Maynard Public Library


Maynard Public Library is a public library at 77 Nason Street in Maynard, Massachusetts. The library is part of the Minuteman Library Network. The Maynard Public Library was founded in 1881. The library building at 77 Nason Street – formerly Roosevelt Elementary School – was renovated and reopened as a library in 2006. From 1962 to 2006 the library had been in the building that became the Maynard Police Station.

History

The original library location was inside the Acton Street School, at 5 Acton Street. From 1885 to 1918 the library was a room inside the Riverside Cooperative Building, at the southwest corner of Nason and Summer Streets. From there, it moved to a second floor space in the Naylor Block building, at the corner of Nason and Main Streets. The space was 37 x 39 feet. In 1960 there was a proposal for the Town of Maynard to build a town hall and adjoining library. The dedication ceremony for the library was July 29, 1962. Town of Maynard Annual Reports mention that in 1891 the collection consisted of 3,416 books, and had reached 15,000 books by 1960. Originally one floor, it occupied both floors of the building by 1974. totaling 6,000
square feet, with a collection size of approximately 30,000 items. The library became a full member of the Minuteman Library Network in summer. 1995. In 1999, under the direction of Library Trustees William Cullen, Elizabeth Binstock, and AnneMarie Lesniak-Betley and Director Stephen Weiner, a movement to build a new library facility began. In 2002 a grant of 2 million dollars was awarded to the Town by the state of Massachusetts, while the Friends of the Maynard Public Library secured 600,000 dollars in donations. The abandoned 24.000 square foot Roosevelt school on Nason Street was chosen as the new library site. Construction began in September 2004 and was completed in May, 2006. The new Maynard Public Library, built inside the renovated Roosevelt school building, opened its doors on July 16, 2006.