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12/05/2023 03:42 PMAt a Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting on Nov. 28, First Selectman Carl Fortuna announced that the Acton Public Library (APL) had been awarded a $2 million grant from the state of Connecticut for upgrades at the library.
APL Director Amanda Brouwer said that she applied for the grant in September and was excited upon hearing that the application was approved.
“I think we were all cautiously optimistic. We knew we put in a strong application,” she said.
Speaking at the BOS meeting, Fortuna said that the maximum amount the state provides in the grant is $2 million. “I truly didn’t expect that. It’s a big win for the town,” Fortuna said.
While some people may just think of books when they hear the word “library,” the buildings have evolved into places that offer diverse programs to people of all ages.
The grant will go toward upgrades at the library that Brouwer said will include building a teen room, consolidating the children’s room so that all children’s programming material is in one place, making the circulation desk smaller so that it’s easier to navigate, bringing in more mobile furniture, and creating more meeting space.
As for next steps, Brouwer said the library will need to reconvene its building committee first.
“We have some preliminary drawings from an architect, but now we’ll need to form those up. Then we’ll have to look into fundraising. This has been a long time coming, it’s something we’ve talked about since at least 2019,” Brouwer said.
Fortuna said that the planned upgrades are estimated at around $5 million. He also said that in addition to the grant, the library already has a fund with a million dollars in it.
“When you’re already 3 million toward a $5 million goal, that’s amazing,” Fortuna said.