Norfolk Library Expansion Receives $75,000 Boost from Friends Group
Norfolk, Mass. March 14, 2005: MaryJo Gothorpe, President of the Friends
of the Norfolk Public Library and Marion Graham, Vice-President, presented
a $75,000 check to the Permanent Building Committee and Library Trustees at
the Norfolk Selectmen's meeting on Monday evening, March 14th
As part of the Library Expansion project, the 500-member Friends group
pledged to raise the first $75,000 of the $250,000 needed for the Furniture
Fund, which will provide furnishings, shelving, seating, tables, and other
equipment for the new library. "The Friends are extremely excited to see
the library coming along so nicely," said Friends President MaryJo
Gothorpe. "Many Friends have contributed generously to make sure that the
interior furnishings and equipment are commensurate with the spectacular
new building."
[Click on photo to enlarge]
The $5.2 million Library Expansion is funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Library Construction Program, which strictly prohibits use of public money for furnishings and equipment in all of its library construction grants. To ensure the library has the furnishings it needs when it re-opens this fall, library trustees and administrators have announced a capital campaign to raise $250,000 for the Furniture Fund.
"We are thrilled, and grateful, to have the first $75,000 in hand," said Library Trustee Harvey Boulay. "The Friends have always been there for the library, helping to deliver important services to library users of all ages. We hope many more Norfolk residents will see the importance of having a fully-equipped, modern library, and step forward to help in any way they can."
The Library Expansion, which began in July of 2004 and is on schedule to re- open in the fall of 2005, will increase the library from 8,800 square feet to 23,000 square feet. The new, updated space will allow for proper shelving of existing collections and the acquisition of new books, periodicals, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and audio books. It will also include a designated Children's area in which to run the ever-popular children's reading programs, a young adult section, and a community room for use by all residents. Expanded shelving, meeting spaces, learning centers, and community facilities will enable the collections and services to keep pace with the town's growth and ensure the library has the space to meet the town's future needs.