DEERFIELD — Between sets of music on Tilton Library’s lawn on Monday, Library Director Candace Bradbury-Carlin and several trustees took the stage to share some long-awaited news for library patrons and Deerfield residents.
After sending in a grant application to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) back in 2017, Tilton Library in South Deerfield was finally awarded a $3.94 million grant on July 7, which will help fund an extensive expansion and renovation project the library has been eyeing for more than a decade.
“I can’t believe the day has finally come,” Bradbury-Carlin said to the dozens of people who gathered on the lawn Monday night. “We have the opportunity to improve and expand our beloved library to be even better.”
At the celebration, folks were treated to free doughnuts from Leo’s Table and music from local acts Gordon Kramer, Rob Peck and the trio of Paired Down. Bradbury-Carlin said Monday was a chance to celebrate the announcement, but that work must continue — Deerfield now has six months to provide a grant match.
If the grant cannot be matched, it will be lost, and Tilton Library would have to start from square one.
“We have six months, until Jan. 7, for the town to secure funding for this project or we lose this opportunity until who knows when,” Bradbury-Carlin said. “We have a few hills to climb to get there and you will hear from us on how to help, where to be and when.”
When the library’s grant application was approved by the MBLC in 2017, the project’s cost was estimated at roughly $8 million, but that price has changed as the town awaited its turn to be funded, with construction materials becoming more expensive. Speaking by phone Tuesday, Bradbury-Carlin said the library’s architect is looking at the design plans and “tabulating the revised cost estimate.”
If that cost estimate is much more expensive than anticipated, minor tweaks can be made to the plan to save money, she said, such as what materials are used, but major aspects of the design cannot be changed due to the grant’s guidelines.
Residents will be asked to allocate money through a Special Town Meeting vote, and if that is approved, then a ballot question will come before voters in November. While the town works through that process, Tilton Library will conduct a fundraising blitz of its own — which has already raised $750,000 toward its $2 million goal.
“We’re going to have lots of events like last night sharing information,” Bradbury-Carlin said Tuesday. “This is a big deal, and you need to make sure potential donors are in the know and are excited.”
If undertaken, the project would include energy efficiency upgrades, renovating and expanding existing rooms, and improving accessibility. A slideshow presenting the library’s plans can be viewed at bit.ly/36nNjI7.
Tilton Library was built in 1916 with a bequest local grocer Chauncey B. Tilton left in his will, along with municipal and private contributions. The library, at 75 North Main St., has not had a major renovation since the 1990s, when a wheelchair-accessible lift and additional children’s room space was added. An update to the front steps for historical preservation purposes took place in 2011.
After Monday’s announcement, Bradbury-Carlin said it is the library’s hope that it can be one of the first pieces of the puzzle completed in the revitalization of South Deerfield, which features large projects including reconstruction of Town Hall and the South County Senior Center, rehabilitation of the town common and the creation of the North Main Street park.
“With the timing of our project we could be a flagship, a center … and there’s a real possibility of that because that’s what libraries are all about,” she said. “I think it’s a wonderful vision.”
Tilton Library Trustee Nancy Maynard said the library receiving this $3.94 million grant is a culmination of 20 years of work that began with long-term planning and turned into renovation plans.
“It’s very exciting,” Maynard said. “This will enhance the lives of every group in town.”