By Katie Farrell Lovett
Staff writer
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NEWBURYPORT — Members of the Emma Andrews Library branch association will meet with city officials this week to determine how much it will cost to delead the small neighborhood library on Purchase Street.
The library, located in an old Victorian house, was closed down by the city last year after lead paint was discovered throughout the building. Tenants of the upstairs apartment, which is rented out by the city, discovered their young child had been diagnosed with high levels of lead paint.
Located about a mile east of the city's main public library, the Emma Andrews is a unique survivor in the city's densely populated South End neighborhood, where corner stores and neighborhood schools and fire stations were once common. The neighborhood is almost entirely residential now.
Over the past year, the Andrews Branch Improvement Association has launched an "Emma Forever" campaign to urge city officials to repair and reopen the building. The group has taken several small steps so far: A petition drive gathered about 950 signatures, association president Kathy Malynn said yesterday, and "Emma Forever" T-shirts have been printed. Earlier this summer, the group held a successful book and yard sale, raising more than $800 to go toward the repairs.
As the group looks toward a kick-off event to their major fundraising campaign — a block party on Sept. 11 — Malynn said members of the association will meet on Friday with Mayor Donna Holaday, Ward 1 City Councilor Allison Heartquist and the mayor's director of policy and administration Drew Flanagan.
"At that point we should have a business plan that will spell out all the costs," she said.
With a good "ballpark figure" of how much will be needed to delead the building and reopen it, Malynn said the group will compile information packets to pass out at the block party.
They will also set up sign-up sheets for people to make pledge amounts to the fundraising drive or to sign up for labor — donating services such as carpentry or electrician work, Malynn said, which will help cut down on costs.
In September, members of the Andrews Branch Library Improvement Association and the mayor will petition the Library Board of Directors for permission to allow volunteers to run the building so it can expand its hours and programs while minimizing costs.
The mayor has said she envisions a community reading room for groups of all ages, such as seniors, the adult education program or the Newburyport Learning Center for tutoring sessions.
With all of the attention given to the Andrews library, Malynn said, a small petition drive asking people to sign on and urge city officials to fix and open the building drew a response from across the city.
"It was amazing to me that there were people all over the city who signed," she said. Some would comment about how they always intended to go in and check it out, or share their memories of going there as a child, she added.
"It really has been an eye opener for people who may have kind of heard about it," Malynn said.
The "Let's Get the Lead Out" block party, which will run from 4 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 11, will be free of charge, although donations will be accepted and go entirely toward the deleading project.
The party will be held between 77 Purchase St. and Madison. EJ Ouelette and Whole Soul Band will provide live entertainment, and there will be children's activities, starting off with a bike parade.
Hot dogs, hamburgers and potato chips will be provided and attendees are encouraged to bring their own salads, soft drinks and desserts.
