Filmed in Bonsignore Hall, at the Charlotte & William Bloomberg Medford Public Library. ( ADAN SANTOS / Videographer )
MPLF Board members Rocco DiRico, Barbara Kerr, David Chia, and Friends of the Medford Public Library Treasurer Dan Lasko tell the story of the Charlotte & William Bloomberg Medford Public Library, and give an update on its first chapter.
In 2017, catalyzed by a $10.7M grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) and the unanimous support of the Medford City Council, the Medford Public Library Trustees endorsed a plan to build a new library. In 2018, the Medford Public Library Foundation (MPLF), a 501(c)3 organization, was established to solicit, manage and monitor private funds raised for the new library. Led by Barry R. Sloane, retired Chairman and CEO of Century Bank, and former City Councilman Rick Caraviello, the Foundation aimed to raise a minimum of $5M from foundations, corporations, individuals and civic organizations over the course of the campaign. The MPLF retained Holly Sargent to lead the fundraising effort.
The campaign brought together the whole city to envision a twenty-first century library for Medford. Schwartz/Silver Architects, G&R Construction, and The Vertex Companies were selected to complete the project.
In 2021, the construction and outfitting of the Charlotte & William Bloomberg Medford Public Library (CWBMPL) was completed under-budget for $27.14M and in January 2022, the library opened. The new 45,000 sq ft building, constructed at the same location after the old facility was demolished, doubled the usable square footage, is fully ADA compliant, LEED gold certified, and is designed to generate as much energy as it uses, making the CWBMPL the first net-zero library in the commonwealth of Massachusetts.
In its inaugural year, the CWBMPL welcomed 202,067 visitors, hosted 860 programs, and circulated 865,000 materials. The opening of the library was highly anticipated and celebrated. News publications such as the Boston Globe, the Library Journal, Arch Daily, the Jewish Journal, the Medford Transcript, Tufts Daily, and more took note of this great investment in Medford’s future.
As of June 2022, the fundraising effort was completed. The first-ever capital campaign for a public building in Medford soared over and above its original goal of $5M, raising $6.2M in private funds from over 1,012 donors, the majority of whom gave gifts of $25-250. Including contributions from the City, State, and private sources, $31.51M was contributed to the construction and outfitting of the CWBMPL.
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