Early afternoon on a hot and humid Monday. Between moments of calm, there is an ongoing flow of summer-garbed people coming and going, checking on books they’ve ordered, renewing books, searching for something new to read and DVDs to watch. But no one comes in to the West Tisbury Free Public Library without his or her entrance being noted and acknowledged. Familiarity is instantaneous, and all visitors — young and old — are received with hushed welcome.
It’s almost your last chance donate to the annual book sale sponsored by the Friends of the West Tisbury Library. They are still collecting donations for sale in the gym of the West Tisbury School on Old County Road. What they are looking for: used books in good condition. What they are not looking for: encyclopedias, magazines, outdated or obsolete books or those old moldy and mildewy books that have been lying around your basement for years.
It takes a village to raise a library, and many of them showed up to celebrate the halfway point of construction at the West Tisbury Library last week. Foundation work is complete on the $6 million project and framing on the building has begun. The “topping off ceremony” marked the placement of the highest beam. Building committee members, library foundation members, selectmen and trustees participated in the ceremony.
With construction about halfway complete on the new West Tisbury Library project, town leaders raised concerns this week about a rapidly dwindling contingency fund for the project.
The $6 million project has already used up half of a $200,000 reserve in the budget. Construction began in December and there is a little less than $100,000 left.
The West Tisbury selectmen this week denied a request to remove more trees to accommodate construction of the new West Tisbury library and adjacent parking lot.
Building committee chairman Linda Hearn told the selectmen Wednesday that her group recently learned from NStar that the company needs to build an underground electrical vault near the road. Three additional trees need to be removed to make way for the vault, Mrs. Hearn said.
“I have to say I find this totally unacceptable. We went through an agonizing process,” selectman and board chairman Richard Knabel said.
“We are grateful, we give thanks,” West Tisbury poet laureate Justen Ahren read during Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the West Tisbury Free Public Library’s expansion and renovation project. After nearly five years of planning, grant applications, and fundraising, construction on the new building will begin next month. A large crowd gathered in the courtyard of the library to celebrate the big day.
Mr. Ahren was one of a lineup of speakers that featured state rep.