Adams Library Rededication To Take Place Saturday
 The rededication of the Adams Free Library to mark the completion of its 8-year renovation will take place Saturday morning. |
ADAMS, Mass. — The Trustees and Friends of the Adams Free Library will host an open house and rededication Saturday, May 23, starting at 10 a.m.
The ceremony marks the end of the eight-year Library Renovation Project that targeted both the interior and exterior of the 116-year-old building.
"We are very excited about the open house and the very large cake has been ordered from McCann [Technical] and it will be here tomorrow after noon," Library Director Deborah Bruneau said.
Remarks will begin at 11 a.m. with comments from State Rep. Gailanne Cariddi followed by the reading of the state Senate's official citation.
This will be followed by statements from Massachusetts Board of Libraries Commissioner Mary Kronholm and Margot Malachowski, president of the Executive Board of the Massachusetts Library System.
Town Administrator Tony Mazzucco and the Selectmen were also invited among others.
There will also be a memorial for Ron Bishop, who spent countless hours trying to better the Adams Free Library. He passed away in 2006.
By utilizing state aid and low-interest loans through the town, the library was refurbished and brought as close to ADA-compliance as possible without sacrificing its historic appearance.
Interior changes include the relocation of the children's room to a larger space, the creation of the Teen Center, and the re-establishment of the Reading Room.
The project met its end last fall with work focused on the exterior of the building with repair work to the building's brick exterior, the reconstruction of the front entrance and further interior renovations which included the installation of a fully accessible restroom on the main level.
Adams had an established library service as early as 1805, however, it wasn't until 1897 when the town voted to borrow $40,000 to build the library that stands today, which also served as meeting location for the veterans of the Civil War.
The library was completed in 1899.
The next major addition began in 1910, when Columbus N. Miller left his entire estate to the town of Adams. This was used to build the Miller Annex, which was opened in 1914 and which to this day holds programs, events, and meetings.
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Alongside discussing the open House Thursday, the Board of Trustees also provided an update on the proposed Holocaust exhibit to be temporarily placed in the library.
Trustee Eugene Michalenko said he met with exhibit owner Darrell English to discuss moving the exhibit from the Memorial Hall to the board of trustees room.
English, owner of the New England Holocaust Institute that used to be housed in North Adams, wants to permanently house his thousands of World War II artifacts. Parts of the exhibit will be hosted at the library temporarily.
"He is hoping the exhibit will be kind of a showcase for potential benefactors to see his collection and maybe they will invest and help find him a permanent home," Michalenko said.
Bruneau asked the trustees if they were comfortable discontinuing receiving Massachusetts General Law Books. She said the books take up a lot of space, are available online, do not get much use, and this year alone cost over $3,000.
Attorney and Trustee James Loughman said the books are useful, but understands why the library may not need them.
"This is an online age, but it is still true when you are going legal research it is still good to have the actual hardbound volumes for many reasons," he said.
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