UPDATE: The Community Room has been reopened for the scheduled Friends Book Sale Setup. Teen Room’s Maker Space iMac computers and Gaming Room televisions were restored when electrical use was approved. The Children’s Room is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday September 5.
The Library sustained significant flooding on Friday morning August 18 as a result of intense rainstorms, with water sheeting off the wetlands side of the building and flowing into the Community Room, A/V closet, Kitchen, Children’s Room, Children’s Program Room, and Sprinkler Room.
We do not yet have an update from the Town’s fire department or building official when these spaces will be habitable – Town and Library staff responded heroically, and ServPro was on site over the weekend to install industrial dryers.
Currently, the rugs and walls are dry, electrical has been restored, and an insurance claim has been filed.
The Children’s Room, and Children’s Program Room will be CLOSED to the public until further notice. The Friends Book Sale will proceed as scheduled, and we are currently accepting donations.
A collection of Children’s Materials will be available for browsing in the Historic Reading Room on the Common (upper) Level, accessible by elevator and from the Common Entrance.
We will share more information as soon as we have new information, and will make every effort to reschedule meetings and programs in other spaces.
We thank you for your flexibility and understanding of these circumstances beyond our control.
Please join us in celebrating Senior Library Associate Marilyn Wilcox, who will be retiring on June 30 after nearly 19 years of service in the Children’s Room at the Grafton Public Library. We will be honoring her with a reception on Friday June 30 from 10am-12noon at the Grafton Public Library, 35 Grafton Common, and the community is invited to attend.
Miss Marilyn staffed the children’s room service desk, navigated two library moves and several library renovations with grace and patience. She did a LOT of meticulous shelving and shelf-reading, helped with programs and displays, provided storytime, and served as volunteer coordinator. Miss Marilyn has provided a warm, welcoming presence to families, fostered compassion and kindness towards co-workers, and delivered excellence in connecting the right person with the right book at the right time. She was awarded a level II Paralibrarian Certificate from the MA Library Association in May 2022.
We wish her well and she will be greatly missed! We will both celebrate our joy in the next chapter of her life, and drown our sorrows in her leaving, with cake! Please RSVP via the event on our Facebook Page or directly to Beth Schreiber at 508-839-4649 x1836 or by email at schreiberb@graftonlibrary.org.
Due to decreasing COVID-19 case counts in Grafton, we are able to reduce our Children’s Room “Masks Required” mandate to “Masks Recommended.” Masks can be provided if needed.
Computers, manipulatives, and in-person programming for school-age children is now available, as well.
The remainder of the Library remains Mask Optional.
UPDATE: The Community Room has been reopened for the scheduled Friends Book Sale Setup. Teen Room’s Maker Space iMac computers and Gaming Room televisions were restored when electrical use was approved. The Children’s Room is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday September 5.
