Amherst councilors seek financial details on Jones Library project
Jones Library in Amherst GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST By the end of April, Jones Library trustees would like the Town Council to decide whether it will support a $35.6 million expansion and renovation project at the Amity Street building.
With just over three months remaining before that deadline, which could be extended unilaterally by councilors, the council voted this week to send a letter requesting information to the trustees that will give members a better handle on the finances of the project, and how it compares to potentially renovating the building instead. The library was constructed in 1928 and was last expanded in the 1990s.
Amherst councilors seek financial details on Jones Library project
Jones Library in Amherst GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
Modified: 1/7/2021 7:34:53 PM
AMHERST By the end of April, Jones Library trustees would like the Town Council to decide on whether it will support a $35.6 million expansion and renovation project at the Amity Street building.
With just over three months remaining before that deadline, which could be extended unilaterally by councilors, the council this week voted to send a letter requesting information from the trustees that will give the elected officials a better handle on the finances of the project, and how it compares to potentially pursuing rehabilitation of the building instead. The library was constructed in 1928 and last enlarged in the 1990s.
Wicked Local
According to recent data from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, Lexington’s Cary Memorial Library is one of the largest and most popular in the state, despite the fact the town’s population does not rank among the top 50 in Massachusetts. It is the sixth busiest library in the state, coming in just behind the libraries of Boston, Newton Cambridge, Brookline, and Worcester. The fact that Lexington’s library is able to keep pace with those of much larger communities speaks to Cary’s significant and longstanding importance for residents of Lexington and the surrounding area.
Despite the pandemic, this popularity did not wane in 2020, as visitors to Cary expressed their interest in a wide variety of books. Below is a list of the 10 books, in order, that were most frequently checked out in Lexington this year, according to information provided by library staff.
Amherst council gets go-ahead to use $1M in CPA funds on Jones Library work
Jones Library special collections curator Cyndi Harbeson checks for remaining moisture in one of the books damaged by a leak from the HVAC system discovered July 13. Many of the 700 books pulled from the affected shelves were set out to dry with the help of fans. STAFF PHOTO/KEVIN GUTTING
A box containing these Henry Jackson photograph albums, which document the Black community living in Amherst in the 19th century, was heavily damaged by the leak, but the volumes themselves appear to have escaped damage. gazette file photo