WESTON, Vt. – Weston’s Wilder Memorial Library has moved a step closer to its goal of expanding its 200-year-old building. The Town of Weston and the local nonprofit Friends of the Weston Community, Inc., have combined to purchase the so-called Riverside house on the half-acre next to the library from John and Christina Coughlin, who offered the property to the library at a price below the town’s assessed value.
Jessica Clapp, the library director, said the library recently completed a survey asking Weston residents what a future library should include to better serve the community. The overwhelming response was that the library needs a bathroom, community space, parking, and ADA access between the floors of its historic building.
“To enable a modest expansion of the library, some parking, and a bathroom, we will need a water and septic system and a few parking spaces. We can’t get this done in our current building, which is on a postage stamp lot without room to expand,” Clapp said.
The Friends organization will hold the property and undertake the demolition of the house, installing water and septic and creating a few off-street parking spaces. Once that is done, the property will be turned over to the Town of Weston for the library’s use.
“We are grateful to the Coughlins for offering their property to us. Acquiring the Coughlin property will make the library expansion possible,” Clapp said. “Expanding the library will take several years, but now we are on the way.”
Founded in 1909, Wilder Memorial Library’s mission is “to provide the greater Weston Community with access to the educational, cultural, recreational, and research benefits of a free public library.” Currently, the library offers a variety of services, including downloadable books and audio books; streaming movies, music, books, and TV shows; an e-newsletter with updates on programs, community news, new books, and more. Public wireless internet service is available in front of the building 24/7. Wilder Memorial Library is located at 24 Lawrence Hill Road, Weston, Vt. For more information, please visit www.wildermemoriallibrary.org.