Library project moves up state funding list
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Shrewsbury - Late last month, as the town's Board of Library Trustees moved forward with the launch of a three-year campaign to raise $1.75 million for the library renovation and expansion project, Director Ellen Dolan learned that Shrewsbury had moved up to fourth on a waiting list for the state grant that will help pay for the $14.5 million endeavor.

"We were really pleased to get such wonderful news," Dolan said. "We're still waiting, but now we're waiting with more hope and purpose, and greater expectations."

Those greater expectations are a result of a visit Dolan had with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners in June. The board updated Dolan - and the other 30 libraries on the waiting list - on the progress of the pending library bond bill that is expected to be approved by the State Legislature and Gov. Deval Patrick.

"The state board is very optimistic," Dolan said. "They expect to know something by early fall."

The news of Shrewsbury's move up the list from sixth to fourth was accompanied by more good news as Dolan was told that the state board is increasing grants by 15 percent to account for the inflation that occurs while a town is on the waiting list.

"The original grant was going to be for $3,447,211," Dolan said, "but the [state] board told us to expect $3,964,293."

Dolan said she's very pleased, but was quick to point out that the library and its trustees are not just sitting around idly, waiting for the state grant to come through.

"We're in the quiet phase of the fund-raising campaign," Dolan said. "In this phase we're looking for major donors - businesses and foundations - to help us work toward our goal of raising $1.75 million. The next phase of the campaign will be open to public contributions."

Dolan said the honorary chair of the fund-raising campaign is Cushing Bozenhard, a construction oversight business owner who provides testimony in court cases that involve various aspects of the construction business. Bozenhard is also a collector of antique books. Serving as co-chairs of the committee are a pair of attorneys, Mary Cases, owner of Harbor Law Group in Shrewsbury, and John Creedon, who is affiliated with the Worcester firm of Fletcher, Tilton and Whipple.

One of the major hurdles for the project is the $9.1 million in local funding that the town has to approve. Dolan said she is optimistic that will happen, citing the support Shrewsbury has shown so far by not only applying for the state grant, but also by approving - in 2005 - the preliminary design of the project.

Plans for project include expanding the 25,000-squarefoot library to 46,000 square feet. A meeting room that will hold 125 people is also in the plans, as is another bathroom. Sixteen more parking spaces would be added, too, bringing the total to 62.

Dolan said the library hopes to break ground on the project in 2009.