WESTFORD CENTER — Sen. John Cronin and Rep. Jim Arciero recently met with J.V. Fletcher Library Director Ellen Rainville, to present $50,000 in state funding for physical upgrades to the library as part of its ongoing expansion and renovation.
“Libraries are foundational pillars in communities,” Cronin said, “Contributing to J.V. Fletcher Library’s construction project is important to making sure Westford is educated, well-connected and equipped to support future generations. The funding supports the library by ensuring the facility can continue to serve residents through accessible and reliable community spaces”.
Following a 436 to 141 approval vote by residents during Special Town Meeting in October 2022, the $32.5 million expansion and renovation of the library broke ground in September of last year.
The project aims to expand the size of the library by nearly doubling its square footage and modernize it to better suit the needs of the community. This includes ensuring that all spaces meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility guidelines and increasing public meeting spaces to support youth education and community gatherings.
Since opening in 1896, the library has been a cornerstone of the Westford community, offering a wide range of physical and digital books, book club kits, museum passes, online research databases, streaming services plus individual and collaborative study rooms.
“J.V. Fletcher Library has always been an important part of the Westford community and my family and I have spent countless hours there over the years,” Arciero said. “I am happy to work with Sen. Cronin to secure this funding for the library. As Westford continues to grow and change, we want to make sure our public institutions are equipped to serve the needs of our community.”
The $50,000 funding for the library was secured by Cronin and Arcierio as part of the Fiscal Year 2027 state budget negotiations. The library’s expansion and renovation is expected to be completed this spring.
“We are thrilled to have both our legislators on site today celebrating the high points that we’ve reached with the construction project so far,” Rainville said. “These funds will allow us to keep our facility up to date. This particular design is going to be flexible, versatile and usher us through the 21st century. It will allow us to provide state of the art services for Westford’s children, teens, families and seniors and we are so grateful to our community to continue to support us as we’ve taken this once in a lifetime venture”.
