By Katie Farrell Lovett
Staff writer
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NEWBURYPORT — A proposal to turn control of the Emma Andrews Branch Library over to the city was approved by the library's Board of Directors Wednesday.
The library board was presented with a proposal seeking to allow volunteers to run the building so it can expand its hours and programs while minimizing costs.
Located in a historic Victorian house on Purchase Street, the Andrews library had served the city as a reading room since 1905 and became a branch library in 1926.
Last fall, the building was closed by city officials after high lead levels were found on the windows and several surfaces in the library and upstairs apartment.
Mayor Donna Holaday sought to have the building turned over to the city so it could oversee its operations and expand its use. Holaday wants to reopen the building as a community reading room once it is deleaded. The move will allow the city to offer new and additional services as well as be a facility to check out books and library materials.
By staying open for more hours, the building could house meetings or serve as a venue for senior citizen events, adult education programs or tutoring programs, the mayor has said.
Andrew Flanagan, the director of policy and administration for the city, said yesterday the city's legal team has reviewed the deed for the building, which stipulates that the building must remain as a functioning library. Under the deed restrictions, the building cannot be sold.
The building has been examined by a certified lead inspector, who informed the city that the second-floor apartment and exterior of the building need to be deleaded. Encapsulated paint must be put on leaded surfaces, and 19 windows must be replaced on the second floor of the building.
The library must also be made compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. That includes installing a new ramp, rails and tread, as well as modifying the first-floor bathroom.
Flanagan said yesterday he expects the work to begin by the end of the month.
The Andrews library is self-sufficient, Flanagan said, and the revenue it raises goes toward its operating costs. The Emma Andrews Branch Library Improvement Association has fundraised a vast majority of the money for the capital improvements, Flanagan added.
As part of those fundraising efforts, the group is holding a block party tomorrow from 4 to 8 p.m. between 77 Purchase St. and Madison. It will be free of charge, although donations will be accepted and go entirely toward the deleading project. Dick Kaplan and Johnny (The Sax) Battis will perform, and there will be children's activities and games, a clown, face-painting and 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.
"I think it's really going to be a lot of fun, and we're hoping for a good turnout," said Kathy Malynn, president of the Emma Andrews Association.
Malynn called the plan for the library "a win-win situation." The costs will be minimal and the building will be more multi-purpose.
