Library Faces Several Improvement Projects

A swarm of major improvements face Nesmith Library in the near future, and will need to take place from bottom to top of the building.

Presenting his department's 2013 budget, library Director Carl Heidenblad said that work on the building's carpet, roof and HVAC system are all items that could arrive before the town in the next few years.

According to Heidenblad, the carpet has been in the building for 13 years, and signs of use are starting to show, such as the adhesive coming off the concrete and causing unsafe areas of bubbling.

"That is a huge job working around shelves wit hteh kinds of fixtures that we have there," he said, saying that the cost would probably be around $40,000 to $45,000.

He said that the carpet can last a bit longer, but will need replacement relatively soon.

The building's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is completely out of warranty, and Heidenblad said that many mechanical problems have happened on the air conditioning side.

"It's been a problematic unit historically, certainly in my time here," he said.

In five or six years, Heidenblad also anticipates an expensive roof job on the building.

"We have been fortunate that it has held tight, but there are areas that have been troublesome," he said.

The library budget is asking for a small increase this year for the first time since 2009, with that increase mostly showing on the personnel side.

The $13,210 increase would add hours for a new young adult librarian, who Heidenblad called "excellent."

"We see a lot of potential for providing service and service and serving our young people particularly at the high school age," he said. "We feel that we need some more hours for that person to pursue that.

While before the Board of Selectmen, Heidenblad also gave a brief update on the town's involvement in the Greater Manchester Integrated Library Cooperative System, or GMILCS.

"We're really pleased with the program today," he said, adding that about 100 residents have used the Nesmith card at other area libraries.

The total proposed library budget for 2013 is $977,740.