Hingham’s Public Library is a quiet symbol of community cohesion. From toddlers at story time to seniors attending classical guitar concerts to teens studying for exams, the library serves them all. Yet, its story is one of stops and starts, which is the case with many of the Town’s facilities simply because we can’t afford everything all at once. Indeed, Hingham’s recent decisions around its library infrastructure reveal our fiscal challenges — one that casts a shadow on the newly proposed $30 million, 26,000- square-foot Center for Active Living or Senior Center.
The library’s struggle for renovation is an important lesson. In 2018, the Hingham Public Library was awarded a $9.2 million provisional construction grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. This grant represented a significant contribution to a major renovation to rejuvenate and expand the tired facility. That renovation would have addressed decades of unmet needs — inadequate meeting rooms, cramped study areas, parking shortfalls, and an undersized children’s wing. But by February 2019, the renovation project ground to a halt.
Considering that the Town wanted to buy the water company that same year – and no doubt mindful that the Town simply can’t afford to do every desired infrastructure project – the Select Board recommended “no action” on the warrant article for Town Meeting. This effectively meant that the Select Board rejected the level of spending required by the Town as a condition of the state’s grant. The library trustees later voted (9-5) to withdraw the warrant article from Town Meeting. To say that those who worked long and hard on the state grant and the renovation project were disappointed is an understatement. Members of the public (myself included) viewed this as a missed opportunity to create an enhanced asset for our Town…