If you have been to the Cary Memorial Library recently, you may have noticed that it looks quite different. This is due to the Children’s Room and Lower Level Renovation Project (also called ChiRP), which will run until June 30th, 2025.

“The goals for this project, as articulated by the library, are: ignite curiosity, engage minds, and connect community,” said Stewart Roberts, an architect from the firm Johnson Roberts Associates, Inc., in the March 14th, 2024 town meeting. You can sign up for construction updates here. Construction is expected to begin in mid-August.

The Vision

In the previous library space, which was designed in the late 1990s, children were usually just listeners instead of active participants, with less hands-on and creative engagement. ChiRP would aim to change this by creating a space with greater flexibility, which would also make it more accessible and improve sight lines to prioritize the safety of the youngest library users. The Children’s Room has the highest foot traffic of any space in the library, meaning it is well overdue for a renovation. The HVAC system on the lower level will also be replaced, switching from a fossil fuel system to a cleaner alternative.

Costs and Funding

ChiRP will cost around $6.2 million. $1.5 million of this total cost is from the Cary Memorial Library Trust, including a $750,000 fundraising campaign by the Cary Library Foundation. $2.3 million of this total will be paid through the Community Preservation Act (CPA) Trust Fund, and $1.7 million from the general fund. $672,000 is coming from an HVAC capital article from a previous year. Town Meeting members approved the use of funds at the March 2024 Town Meeting.

Impacts on Library Space and Programs

During the year of construction, the Children’s Room, Preschool Play Space, Story Time Room, Large Meeting Room, and Teen Space will all be closed. There will also be more limited seating on the Main Level, with no space to accommodate large groups. For this reason, all library programs will be happening virtually or at offsite locations such as the Lexington Community Center and Cary Hall. You can see the Events and Programs schedule for information about specific programs.

Large events like Truck Day, Fairy Tale Ball, and Brickmania will not happen during this time. Additionally, there will be no formal summer reading challenge this year, but reading logs will still be available. The On the Road to Reading program will continue as usual.

The Teen and Children’s collections have now been moved to different locations. On the Main Level, in the Living Room Space across from the Main Desk, 70% of the children’s collection will be accessible. For the duration of the project, the remainder of the collection will be housed offsite and will be unavailable for use. Around 50% of the Teen Fiction collection will be available on the Main Level, while the rest will also be moved to offsite storage, unavailable for use until the project is completed. However, all of the Teen nonfiction collection will be available on the Main Floor and the Mezzanine.

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  1. Pingback: Where to go while the library is under construction - The Lexington Observer
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