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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 7, 2001

CONTACT: David L. Gray
Director, Communications & Public Information
1-800-952-7403, x208
David.L.Gray@state.ma.us

Construction Grants Awarded to 10 Massachusetts Libraries

BOSTON: The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is pleased to announce that it has awarded 10 Projects for General Construction Grants totaling $16,689,593 to 10 public libraries across the Commonwealth for the 2000-2001 Grant Round.

A General Project may be either a project to construct a new facility, an addition/renovation to an existing building that may or may not add space but does involve a significant reorganization of functional space, or a joint library project that will involve construction of a facility by two or more municipalities.

Applications were reviewed based on the following evaluative criteria as stated in the regulations (605 CMR 6.08 (6)), application and review sheet: General Overview, Project Information, Needs Assessment, Planning Process, Building Program and Its Relation to Project, Project Design, Financial, Site and Exterior Design, Library Services (Adult, Children, Staff Member, and Custodian), and Overall Assessment. These awards take into account the ranking of projects by outside reviewers, the distribution of projects by community size, and a measure of economic hardship based on an equalized valuation (EQV) per capita factor.

The projects are listed in alphabetical order.

Municipality	Library	Award
Acushnet	Russell Memorial Library	$1,694,590
Blackstone	Blackstone Public Library	$1,918,676
Chicopee	Chicopee Public Library	$2,779,341
Chilmark	Chilmark Public Library	$1,101,880
Gardner	Levi Heyward Memorial Library	$2,586,043
Leverett	Bradford M. Field Memorial Library	$694,647
Palmer	Palmer Public Library	$1,663,800
Provincetown	Provincetown Public Library	$1,878,456
Rowley	Rowley Public Library	$1,292,888
Sunderland	Graves Memorial Library	$1,079,272
Total		$16,689,593

In addition, the Board also approved a waiting list for receipt of General Construction Grants totaling $70,223,595 to the following 36 public libraries to be awarded a grant in the order listed as funding becomes available.

The projects are listed in rank order.

Rank	Municipality	Library	Amount
1	Cohasset	Paul Pratt Memorial Library	$1,529,552
2	Lunenburg	Ritter Memorial Library	$1,782,563
3	Norfolk	Norfolk Public Library	$2,048,218
4	Uxbridge	Uxbridge Free Public Library	$1,962,334
5	Canton	Canton Public Library	$2,585,569
6	Watertown	Watertown Free Public Library	$2,972,408
7	Berlin	Berlin Public Library	$964,291
8	Rochester	Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library	$1,724,914
9	Merrimac	Merrimac Public Library	$1,673,741
10	Lakeville	Lakeville Public Library	$1,692,489
11	Mendon-Upton	Upton Town Library, Taft Public Library	$4,763,010
12	North Adams	North Adams Public Library	$1,691,370
13	Dracut	Moses Greeley Parker Memorial Library	$2,490,245
14	Leominster	Leominster Public Library	$3,021,441
15	Ashby	Ashby Free Public Library	$1,404,117
16	Boylston	Boylston Public Library	$1,646,139
17	Rutland	Rutland Free Public Library	$200,000
18	Orange	Wheeler Memorial Library	$1,720,653
19	Maynard	Maynard Public Library	$2,098,004
20	Ashland	Ashland Public Library	$2,020,277
21	Wellesley	Wellesley Free Library	$3,182,773
22	New Salem	New Salem Public Library	$286,530
23	North Brookfield	Haston Free Public Library	$1,257,173
24	Middleton	Flint Public Library	$2,390,053
25	Great Barrington	Mason Public Library	$1,407,052
26	Amesbury	Amesbury Public Library	$2,494,352
27	Needham	Needham Free Public Library	$3,043,503
28	Oak Bluffs	Oak Bluffs Public Library	$1,590,646
29	Mattapoisett	Mattapoisett Free Public Library	$1,575,662
30	Georgetown	Georgetown Peabody Library	$1,644,694
31	Northborough	Northborough Free Library	$2,171,949
32	Montague	Montague Public Libraries / Carnegie Library	$1,810,018
33	Seekonk	Seekonk Public Library	$3,031,130
34	Harvard	Harvard Public Library	$2,492,232
35	Braintree	Thayer Public Library	$200,000
36	Framingham	Framingham Public Library, McAuliffe Branch	$1,654,493
Total			$70,223,595

The Board of Library Commissioners (mass.gov/mblc) is the agency of state government with the statutory authority and responsibility to organize, develop, coordinate and improve library services throughout the Commonwealth. The Board advises municipalities and library trustees on the operation and maintenance of public libraries, including construction and renovation. It administers state and federal grant programs for libraries and promotes cooperation among all types of libraries through regional library systems and automated resource sharing. It also works to ensure that all residents of the Commonwealth, regardless of their geographic location, social or economic status, age, level of physical or intellectual ability or cultural background, have access to essential new electronic information technologies and significant electronic databases.

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