Letter to the Editor: Library Project Adds Value to Town

This year we were awarded a $5 million grant to greatly improve our library. This is not a loan that needs to be repaid. It is not a trust. It is money given to the town for the specific purpose of improving the existing .  The Grafton Public Library is, and will continue to be, owned by the Town of Grafton.

Any solution for the many issues with the library will have associated costs. This plan provides an excellent long-term solution for all of the many issues with the existing library and also addresses the current and future needs of our town. It also happens to be 40% subsidized by the state. If we turn down this state grant, some other community will get it. Grafton pays plenty of taxes to the state. Why should some other community get the benefit of this state grant money when we earned it?

The plan will utilize the existing beautiful exterior of the Grafton Public Library, maintaining the classic New England charm of the Grafton Town Common. The library is centrally located and will have a large parking lot, making it accessible for all of the town’s residents. The inside of the building will be completely renovated and modernized, transforming it into a 21^st century library. 

The Grafton Public library project will provide benefits for all Grafton residents, even those who are not using or do not plan to use the library services. Here is how:

Higher Property Values: Research has consistently shown a positive correlation between the investments a town makes in its library and property values for that town. Who wouldn’t love to see the property values in Grafton go back up?

Revenues for local Grafton businesses from visitors to the improved library will translate into increased tax revenues for our town.

The plan provides for a sizable parking lot with 86 parking spaces conveniently located near the Grafton Common. This parking will be very useful for our town events like the wonderful Grafton Celebrates the Holidays celebration this past Sunday that not only brings our community together, but is also gives a boost to our local businesses and local services.

Full ADA compliance for the library, which means that we will not be subject to fines for non-compliance. The fines are currently being waived because we have a plan to address the non-compliance issues, however if the plan is rejected, the fines could be assessed. The fines can be thousands of dollars per day, money that leaves our town with no value for us. Please note that the Nelson Library is currently not fully ADA-compliant and does not address the full needs of the town.

Conference and meeting rooms that may be used by town residents for a variety of purposes.

For those of us who use and enjoy the existing Grafton Public Library, the renovated and expanded library will provide many additional benefits including:

Greatly improved interior space including modern individual spaces, group meeting spaces, and offices to allow patrons and staff to better access and utilize new technologies.

A dedicated teen area, larger children’s room, and a toddler-friendly area.

Better access to library programs such a story hours and lectures which currently have to restrict the number of attendees due to space limitations.

Full ADA compliance for the library, which means that the many people who currently cannot access the library will be able to use it.

There are so many great reasons to vote yes for the Grafton Public Library.   What’s your reason?

Please vote yes on Tuesday, Dec. 13 to accept the $5 million state grant and proceed with the Grafton library project.

Carrie Hogan