ROCKPORT — What’s new with the Rockport Public Library? For starters, the library is planning to move in December to its new digs on Route 1 at 485 Commercial Street in Rockport. The building is nestled between Fresh Off the Farm and Briggs & Wholey LLC. The decision to relocate the library was approved by the Rockport Select Board after concerns about the condition of the existing building came to light in the recent engineering study. That decision is to be applauded.

As library staff members and members of Public Works begin building and setting up donated shelving, it becomes apparent that the temporary library with 5,000 square feet will be filled to capacity. Having two additional bathrooms, more office space, and some quiet areas will greatly benefit library users. Although it is not an ideal library space, it does provide good parking, and the building can take the weight of the books!

According to Interim Director Ben Blackmon, his goal is to only close the library for approximately one week while the work of moving and setting up is completed. As we know “many hands make light work”, and in the coming weeks the community will have the opportunity to support the move with many hands. Stay tuned.

To provide a picture of the many services provided by the library, here are some general statistics about our library.  In comparison with other Maine libraries, our library is ranked with towns that have a population of less than 5,000. There are 64 libraries in our bracket, and the Rockport Public Library ranks 40th by population. However, in terms of what services the library provides, the ranking reflects a different story:

Total Circulation – Rockport ranks third, with 66,542 items checked out annually

Computer usage —  Rockport ranks third with 7,180 units of computer usage

Adult Programming – Rockport ranks second in both the number of events and attendees.

Rockport Public Library may be small in building size, but it is very active.

While the temporary move is on schedule, discussions about a new library building are also underway. At a special Select Board meeting on Nov. 5, the Board voted to accept the Library Committee’s recommendation for programming space of 8,750 square feet, which does not include unassignable spaces like walls, stairs, HVAC systems, etc. 

The Select Board also voted to begin the process of creating a Library Planning Committee for the new library. The Board met on Nov. 17 to discuss and vote on a mission statement for the Planning Committee. Those meetings can be seen online at http://livestream.com/Rockportmaine. The Planning Committee will make recommendations to the Select Board that will include design and a cost estimate for the new building.

One of the big goals for the Select Board is to provide a referendum question on the fall 2016 ballot. The ballot will ask Rockport citizens to vote for a new library and an amount of bond for the new library. The board will be looking at the planning committee to provide information on the costs of a new building, taking into consideration the amount that can be raised from fundraising efforts and grants. Any costs to taxpayers that are being discussed at this point are not accurate.

As a board member of the Friends of the Rockport Public Library, I am encouraged to see this kind of forward movement. I look forward to seeing the formation of a Planning Committee and to hearing their recommendations for a new library.

Ann Filley, of Rockport, is a board member of the  Friends of the Rockport Public Library and former director of the Rockport library