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Date: 1/24/2023
EASTHAMPTON — Nearly two dozen community members came out to the City Council meeting on Jan. 18 to voice their support for the future of the Emily Williston Memorial Library after recent concerns about its financial stability.
The nearly 40-minute public comment portion of the meeting started with comments from Chuck McCullagh, chief financial officer at Williston Northampton School, who explained that he’d been asked to look at the library budget. His comments, which come after a presentation to the finance committee last week, summed up some of his biggest findings.
“There is a tenacious nature to the operating budget of the library right now,” said McCullagh.
One of the biggest factors affecting the financial security of the library is the building it currently sits in. The current building opened in 1881, and it faces many of the issues that age brings to a building — not being accessible and increased maintenance costs to name a couple. McCullagh explained that there is a diminishing return on the building in terms of how much time, money, and effort it requires.
To help the library move forward, Easthampton Savings Bank has offered to donate the building at 52 Main St., a former Bank of America property, but it will need renovations to be made into a library. That undertaking would necessitate a collaborative approach between the library board and the city, said McCullagh.
Another issue affecting the viability of the library is its funding source. Many community members voiced concern that Easthampton’s library doesn’t receive as much city funding as other area libraries do.
Community member Gwen Morrissey noted that there are many positive aspects to libraries, including access to books and free education, social groups and activities, as well as a place for families to bring their children. All of these make keeping the library a critical issue.
“We might want to fund a library differently,” said Morrissey. “I would love to see the community of Easthampton actively involved in these decisions.”
Most of the community members who spoke shared the various ways that the library has positively impacted their lives through building their love of reading, offering Wi-Fi and providing a safe space for people to learn about new topics and ideas.
Katya Schapiro, the director of the library, said that she has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for the library from the community.
“Our funding needs are very real and very dire,” she said. “We have needs; we also have so much to offer.”
Many community members also voiced their hopes that Easthampton and the City Council would use this opportunity to build the Emily Williston Memorial Library into something amazing.
“I hope that this is the time and place that we will step up and create the library that everyone wants to have,” said community member Raymah Hutchinson.
Rules prevent the council from responding directly to comments made during the public comment portion of the meeting. However, Councilor Daniel Rist, who also serves as chair of the Finance Committee, spoke later in the meeting about the discussion of the library at the Jan. 11 Finance Committee meeting.
Rist emphasized the generosity of the multi-million dollar property donation being offered by Easthampton Savings Bank, but also wanted to note the significant cost of renovating that building. He noted that there is a concern that the library’s endowment could be drawn down within five years and that the library will need a more secure funding source.
As budget season gets into full swing, Rist encouraged everyone to “do our homework on all areas of the budget.”
Firefighters sworn in
Mayor Nicole LaChapelle swore in two new firefighters, Mitchell Prest and Riley Sorenson, at the council meeting. The two went through a rigorous procedure of tests, physical exams, and interviews to become firefighters. They plan to attend the fire academy in the spring.