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History

The Town of East Longmeadow is located in Hampden County, Massachusetts situated in the Pioneer Valley Region of Western Massachusetts.  It is 5 miles southeast of downtown Springfield, 25 miles north of Hartford, CT. 88 miles southwest of Boston, and 142 miles north of New York City.  

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East Longmeadow was first settled in 1720 as part of the Town of Longmeadow.  It was known as "East Village." In 1894 East Village separated from Longmeadow.

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In 1896, the East Longmeadow Public Library was founded.  It's first location was in the Board of Selectmen's Office in the Town Hall with only a couple of hundred books on its shelves.  The library eventually outgrew its allotted space and was moved into a room of its own within the Town Hall.

The library continued to expand and in 1957 the Town purchased and renovated the Carlisle's Hardware Store that was located in the building adjacent to the Town Hall and made it the home of the town's public library.

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The 1980's exploded with electronic and computer devices that were created for home use.  It seemed like every month some new technology came onto the market.  There were personal computers, video game consoles, compact discs (CDs), Walkmans, Videocassette recorders (VCRs), camcorders,  answering machines, and the list goes on.  Due to these innovations the library had to meet the needs of the community. It provided personal computers that patrons could use on the library's premises and offered books and music on CDs and Hollywood movies on Video Home System (VHS) tapes that could be borrowed for personal use on patron's electronic devices.

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In 1983, a group of library supporters recognized the necessity to financially assist the Library in its quest to provide additional materials and services to the community. And so, the Friends of the East Longmeadow Public Library became a formal organized group with the adoption of a set of bylaws and a Board of Directors.

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In 1990 the Americans with Disabilities Act became law.  A review of the parking lot, signage, doors, floors, lighting, furnishings, circulation desk,  electrical supply and the restroom facilities had to be in compliance with the new law's code.  To meet the requirements, the library needed additional space.

After a cost analysis was done, it was determined the cost to renovate the old building was almost as much as to construct a new building.

A plan and design had to be approved by two entities:  the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) and the town's Planning Board.  Once those hurdles were crossed, it became a matter of where the money to pay for the project would be derived.  The MBLC was willing to provide a substantial grant for the construction of a new library, but not all taxpayers were in favor of the town paying the difference.  The people with objections felt that libraries would become

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obsolete due to the abundance of information that could be acquired at home in the new computer age. They felt the funds could be better used on other projects in town.  

The library project went before the community a few times without success due to other major needs in town. At the final special town meeting to address the project, it was necessary that the majority of residents attending vote in favor of paying a share of the cost of the project through taxation otherwise the MBLC planned to award the grant money to another library's construction project.  By the end of the meeting, the votes in favor were slightly more than those opposed.  The final agreement, however,  was that the cost had to be divided into thirds:  funds were needed from the MBLC grant, from the Town's budget, and through a capital campaign drive. 

 

As advocates of the library, the Friends made a sizable financial pledge of support to help the capital campaign drive meet its goal.  Members donated their time to stuff and address envelopes, work at tele-a-thons, create a major golf tournament, organize ice cream socials, initiate a fashion show, prepare writing contests, generate basket raffles, etc.  The Friends worked hard and accomplished its goal.

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During that controversial time, the "Friends" realized that there were benefits to members and donors if it took some additional steps to become a nonprofit, tax exempt corporation under the 501(c)(3) code of the IRS.  Becoming a corporation meant the Friends would be recognized as a legal entity.  In order to comply with the state's incorporation procedures and formalities, the Friends created its Articles of Organization and a new set of bylaws with the help of a local attorney.  The documents were submitted to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the organization's name became the "Friends of the East Longmeadow Public Library, Inc." effective June 28, 1995.

MISSION STATEMENT:

To maintain an association of persons interested in the East Longmeadow Public Library; to focus public attention on the Library; to stimulate the use of the Library's resources and services; to receive and encourage gifts, endowments and bequests to the Library; to support and cooperate with the Library on developing library services and facilities for the community and to promote the purposes of libraries in general and the East Longmeadow Public Library in particular.

While the building committee continued working with the architect on details, the cooperative library staff pitched in to pack up all books and materials for storage from the former library.  In the meantime, the Friends continued working on their non-stop fundraisers in order to accomplish its financial goal for the Capital Campaign Drive.

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During that busy time and while the construction of the "new" library was taking place, the main library's temporary home was three modular trailer units on the grounds of the New Life Baptist Church on Westwood Avenue.    While adults used that 2,100-square foot facility during construction, children continued to attend programs at the Little Red School House on School Street.

Although the new building opened to the public in February of 2004, the official ribbon cutting and opening day ceremonies for the library took place on Saturday, June 8, 2004.  Joining Gloria Carver, the Library Director, the Trustees, and members of the Friends were Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioner, John Arnold, State Representative Gale Candaras, State Senator Brian Lees, Board of Selectman Gary DeLisle, Selectman John Claffey, Pastor David Chase of the New Life Baptist Church  and hundreds of other guests.

Dignitaries made their speeches and Cindy MacNaught, Children's Librarian, shared her poem "The Little Library that Could or How the New Library Came to Be":

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The little Library looked tired and sad,

It was crowded and cramped,

The floor was buckled, the lighting bad.

The staff knew something must be done.  But what? ......

The Friends are proud to have played a role in the construction of the "new" library however, the Friends' mission didn't stop there.  There are always new programs and additional needs that only funds from the Friends can provide and that is the reason why fundraisers such as the used books sales and basket raffles continue on.

 

The year 2020 marked a milestone for the Friends of the East Longmeadow Public Library, Inc.....its 25th anniversary!  The Friends will continue working "behind the scenes" with the staff and look forward to helping make the East Longmeadow Public Library a great destination to visit and one that will forever be enjoyed in the future.

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THEN . . . .

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THE CONSTRUCTION

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TODAY!!!

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