Wednesday, May 01, 2024

 

Dear Cary Library Community,

I am writing to share important information about our upcoming Lower Level Renovation Project (ChiRP!) and how it will affect your use of the library. This project, more than 5 years in the making, was approved at the 2024 Annual Town Meeting and is expected to begin on July 1, 2024 (provided construction bids come in on budget). The project will take approximately 12 months to complete.

During construction (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025), the entire lower level of the library will be closed. The Main Level and Mezzanine Level will be open during this time, although there may be times over the course of the year when the whole building will need to be closed for a day or two.

The Reading Room and Mezzanine Level seating will remain in place, but our study rooms on the Main Level will be unavailable as they will be used for staff office space. Seating throughout the building will be limited as we shift the majority of our youth collections (70+% of our Children's and Teen collections will stay in the building) to the Main Level.

We will not have access to any of our meeting spaces during the project. Much of our adult programming will be offered virtually, and in the fall, we will begin providing in-person youth programs at various locations, including Cary Hall and the Lexington Community Center.

Youth Services staff will be available at the Main Level Service Desk to provide reading services, book suggestions, and reference help to children and teens. We recognize that closing the Lower Level of the building will significantly impact young people and families over the course of the next year. Our Youth Services team has compiled detailed information about these impacts, which is available on our website.

During this period of disruption, please visit the library's website frequently for construction updates. In June, we will launch a construction newsletter for those of you who wish to receive updates (including service interruptions) via email. If you would like to know more about the project, there is comprehensive information on our library website.

We encourage you to visit neighboring libraries in the Minuteman Library Network. Our colleagues in neighboring communities are aware of our project and look forward to welcoming you and your families. Your Cary Library card provides access to the entire network, which includes 42 libraries with 60 locations serving communities in MetroWest and Greater Boston.

This is an exciting project - one that will refurbish some of our most popular spaces, address accessibility and safety concerns, and replace the Lower Level HVAC system with a new clean energy system. The project would not be possible without generous donations to the Cary Library Foundation’s $750,000 capital campaign. Our thanks to everyone who has supported this project!

The staff and I appreciate your patience and understanding in the year ahead. It will be a challenging year, but we will do our best to provide excellent services. We look forward to reopening our newly renovated spaces in July 2025.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me directly at kstembridge@lexingtonma.gov.

Sincerely,

Koren Stembridge
Library Director