You Spoke. We Listened. We have a plan…
And NOW we need your SUPPORT!
When you can’t access our Children’s Department . . . When you can’t find a place to plug in . . . When you can’t find a seat at popular programs . . .
We heard you! Now we have a plan to fix all these problems and address all of the others that come with an ageing structure and with our town’s changing demographics.
On July 13 and August 9 members of the public gathered along with library staff and trustees, council members, and Mayor Colleen Mahr at two public information meetings to hear about the redesigned library project that will bring the building and library services into the 21st century. On September 18 we spread the word at Fannywood Day!
** Watch the PowerPoint presentation from the public meetings – it’s only 15 minutes long and will give you a good idea of the challenges that exist, the vision for the future and the costs involved:
** Download the Executive Summary of the Renovation and Expansion Study document HERE
** Download the complete Renovation and Expansion Study document HERE.
** CLICK HERE to see the complete floor plan of this dynamic and transformative design.
Developed in response to the needs and expectations expressed by the community, the design is a blueprint that opens the library to children in strollers, the disabled in wheelchairs and provides universal access to all users; teens and tweens and their electronic explorations; home workers and entrepreneurs and their need to recharge and connect; adults to find the digital and print materials they want, and seniors to gather and read and relax. Community groups will have a place to meet, perform, and present.
It will be a 21st-century library that delivers substantial return on investment because it reflects the values, needs, and expectations of our town. A library for all, that we can take pride in for now, and for decades to come. The plan offers solutions to infrastructure, access, and space problems now decades old, and the reconfigured layout addresses many of the goals described in the library’s 2013 Strategic Plan.
Library trustees will be working closely with the council and architect on the Fanwood Library Improvement Project (FLIP) to identify funding sources for the renovation and expansion of the building.
The redesigned building opens the library to people of all ages and abilities, offers more and better spaces, supports current and emerging technology, and transforms the building into a valuable and sustainable community asset.
The original library on this site was built in 1951.
In 1980 an addition was added.
Residents are encouraged to check out the plans, and to contact us with questions and to offer comments.