Sherborn Library patrons and local residents may have noticed the appearance of a large, blue dumpster on the lawn near the library’s main doors. In anticipation of the construction project, the library must be emptied. Library Building Committee (LBC) member Libby Yon is working with Library Director Elizabeth Johnston to coordinate the cleanout of nearly 50 years of ‘stuff’ from the attic eaves and the library basement. “We’ve had tremendous support from community volunteers willing to roll up their sleeves,” said Yon. “The Friends of the Sherborn Library ad hoc cleanout crew of Alexis Madison and Abby Fiske have been tremendous, along with current Friends board members and high school library aides,” she added.
At the same time, library staff members have been working in the stacks, selecting books to deaccession, the process by which libraries release selected materials from their collections. Surplus library materials and items not needed during the temporary relocation to the Sherborn Community Center or in the renovated space will be stored during construction, and unwanted property will be disposed of according to municipal laws. These coordinated efforts – in the attic, basement and stacks – may have unearthed a treasure or two. “Up in the attic, we found one or two old books in decent condition, though nobody has any idea how they got up there or if they were ever cataloged,” said Library Director Elizabeth Johnston. “Also,” Johnston added, “we discovered a vintage embossing press to mark book pages or stationery with the seal ‘Town of Sherborn Library, established 1860’ and a WWI American Library Association poster that was donated to our library in 1974... all of which are quite interesting!”
In addition to the blue dumpster, visitors to the library may have noticed colorful markings on the ground around the town campus. These marks reflect survey findings from subsurface radar and geoprobe testing identifying existing utilities and systems beneath the surface. Finalizing a plan for new systems (such as the fire suppression tank, a new generator, air conditioning compressor units, etc.) on the site as part of the renovation project has proved trickier than expected. Trustees, the LBC, town administrators and the Selectmen have been working together diligently to identify the best options for the campus, and will present the final site plan at a public Planning Board hearing on August 10. If all goes well, Trustees now anticipate that the library will relocate to the Sherborn Community Center sometime this fall and the construction phase will begin in December. The construction phase is expected to be 13 months, with the renovated and expanded library ready to re-open late December 2017 or early January
2018.
For more information about the renovation project, to view renderings and project FAQs, and to review minutes from the LBC and Trustee meetings, please visit the Library website at library.sherbornma.org. Project updates can also be found on at www.sherbornma.org.
