letter writer says e-books will not make libraries obsolete.

To the Editor: I am a stay-at-home mom and a resident of Shrewsbury. I am writing in support of the proposed library expansion project. I love the library. There is a wide range of programs and books for children. I am a happy and frequent patron, and yet I am not unaware of the problems. There is a serious lack of space in the children’s room, so much so that when my children were small and in a stroller, I found it difficult to even get there. We had to go down a tiny elevator that barely fit the stroller, let alone the rest of us; then into a hallway with hardly enough room to navigate the stroller; finally into the children’s room where my next problem was where to park the stroller (my only option being in front of the librarian’s …

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Letter to the Editor

Library Supporter Urges Residents to Support Building Project

Many red signs in support of the building project have been placed on lawns around town.

The Shrewsbury Public Library is a focal point in our community; a vibrant and welcoming place with an ideal location in the center of town. There is value for everyone in having a library that is current in its programming and able to meet the changing needs of our growing community. Unfortunately, this building has reached the end of its useful life and is plagued by leaks, unmanageable maintenance costs and accessibility issues. Shrewsbury has been approved to receive $7.96 million in state grant money to help build a new library. This money, coupled with private fundraising, will make our tax dollars go farther and produce a library with more useable space. Opponents of the project believe libraries will become a thing of the past as …

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Jennifer Lucarelli

7:19 pm on Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Patty - the new plan adds 102 parking spaces to the site. Do you think that isn't enough moving forward?   more ›

Sherwood Breaks Ground with Local Officials

Members of the Building Committee, School Committee, administrators and more took part in the Ground Breaking Ceremony for the new Sherwood Middle School.

Though construction has already been underway, the ground breaking ceremony took place at Sherwood Middle School yesterday. The new Sherwood Middle School project is under budget and expected to open early or on time.

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