The lot has been cleared where the new Stamford Library will be constructed at 139 West Main St. as Phase I of the project.
By Liz Page
STAMFORD - It's likely Dr. Stephen Churchill would approve of the plans being laid out for a new library in the village of Stamford.The current Stamford Library sits over Churchill Gym, which has served the community for more than a century as a primary gymnasium for Stamford Central School and then as a secondary gym for practices and activities. Located at 117 Main St. , it is now home to the Catskill Recreation Center and Kiddie Corner Preschool, which lease the gym.
Churchill was a visionary and a library came into his vision in 1917 when he passed and left $25,000 to build a library. The school district voted to raise an additional $20,000 to combine it with a gymnasium. Churchill wished for "growth and prosperity" of his beloved Stamford and did a great deal to that end.
Now, more than 100 years old, the library has outgrown its space and its infrastructure, such as lighting, which is old and outdated. The lack of space hinders their ability to provide some services. There is no space to add parking and it is not Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.
Barbara Balliet, president of the Stamford Library Association Board of Directors, Janet Kirch, trustee and the current library director, Erika Eklund, are excited about having a new space that will better serve the needs of the community well into the future.
“Stamford deserves
The land for the new library is located at 139 West Main St., on the corner with Lake St. It was the site of an old hotel known as the New Grant House. The nearly 1.5 acres will allow for a 6,000 square foot building with ample parking. The site is easily accessible. It is close to the school, will have plenty of parking and will be ADA compliant. A $700,000 grant was received to allow them to clear the corner lot and prep it for the future building. That is Phase I of the project, and is now nearly complete. Nothing will be built until the rest of the funding is in place. They have been working at that, applying for foundation grants, government grants, member-item funding and funding from individuals. They have been working on the funding piece since2023 and looking for a solution for years.
The clearing of the site last week started conversations in the community. While some were not aware of the project, updates have been provided to local town boards. There have been public information meetings. Some of the conceptual plans have been altered from public feedback. The public is welcome to attend library association meetings or to stop in at the library. The project is outlined, along with the architectural renderings on the library website.
The new building will be paid for by fundraising and grants. They have been doing fundraising and will do more. The new building is needed because they do not own the current building, which needs repair. They can't pay for repairs on a building they don't own.
The library space will be doubled and will house a community/activity room accessible 24/7, a teen room and children's library, reading garden, computer room, history room, circulation/greeter area, kitchenette, storage area , reading areas and gallery area.
Current plans call for a geothermal heating and cooling system that should make it more energy efficient.
There is a draft of the conceptual plans, but input is still welcome and another meeting is slated for Sept 18 at 7 p.m. at Stamford Village Hall. Balliet said this is the perfect opportunity for members of the community to come and ask questions . "It's best if people come by and ask questions with the architect present to answer them," she said.
There is a long list of considerations the library association has made in coming to the decision to build a new library. They considered retrofitting, but it proved to be even more costly. They researched a number of locations and other buildings.
Parking is a critical issue. People now get out of their cars into Main St. traffic and if you have driven along Main St. when there are snowbanks, you will see people getting out into the street and walking in the street to find the nearest spot to enter the sidewalk, unable to scale the snowbanks.
The new location offers safe accessibility, particularly for seniors, with 25 parking spaces, including four ADA compliant spaces and a van drop off. "It will have a lot of accessibility."
There will be ADA compliant bathrooms and entries and shelving that is more user friendly for everyone.
"We have done the best we can with the existing space," said Eklund, but bookcases are very high in the current library and areas are cramped.
"Nostalgia is one thing," said Kirch, but meeting the community's needs is important. Change is hard, but it isn't like it is a new entity is coming in, the library has been here. It's also about longevity. We are thinking in the long term to serve the community effectively."
"It is one of the free community spaces that really is free," said Balliet. "The library is a safe space and we are constantly asking what we can do to make it better."
Eklund pointed out it is also an information center. The library is often the first point of contact for new residents and serves a social services role by guiding people to other services. “It is a community center,” said Balliet, “and we want it to be the kind of library Stamford deserves.”
Community members will be asked to fill out a short survey on Survey Monkey. "Every library is unique and every community is unique. We serve Stamford and the surrounding communities.
"We are looking at what people here want and need. We have been conducting meetings since 2023."
Most people know you can check out a book at the library, but there are now a myriad of programs to peak almost any interest, such as the garden discussion group, writers group, adult literature discussion group, knitting club, homework club, adult computer and digital access assistance. There are 119 programs for children or adults, 148 for adults and all ages, with a total of 2,573 total program attendance. Library officials agree that people are using the library more. Special events, such as workshops, how-to demonstrations, sewing, bread making and more are all offered, along with children’s programming and story times.They are looking for flexible space to host even more children's activities. They would also like to see more cooking classes, STEM programs and things like stained glass workshops.
“It’s one of the last places to go where you don’t have to spend money,” said Balliet.
They have toured a number of libraries to gather input on what would work and what wouldn't work. They checked with other libraries that had building projects to get insight. A lot of research has gone into this project, which is still being drafted as they continue to welcome input.
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