Future budget projections include the costs of the proposed after-school program, including staff salaries and supplies. These costs will be met by funding raised jointly by the school district and FoGL, not taxes. The basic operating expenses of the new library, covering current library staffing levels and associated library costs, will be the same in the new building as the old unless voters decide to increase this budget. Although the new building is larger than our current library, Net-Zero energy construction makes it less expensive to operate.

We are working with CDFA to award $845,844 for library construction as a grant.

The curent library has 81 linear feet of shelf space for books and media.

The current plan for the new library has 164 linear feet of shelf space for books and media.

CDFA said they would have to assess the situation if it happened. General contractors who have expressed interest in bidding this project have deemed the timeline generous and reasonable. But construction delays sometimes happen. Our general contractor will have to keep on top of every task. FOGL has committed to completing the new library building however long it takes and covering whatever cost overruns occur.

The program will be staffed by a director, an assistant director, and volunteers. The director and assistant director will be employees of the School District, and funding for both paid positions will covered by grants secured jointly by the District and FoGL. No tax dollars will be used for this purpose.

Costs associated with the after-school program will be covered by a combination of grants and fees. The District and FoGL will collaborate to secure the necessary grant funding, and modest fees will be charged on a sliding scale. No child will be excluded because their family cannot afford to pay, and no tax dollars will be used to cover the costs.

The Trustees thought about this for a long time - nearly ten years. They studied the existing lot, met with architects and site planners, and even got estimates for moving and expanding the existing library. Our historic and charming library just cannot meet the demands of today’s library and population.

The lack of a bathroom with running water is a problem for staff and patrons, especially those with young children.

The current site cannot accommodate an adequately sized septic and well to meet public needs. Alternatives have been carefully considered, but none have proven to be practical or desirable.

Our small, single-room library cannot accommodate quiet use and group programming or socialization at the same time.

For many rural communities, the library is the only public space where residents can gather to socialize, connect, and pursue common interests. Meeting that need while providing a quiet place to read, work, and study is not possible in our current building.

Parking at the existing library is inadequate. It is often a challenge to find a place to park that does not block in other cars or neighbors' driveways and mailboxes.

This problem is exacerbated in the winter, when snow at the side of the road makes street parking particularly difficult and dangerous.

There is no room to provide new services and programs that can benefit Grafton residents.

According to a survey by the American Library Association of libraries across the country, the median size of a rural remote library is 2,380 square feet. The Grafton library is only 660 square feet, and every effort has already been made to make the best possible use of this limited space.

Each of these limitations undermine our ability to pursue our library’s mission and vision.

The new library will be larger, more comfortable, and more accessible, offering adequate off-street parking, separate spaces for quiet use and group activity, and modern restroom facilities. Solar panels, a heat pump, and robust insulation will make it possible to operate this larger space for lower cost. That frees up money to invest in our staffing and offer more open hours for the community.

A new library has been under discussion for the past ten years and was referenced in the Master Plan from the 1980s. In 2020, a non-binding (advisory only) warrant article calling for the construction of a new building was endorsed by the voters. Moving forward now is in the town’s best interest for very practical reasons.

There are 2 driving factors for moving forward now:

• During the last two years, there has been an unprecedented increase in the cost of construction materials. The labor shortage has further inflated costs. The longer we wait, the more this project will cost.

• The library budget is increasingly strained by the rising cost of heat and electricity. In the last year alone, electricity rates doubled. By constructing a library with solar power, heat pumps, and great insulation, we can effectively zero out the electrical and heating costs. The sooner we achieve this goal, the sooner we will see this budget relief and avoid future increases.

The Friends of the Grafton Library (FoGL) was formed because its founders realized that the town of Grafton cannot afford to fund a major capital project, such as a new library, via taxpayer dollars alone. From its inception, FoGL has aimed to raise funds for a new library while supporting library programming and sponsoring community-building events. Thanks to its fundraising efforts, all funds for construction have been raised.

The Community Center Investment Program of the NH Community Development Financial Authority will cover 85% of the total construction costs. We have already secured the remaining 15% in pledges, gifts, and donated professional services.

Lots! We believe the new library will improve the quality of life for Grafton residents of all ages.

School children and teens:

The new library can provide a great after-school environment for school children without requiring additional taxpayer support. School children could be dropped off to do their homework in a supportive environment or attend after-school programs. Volunteers, some of whom have already stepped forward, could provide the necessary adult supervision and assistance.

The new library can also provide space for homeschooling programs. Homeschooling parents and their children will be able to meet at the new library for enrichment classes, with parents taking turns teaching subjects in which they have expertise.

Young children and their families:

Because the new library will have a separate carpeted area where children can gather for story hour, play, and group activities, it will be far more accommodating place for families of young children.

Did we mention bathrooms?

Older adults and caregivers:

By providing comfortable spaces for conversation and lifelong learning, the new library can enrich the lives of older adults who may otherwise be isolated. The library will be a place where people of all ages can meet up to socialize, share a cup of coffee, or pursue common interests. It can also be a place where caregivers, who often feel isolated, can meet up to support one another.

The workforce:

Quiet work spaces with computers and free Wi-Fi can help patrons search for job opportunities, develop job skills, and complete job applications that are only available online. Remote workers can also make use of the quiet work spaces the library will provide. While the current library does have free Wi-Fi and new patron laptops, the lack of privacy and a reliably quiet environment makes it difficult to use these resources for work-related activity.

Community groups and clubs:

A separate space in the new library will accommodate community groups, library club meetings, special presentations, and classes. Because the meeting space will be separable from the book collection and patron workspace, group activities can be scheduled during library operating hours while respecting the needs of patrons who are seeking a quiet place to work and read.

The old post-and-beam barn has both historical and architectural value. As a c.1800 hand hewn barn, it is one of the last of its kind in Grafton. Unlike new construction, the proposed barn library will be in keeping with the surrounding public buildings and Grafton’s rural heritage. Of the alternatives that have been considered, reusing the timber frame from the old barn is the least costly option that solves all the problems of the present library building and lot. Because old building materials will be reused, it is also the most environmentally friendly option.

The energy model of the new library is a net-zero energy building by installing solar panels, using heat pumps, and including great insulation. An environmental engineer is modeling the new library’s energy needs to ensure our ability to match the success of the Gilmanton library barn in reaching this goal.

By building a net zero-energy building, we are able to ensure level funding from the town in 2026 as compared to 2023’s approved budget.

We currently use our library for group programs, such as book club, during times when the library is closed for book circulation. These group programs are coordinated by volunteers, not paid staff. Since the proposed library building can be open for about 28 hours per week at zero energy costs, we can increase the number of hours the library is open for volunteer-led programming and meetings without incurring any utility or staffing costs.

If the town does decide to increase the library’s staffing budget in the future, thereby adding the number of hours it is open for book circulation, the new building’s energy efficiency will accommodate the increase in operating hours without adding energy costs.

The Library Trustees had a Building Committee of townspeople and a few construction professionals from 2015 to 2018: it assessed the needs of the library as outlined by the Library Trustees, it reviewed the Request for Proposal drafted by the Library Trustees to hire an architect, it reviewed the architect proposals and interviewed the architects and helped select UK Architects, it reviewed the many design concepts, and it gave up when the resulting proposal cost $1.4 million.

We are beyond the design stage now. The Library Trustees voted to approve a design concept in November 2019 - the historic Grafton barn timber frame. The CDFA funding is for a shovel-ready project, not a project just starting. We are assembling a real Building Team consisting of an architect, site/septic designer, energy efficiency engineer, project manager/general contractor.

The Lions Club built the Enfield Community Center in 1999.

No. Funding for construction has been raised.

Ultimately, that is up to the town. The building does have historical and architectural value, and could have a future as a non-public space. Although the lot is not large enough to accommodate a septic system for a public bathroom, there may be enough space for a smaller septic system and private bathroom.