On Nov. 5, Tolland voters have the chance to make a positive decision that will expand the Tolland Public Library in a practical and affordable way. The Tolland Public Library Foundation’s board of directors is urging everyone to vote yes for this modest, worthwhile project.
Voters are being asked to approve a $2.6 million project that would increase the size of the library by 43 percent and expand it into the vacant Hicks gym. Town officials are applying for grants of up to $1.9 million that will reduce the impact of the project on local taxpayers. The officials have said that whether the grants are obtained or not, the project will have a minimal impact on Tolland’s debt burden.
At 13,348 square feet, Tolland’s library is significantly undersized for a town our size, with a population of 15,052 residents. By comparison, Ellington’s library is 28,000 square feet for a town of 15,602.
By adding 43 percent more space, the project would enable the library to evolve into a 21st-century digital learning center and community gathering space for all ages. Additional space for technology would enable patrons to more comfortably access both hard-wired computers and the library’s wireless capabilities.
More Tolland residents are attending library programs these days as well as demanding a range of materials from books to multimedia. Each day, the library’s public computers are used by people of all ages for reading, to find a job, conduct research or use many of the free databases, such as Ancestry.com, provided by the Foundation.
The project would increase the adult book stack space by 20 percent. It would also provide much-needed separate meeting rooms to better serve parents and young children, civic groups and students and their tutors.
The current program room is too small for many events, and the layout of the library makes it difficult to hold multiple programs at the same time without disruption.
The Foundation directors urge Tolland residents to vote yes on Nov. 5 to give our town a library it deserves.
Tolland Public Library Foundation
Board of Directors
President Linda Byam
Vice President Mary Jo Leahy
Treasurer Pauline Sardo
Secretary Kate Farrish
Founding President Betty-Lou Griffin
Members James Gifford and Dani Titterton
