Project History

History of project:

• 2000 Land swap and parking area license granted and completed with a subsequent owner 2005
• 2002 Preliminary plans obtained 
• 2004 Conditional use Building Permit issued 
• 2008 Waste water piped to Town Office leach field along Route 5 completed
• 2012 Trees removed from rear of building
• 2013 Stump and brush removal, temporary parking area installed
• 2013 Last Building Permit renewal obtained 11/19/2013, with the condition that the building must be completed by 1/28/15

The Weathersfield Proctor Library on Route 5 in Ascutney is in great need of expanding its facility. Any visitor can see that our small gem of a building is seriously overcrowded. For many years the Trustees and Librarians have worked diligently to maintain this historic institution for the Weathersfield Community. Every year we add new materials to our collections of books and non-print materials, and we update or replace our public computers. This year we updated our circulation database and we are now part of a consortium of 52 libraries in Vermont and we also became part of a fiber optic network for much faster internet and WiFi service.

Thanks to the generosity of the taxpayers and the Friends of the Library, we have been able to pay for roof repairs, heating system upgrades, painting, and general maintenance - work needed to keep the building in good condition. A new waste-water disposal system, large enough to accommodate the expansion, is the most recent project we have seen to completion.

Circulation statistics have risen every year in the past ten years. In 2013 circulation rose 16% and 110 new library cards were given out in 2013. But despite our efforts to take advantage of every inch, we don't have enough room to accommodate all of the activities that take place under our roof. Not only are we running out of space for our collections (many books are being stored in the basement) but we also lack the space we need for programs, meetings, and the increased demand for public access to the Internet. As we study state  and regional trends in library use, we can identify many services we would like to offer, if only we had the capacity. The population of Weathersfield in 1902 when the library was built was 1089. Proctor Library is simply too small to serve the 2862 citizens of Weathersfield as well as they deserve.

Recognizing this need, the Board of Trustees engaged the Rutland architectural firm of Nimtz, Berryhill & Figiel to design an addition. Because we wanted to preserve the historic use of our building, as well as its appearance, the Trustees decided to keep the library in the existing building. Alvin Figiel on NBF came up with an innovative plan that doubles the square footage available to us, despite the constraints of a small lot, and addresses the deficiencies you will see listed on the FAQ page of this website. The addition, as well as the renovations to the existing building, will take advantage of new technology for energy efficiency and a flexible design space that will serve the community well into the future.

The next step is to secure funding for the addition and renovation. A $1.3 million bond proposal for the library expansion project will be on the ballot for voter consideration in March 2014.