Important Dates

Important dates have been set for the proposed new library project. Please keep these meetings in mind if you would like to participate in the town decision concerning the library.

The Board of Selectmen will hold a meeting to discuss planning options for the Colburn School on Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 7:30pm, at the Little Theatre at the Westwood High School.

The Finance Commission will hold public meetings on the library question on Monday, February 1, and Monday, February 8 2010. Finegold, Alexander, the architectural firm for the project, will present the current plans.

The Westwood-Walpole League of Woman Voters will host a town-wide presentation on the new library project at the First Parish Meeting Hall on Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 2:00pm.

The Board of Library Trustees will host a presentation on the new main library on Tuesday, February 23, 2010, at the Main Library on High Street. Finegold, Alexander, the architectural firm for the project, will present the current plans.

Finally, the Special Town Meeting to consider the new main library will take place on Monday, March 8, 2010.

Building Plan Progress

The last few months have seen significant progress in finalizing plans for the new main library.  The Library Building Committee met five times to study schematic plans, select a mechanical system, and review cost estimates.  Meetings were attended by town residents, members of the Finance Commission, and members of the Pedestrian and Bike Safety Committee.  The nine member committee included representatives from the Westwood Permanent Building Committee and Historical Commission. Library Trustees and members of the architectural staff from Finegold, Alexander met with the Westwood Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals.  Variances were granted by the ZBA for height and front set-back. These variances were supported by the Planning Board. Library planning activities were reviewed by the Finance Commission at several meetings this fall.  Topics discussed were fund raising, preliminary cost estimates, and the $4 million construction grant.  The design of the building has been completed, although all of us acknowledge that further refinements are needed to the building’s High Street front.  It has been a challenge to create a “public face” for the new library that blends with the historical district and still creates a strong presence as a public building.  Comments from the Gay and High Street neighborhoods, the Planning Board, and the Historical Commission
have been very helpful. Plans should be available on the Library’s web site and on display at the Library within weeks.

Do We Still Need a New Library?

A town resident recently sent me a copy of the Boston Globe article on Cushing Academy’s decision to have a “bookless’ library.  The writer questioned whether we shouldn’t rethink our request for a new library.  This is my reply:

“The Board of Library Trustees and I do not feel this particular school decision changes the need for a new public library in Westwood.  While it raises many interesting issues, these are the important points to consider: 

· The community’s need for public library services is substantially different than the need for library services in a private school with 450 students.

· School libraries provide resources that support the institution’s curriculum.

· The resources of public libraries are much broader in scope and are intended to serve the recreational and educational needs of its community.  The range of people that uses a public library is far greater and more varied in both age and need.

· It is certainly true that the printed book is in transition with possible alternatives on the horizon, but no real outcome yet.  The library already has books in these non-print audio formats: compact disk, MP3, audio-cassette (likely to be phased out), and soon remote (i.e. from your home) downloadable audio.

· In towns like Westwood, the public library serves as a community center, which often has little to do with library materials, print or otherwise.

· The library provides meeting space for community groups or study space for individuals; an Internet access point; a clearinghouse for community information, and a place for discussion on issues affecting the town and its residents.

· Our participation in the Minuteman Library Network will enable us to take advantage of the emerging technologies that will shape the future of information.  Because we have regionalized our underlying service and support systems, Westwood is uniquely positioned to utilize the new services and formats that will undoubtedly emerge.

· A free public library has great value to our way of life and system of government.  A private school is limited to a select group of people.

I do not know how successful Cushing Academy will be in their switch to a “bookless” library.  But I can promise you that those students who need a book will be coming to their local public library.  I would be happy to discuss this question with you at any time.

Tom Viti, Library Director”

To read the Boston Globe article regarding Cushing Academy’s decision to have a “bookless” library http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/04/a_library_without_the_books/

Timing of Town-wide Vote for New Library

The Library Trustees met with the Board of Selectmen on August 24 to continue discussions on the timing of a town-wide vote for the new library.  Initially, the Library needed a vote before the end of the year because of the state’s grant acceptance deadline, but the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has extended that date to June 15, 2010. The Trustees continue to be interested in a Special Town Meeting because they feel strongly that the library question needs consideration by a Town Meeting in advance of a vote at the polls.  If the proposed new library were placed on the warrant at the Annual Town Meeting, the vote at the polls would precede a community-wide discussion. For more information on the meeting and related issues please visit this link    http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/news/x1476163657/Westwood-library-job-going-to-Town-Meeting-next-year

Architect Chosen for New Library

I am pleased to announce that the Library Trustees have chosen Finegold Alexander Associates Inc. as the architect for the new Westwood Public Library. The Town’s Permanent Building Committee finalized a contract with the firm on June 30. Funding for the phase one work was approved at the 2009 annual Town Meeting.

The Library Building Committee received 18 proposals for the project and short-listed four firms as finalists. Committee members visited a library designed by each of the finalists. Interviews with the four firms were held on April 16.

Finegold has previous public library design experience including an addition to the Newburyport library, which is located in a historic district. The Finegold team was impressive in their knowledge of public library design and their commitment to working with community groups. Their design work reflects an understanding of a library’s role in the community. Finegold’s staff is very familiar with green architecture applications, state bid laws, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners construction program.

The Library Building Committee looked closely at Tappe Associates, J. Stewart Roberts Associates and Beacon-Smith before ranking Finegold Alexander as the top firm. A preliminary planning meeting with Finegold Alexander was held on June 22. The architect will produce a project timeline soon.

Photos of Current Building Conditions

Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program

You have read that the Westwood Public Library has received a provisional grant award from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) for approximately $4 million.  The award is contingent on local approval to build a new main library.

The total is comprised of two separate awards: $3,698,929 for the Public Library Construction Program and $184,915 for meeting green architecture standards.  More than 60% of the total grant award will be given to the Town before groundbreaking and the remainder before construction ends.

The Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program for public libraries (MPLCP) was first funded in FY1990 and has awarded grants to public libraries in 226 cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth for construction of new library buildings and addition/renovations.  Local area communities receiving MPLCP grant funds include: Canton, Dover, Medfield, Norfolk, Norwood, Needham, and Wellesley. The MBLC is an active participant during the planning and construction process and its building consultants work closely with the local library to insure a successful project.

To be eligible, applicant libraries must be certified by the MBLC as
meeting minimum state standards for public library service and must have a long-range plan on file. Any project funded under the program must meet the 20-year needs of the applicant's municipality. Proposals must be based upon a library building program written prior to retaining an architect and submitted to the Board.

A "Green" Library for Westwood?

When architects begin to design the new Main Library this summer, green design considerations will be an important part of the process. The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) will award Westwood a grant of $184,946 if the new building achieves LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. In developing the criteria for evaluating architectural firms, the Library made experience with environmentally responsible design and the LEED certification process an important part of the selection process. The MBLC's Green Library Incentive is intended to assist municipalities in reducing the initial up-front design and construction costs associated with green design, and to fund participation in the LEED certification process. Sustainable, or "green," library design actively considers a building's impact on the environment and on the people who work in and use the facility. LEED certification is obtained after submitting an application documenting compliance with the requirements of the rating system, as well as paying registration and certification fees.

Want to learn more about "green" construction? Look at http://www.usgbc.org/

Town Meeting Approves Funding Architectural Services

Voters at the recent town meeting approved the Library's request to fund architectural services to prepare designs and cost estimates for the proposed new main library. The cost for this work is $90,000. This planning step will help secure Westwood's $4 million building grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC).