Date: 10/5/2021
I care deeply about sustaining Amherst as an affordable community that will serve and enrich people of all ages, income levels and backgrounds.
That is why I will be voting yes for the Jones Library project on the Nov. 2 ballot.
Amherst’s library is a beloved institution that is open to and needed by many constituencies, including young children, teens, families, immigrants, ESL learners, and folks who do not have their own computers at home. But the physical facility is woefully outdated and needs our support so that it can properly serve our community for decades to come.
Yes, it’s a major project with a big price tag, but the plan has been thoughtfully put together over the last 10-plus years. The project will renovate and expand the library, fill programming gaps, resolve serious maintenance and safety concerns, and address 21st century issues such as making the facility accessible to all citizens and reducing energy use.
Plans for funding and operating the facility are sound and feasible.
Fundraising plans call upon diverse sources, including Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds, tax credits, borrowing by the town, gifts from the community, grants from foundations and financial institutions, and grants from government sources. The Amherst Town Council approved the library’s plan by appropriating the town’s $15.8 million share of the cost. The project has qualified for a $13.8 million provisional grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. And fundraising initiatives by the Friends of the Jones have made a good start, already securing $1 million in CPA funds, and pledges of another $1.2 million from the community toward the $6.6 million balance of the cost of the project.
Let’s seize the moment and make this project happen for the Amherst of today and tomorrow.
Carol M. Johnson
Amherst
