Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Thunder possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..
Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Thunder possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
This address at 21 Main Street in Gloucester will be the temporary home to the Sawyer Free Library when the library starts its $28-million renovation of its Dale Avenue campus.
This address at 21 Main Street in Gloucester will be the temporary home to the Sawyer Free Library when the library starts its $28-million renovation of its Dale Avenue campus.
Sawyer Free Library has announced its trustees have secured a multi-year lease to move temporarily downtown during its upcoming $28 million renovation and expansion project, the library said in a press release.
The library is planning to move to 21 Main St., the former space of Cape Ann Cinema and Stage, this fall prior to the start of its construction project. The temporary library will be located in a 3,600-square-foot space on the building’s upper floor with an entrance on Main Street. The building’s other tenants — Mystery Train Records and St. Peter’s Club — will not be affected.
Work on the library is expected to start early next year and last about 18 months. Among other things, the project involves renovation of the library’s 1976 main building at 2 Dale Ave. and construction of a 15,000 square-foot addition on to the back of the library.
“When 21 Main St. was proposed as an option for the temporary Sawyer Free Library, we jumped at the opportunity,” said Mern Sibley, president of the Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library’s Board of Trustees, in a statement. “Located downtown, just a few blocks from our current location, it has the space and the requirements our dedicated library staff need in order to continue serving our community’s diverse cultural, educational, and informational needs and interests.”
“The commercial real estate market is very tight in Gloucester with few available properties,” Sibley said. “We feel fortunate to have secured a space that meets our specifications with only minor modifications needed. This temporary space presented itself at the right time, and it is one that we believe will serve the community best during this exciting and historic time for the Sawyer Free Library.”
The temporary library location will offer select in-person and curbside services, outreach programming and an enhanced level of online services. It will offer services for both children and adults, local history research resources and Wellspring House’s intake center as well as public computers, Wi-Fi access and study tables.
While the size of the space limits the quantity of materials onsite, through the hold system, cardholders will have access to thousands of titles and resources from storage in the library’s Saunders House and other North of Boston Library Exchange libraries.
The library’s hours will not change. The space is handicap accessible with parking in a nearby city lot.
The library said it plans to offer its programs for residents of all ages and it is looking at off-site locations in Gloucester Public Schools, preschools, community centers, municipal spaces, local cultural institutions, parks, and other outdoor spaces. It also plans to work with its many community partners to host collaborative programming, while seeking to enhance its remote and online virtual programs.
“Our dedicated Sawyer Free Library staff is committed to making this temporary transition smooth for all,” Library Director Jenny Benedict said in the announcement. “We are excited to share our expertise in new and creative ways. Our talented librarians, resources, and services that Gloucester looks to and relies on will continue to be there for them, whether it be in person in our temporary space, out in the community, or online.”
The library plans to use a relocation service to help move its collections, furnishings and equipment to the temporary location. The library’s historic Saunders House on Dale Avenue will be used for staff office space and onsite storage. The exact dates and move specifics will be announced at a later date.
“In order for the 2025 Sawyer Free Library project to move forward on schedule, it’s imperative that the current library is available to the construction company as soon as the project and financial approvals are in place,” Sibley said.
“There is also an urgency to relocate before the winter in order to move the public and our collections and equipment into a safe space where they are no longer at risk due to the deteriorating conditions of the current building.”
The Sawyer Free 2025 fundraising campaign for the project is underway, with commitments of several large corporate gifts and donations big and small. To learn more about the project, go to sawyerfree2025.org.
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