Library Supporters to Rally Tomorrow

Supporters of the expansion project will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday Dec. 8 at the municipal center, conference room E-2 on the second floor.  

The public is welcome to attend. Supporters are hosting the rally to help plan the final week of campaigning. A vote on whether to approve a debt exclusion for the library expansion will be held Tuesday, Dec. 13.

The supporters formed the Committee to Support the Expansion of the Grafton Public Library in early November. The group has been promoting the library expansion and renovation project thorough many ways, including hosting coffee parties, meeting with different groups and talking to neighbors, friends and the community at large about the project.

The Grafton Public library was awarded a grant of $5 million from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners in July for the $11.7 million project. The town’s share of the proposal is $6.7 million. The town voted by a two-thirds majority to accept the grant money and move forward with the project at the October town meeting. The final step in the process is for the town to vote on the debt exclusion with a town-wide ballot vote.

The Library Trustees have received more than $500,000 of financial commitments to help offset the taxpayer’s cost for the proposed library project, according to Hank Poler, library trustee. “Although the campaign has not officially launched, the pledges in-hand represent 63 percent of the fundraising goal of $800,000,” Poler said in a prepared statement. “The fund-raising efforts will be formally announced after the debt exclusion is approved and move forward so the final goal can be achieved.’’

Supporters continue to work on a grassroots effort to gain passage of the ballot question. Last Saturday members of the committee greeted motorists with "Vote Yes Library'' signs at the intersection of routes 122 and 140. Other supporters went door-to-door throughout neighborhoods.

For more details on the library project, visit www.graftonlibrarycampaign.org