The vote on the Grafton Public Library expansion is on Dec. 13.
Photo credit: Jennifer Lord Paluzzi (file photo)

GRAFTON, Mass. - TheDailyGrafton.com accepts signed letters to the editor. Letters may be emailed to jpaluzzi@mainstreetconnect.us. Letters on the library issue will not be accepted until after the Dec. 13 election.

To the Editor:

I spent most of my childhood in Grafton and then returned to town as a young adult and remained there until I married seven years ago.  I have been reading about Grafton's proposed library expansion project and wanted to share my perspective.  I fondly remember going to the library when I was in middle school and had projects that required research I could do there.  I also went back a number of times in college when I was doing research on the town's history, something I could access only there.  I loved the feeling of the old main reading room -- it was so cozy.  I also remember the times I'd go to look for a book and have to walk through the dark stacks to find something, always wondering how anything could be found in such a space.

When I got married, my husband and I bought a house in Bolton, a town much smaller and more rural than Grafton (with a much smaller tax base and the third highest tax rate in the state), so that we could live half-way between both of our families.  Bolton had a very small library that was similar in concept to that of Grafton: attractive and quaint, but not sufficient in size or accessibility.  Shortly after we arrived, the town voted to spend the money to address the space needs of the library.  The new addition to the library took a while to build, but when it was finished, it was a masterpiece.  I had gone to the old library just once prior to the construction.  The building was so small that the librarian ended up getting the book for me so that I didn't have to wind my way through the narrow passages with a baby in tow.  The new library is fully accessible with a program room available to any town group, and it is booked frequently.  There is a huge Children's Room that is bright and airy with a wonderful mural painted on the walls and ceiling.  There are children's story times each week, with some so popular that they use the program room to fit in everyone.  The library is always being used.  The old building is still in tact, but it has been renovated and made accessible to all.  The charming, cozy feeling is still there in the smaller reading rooms often used by senior citizens and younger adults looking for a quiet space while still being around other people.  My sons and I go to the library weekly, something I doubt we would do if that required us to use the old building.

I understand I will not be paying for the Grafton library personally, but I know the benefits of taking the plunge and being willing to add that cost to already expensive property taxes.  My town is still paying off a new high school, and we have very few town services for the money we spend (no curbside trash pick up, for instance).  Bolton has a population of just over 4,000.  We are a much smaller town than Grafton, and we have almost no commercial property to offset our tax base.  But, the money spent (and still being paid back) is something I consider worthwhile.  The library is used by so many people, of all ages, from all economic backgrounds (and, yes, there is a diversity of economic backgrounds in Bolton).  I see it as a valuable addition to my town.  I hope the residents of Grafton make the same decision my new town did.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Weinfurt