By Joan F. Simoneau, Community Reporter
Marlborough – Members of the Marlborough Public Library (MPL) Foundation Capital Campaign Committee, the MPL Building Committee and other interested residents are working cohesively to expand and update the local library and its offerings to better serve the youth and adults of the city.
“I am pleased that so any members of the community have joined together to support this project,” said Library Director Margaret Cardello. “We have a terrific group of people who are committed to working hard to raise funds for a new library. I talk to people every day in the library and throughout the city who share with me how excited they are to think of what a new library would offer to the residents of Marlborough. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we are working hard to achieve.”
The library will remain at the present location, 35 W. Main St., according to City Councilor John Irish, a member of the MPL Building Committee, representing the full council. An architectural firm will be hired to study the inside and exterior of the building and parking facilities and will present alternatives for consideration and implementation.
“I am truly happy with the decision to remain in the old building with its strong history, as are many other residents,” said Irish. “We will come up with some creative ways of improving and expanding parking facilities within state guidelines.”
The group will be working with the architects to document and evaluate the present site and prepare materials needed to apply for a grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The funding will offset the cost to taxpayers by an estimated 40 to 45 percent. The balance would come from a private fundraising effort and an appropriation made by Mayor Arthur Vigeant with the approval of the City Council.
A strong advocate of expanding the facilities of the library and adding up-to-date technical tools, Dan Verrico, chair of the MPL Foundation’s Capital Campaign, said: “We need to have classrooms for learning technology, computers, WiFi, more space for children from preschoolers to pre-teens, small group rooms for meetings and tutor sessions and quiet areas for study and reading, attracting more people to enjoy the library’s offerings.”
Other members of the MPL Building Committee include: Director Cardello; Tom Abel and Robyn Ripley, library trustees; Cynthia Panagore Griffin, assistant city solicitor; Andy White, public facilities; Dennis Ingham, project manager; and community members Dennis Cavanaugh, Vinny Farese, Samantha Khosta and Stephen Leduc. Also serving on the MPL Foundation are Elaine McDonald, Christian Dumais, Peter Mongeau, Sandra Saragoni and Suzanne Dupre.
