The Scoop

By Stephanie Skinner, Otis Library Director

July 2025

In mid 2024 your Otis Library was awarded one of the first small population Library Building Grants by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) under the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP). This extremely generous grant is reflective of the fact that small, and especially rural communities like ours, have many demands on their taxes and limited funds to do what they want, and must, to keep their towns safe AND relevant to the community.

Otis is certainly in that position. So, I’m taking this opportunity to explain what this library building grant actually does for Otis; what we know now, and what we don’t yet know.

The first part of the grant we received is for the Planning and Design Phase needed to construct any building. The MBLC gave the town $125,000, and the town voted to appropriate an additional $150,000 for a total of $275,000 for this first phase.

What is in this first phase and how will that money be spent?

According to the requirements of the grant, we hired a Library Building Consultant, Mary Braney, to write a Building Plan that outlines the space requirements for all that we do; our inventory, seating, reading and meeting space, and also a community room for a wide range of programming. This Library Building Consultant cost Otis $6,000, far less than is usual, due to the fact that community outreach had been done already.

We also hired an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM), Downes Construction, to help us create a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Design Firm (Architectural Firm). Downes will offer advice as we select that Design Firm, and will act as our knowledgeable guide throughout this design process, including stress testing cost estimates, scheduling, and ensuring that we stay within budget and on time. When we get to the build phase of this program, the OPM will work on site overseeing all aspects of construction and ensuring adherence to our wishes and budget. We are paying the OPM $72,000 for this Planning and Design phase.

This leaves $197,000 of the original $275,000.

With this team in place, on June 10th, we received eight proposals from interested Design Firms responding to that RFP. In the next week three Library Building Committee members, Sue Brofman, Donny Chaffee, and I, plus our town administrator, Brandi Page, and Chair of the Select Board, Gary Thomas, will review the proposals and narrow the field to three or so candidates who we will interview. Brandi Page, the Library Building Committee, and the OPM will negotiate with the Design Firm to ensure we stay within the allotted budget. We do not yet know what the Design Firm will charge, but we do know it cannot exceed what we have!

We will make our selection and ask the Select Board to approve the proposal.

It is at that point that the Design Firm will review the potential locations for the new library, and offer their recommendation for the best site.

This is how the first part of the grant is being administered, but what about the building and the costs that come after that?

We do not know what the cost of the new library will be, but we do know that the grant will cover 75% of all eligible costs.

That is 75% of the foundation, structure, insulation, electrical, plumbing, material, labor, oversight, interior structures, book shelves and more. Therefore, for clarity, imagine if the building from start to finish costs $5M, this grant covers $3.75M, leaving the town portion at $1.25M.

We do NOT know what this building will cost. However, the purpose of this Planning & Design Phase, and the careful oversight of the town, the Library Building Committee, and the fact that we are ALL tax payers in Otis, counsel us to keep an eye on cost. Yes, it is wonderful to have someone showing up with 75% of the cost, but we are keeping a very sharp eye on that remaining 25%. (Side bar; boy, do I wish someone was following me around at the grocery store these days and covering 75% of my groceries!)

In addition to constantly sharpening our pencils, the library staff, the Trustees, Friends of the Library, and the Building Committee are all actively raising funds from private donations and foundations to help offset the cost of the town’s 25%, as well as the ineligible costs.

There is much we do not know right now, but we do know that it is vital that we keep the value of the Library as the heart of the community in view at all times. We are looking forward to building a library that reflects your, and our, sensibilities and adds significantly to Otis’ strength and future health.

As information comes together, I will elaborate here. Please reach out with questions, hopes, concerns, whatever! After all, the Library is the heart of the community, and the community is the heart of the Library.

Don’t forget to stop by the Library Fair on July 5th!