MBLC Design and Planning Grant Updates

November 2024

November 14: The Interview subcommittee for Library Consultants met to create questions for the interviews. Interviews of three candidates were held on November 19 and 21. 

November 21: The Builidng Committee voted to recommend to the Trustees the candidate recommended by the interview subcommittee. The next meeting date is December 12 at 6:30 PM. Complete minutes are available at the library. 

October 2024

October 24: The building committee had its first meeting. Actions included voting for officers, forming an interviewing subcommittee, ensuring proper forms were completed including the state ethics course, and reviewing a timeline of the grant process. The next meeting date is November 21 at 6:30 PM. Complete minutes are available at the library.

The Interview subcommittee for Library Consultants met to determine the timeline for interviews and compose the RFP.    

Spring and Summer 2024

Patrons and community members were asked consistently if they would be interested in serving on a buliding committe, to secure a large pool of interested participants from which the Trustees could select from to form a committee that would represent Blandford - effort was made to secure people who were: new residents, long time residents, various ages, parents of young children, previous project management and building/construction experience, and people who have experience using many different libraries. Out of over 50 interestesd residents, 13 were selected for the Building Committee. Those selected fill mulitple different perspectives and also have similar time availability for meetings. There is a need to keep this number small to streamline scheduling and ensure a voting quorum can be met while getting a good cross section of our community with a variety of perspectives and library needs. People who were not selected for the Buildng Committee are still extrememly important in our building process and will be asked to serve on subcommittees, if they so desire. It takes an entire town to build a library and every voice is important to this process!  

Planning and Design Grant Process

Porter Memorial Library recieved a grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) in October 2024 for the Library Construction  Planning and Design. In March of 2024, residents voted unamiously to support the acceptance of the MBLC grant and provide the matching funds from the Library Building Stabilization account. Planning and design phase grants for the Small Population grant type are 50% of the eligible costs up to a maximum award of $125,000 and may be used for preparation of a library building program including architectural feasibility studies, condition assessment and engineering analysis of an existing building or alternative sites, schematic design, cost analysis of options, site investigation, and project management services. This first phase of our library expansion project will last until February of 2026. At the end of this phase, the Building Committee will present to the town and deliver to the MBLC the completed plans and design for the future of the library building. The residents will then have the opportunity to vote to fund the construction phase, which will be supported by a grant from the MBLC covering 75% of the eligible buildng costs.  The application packet is available to view at the library.