College library to get $106.4M
Salem News
By Chris Cassidy
STAFF WRITER
SALEM — Help may be on the way for the shuttered Salem State College library.
The state Legislature has passed a bond bill that includes $106.4 million in funding for the college library, as well as science labs for Meier Hall, state Sen. Fred Berry's office announced yesterday.
"It's absolutely great news for Salem State College," said Beth Bower, the college's special assistant for external affairs. "I think everybody understood throughout the Legislature that we had a real need and that this was an emergency situation for us."
The college suddenly shut down the library in October after an engineering report raised concerns over the structural safety of the building.
Over the next few weeks, the state Division of Capital Asset Management will recommend whether the college should renovate the existing library or build a new one, Bower said.
In the meantime, the college plans to operate the library out of temporary space inside a vacant part of the main building on Central Campus. The two-story library will be much smaller than the original but still have computer workstations, core library materials and study rooms. It's expected to be ready for the fall semester.
But it's only temporary. The money in the bond bill is a critical step toward restoring the library to its former glory, Bower said.
"It's very important for the college because no institution of higher education can go forward without an academic library, Bower said. "Our faculty, staff and students have been wonderful since last October when the library was closed, being able to get through the academic year without having a traditional library."
The sudden closure of the library last year posed a daunting logistical challenge for college officials. Some 3,000 students used the library every day, and the building held offices for 90 faculty and staff members.
The money in the bond bill will also be used to renovate science labs inside Meier Hall.
Bower said it's still unclear when work on the library would begin — that depends on DCAM's recommends.
Other funding in the bond bills include:
$72 million to renovate the probate and family court building in Salem
$15 million to design and construct a parking garage in Salem
Funding for the Northeastern Massachusetts aquaculture center by Salem State College
$60 million to construct the Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School in Danvers.
Each bond bill passed the State Legislature in the final days of formal session. Together, they include funding for hundreds of projects across the state totaling more than $10 billion in bonds.
They now sit on Gov. Deval Patrick's desk for signature.
"It really is a wonderful outcome for us," Bower said.
