Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Skip to content

 


Cornerstone of our Community

The Wayland Free Public Library was founded in 1848 as arguably the first free public library in Massachusetts. However, the library movement began in Wayland much earlier. In 1796, Rev. Josiah Bridge, pastor of the First Church, organized the East Sudbury Social Library. By 1832, the Library’s collection had grown from its first purchase of 36 volumes to 227 volumes—all kept in the homes of the librarians.

20th Century

The library’s third, and current, location opened in 1900, and solidified the important role the library plays in the educational and civic life of the Wayland community. Now, over 100 years later, a much larger population and burgeoning library use have led the Board of Library Trustees to examine the possibility for a new facility.

A Proposed New Library

The proposed new library will be on Main Street, in the demographic center of town, well connected to four public schools, adjacent to the Middle School. The new building will contain the spaces and services now offered at the current library. It will also contain more spaces for study and meetings, a flexible space design with clear sight lines, seating throughout the building, dedicated space for children as well as one for teens, WiFi and improved technology. Learn more!


A Destination for Lifelong Learning

Learners of all ages depend on the Wayland Free Public Library to expand their horizons. The new building will better support their needs with a variety of spaces for quiet and collaborative work, resources to support their projects, and educational programming.

Situated next to the middle school, the new library will be the perfect place for students to meet as groups after school or gather with friends to collaborate or study. From infancy onward, the library will support hungry minds in both guided and self-directed learning, and provide exciting opportunities for intellectual engagement and growth, connecting residents to each other in ways the current library building cannot.


The Timeline

 

    • April 2: Annual Town Meeting: The Trustees submit a warrant article to authorize the full cost of the new proposed library project. A $10.1M state library construction grant and a contribution of $750,000 from the Trustees’ Millennium Fund reduce the cost of the project to $18M.  Full text of Article 17.

 

    • March 27: Town Election: Voters decide whether to approve a ballot question for a debt exclusion to fund the proposed new library project. Passage of the ballot question brings the warrant article to Town Meeting for its consideration.  What is debt exclusion?

 

    • July 2017: Wayland recieves a $10.1 million grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The provisional grant is contingent on passage of town funding for remaining construction and project costs.

 

    • 2016: The Library Trustees sponsor three articles (17, 18, and 19) at Annual Town Meeting for the completion of necessary studies for the project. All pass.

 

    • 2016: The Trustees hold a series of community forums to update the public on planning and design studies, share designs and cost estimates, introduce the architects, discuss library usage, and more.

 

    • 2015: At Special Town Meeting, voters pass Article 6 to fund a $150,000 Planning and Design Study.

 

    • 2015: Library Planning Committee officially recommends the Library Trustees apply for a state construction grant.

 

    • 2015: A household survey assesses Wayland residents’ library use, desired improvements, and interest in a new facility.

 

    • 2014: The Trustees retain an independent consultant to develop a new Library Building Program—an analysis of the library’s space needs—with a view to possibly applying for a new round of state construction grants.

 

    • 2014: Governor Patrick signs a bond bill of $150M to fund expansion and new construction of libraries in the Commonwealth to be administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

 

    • 2005: Feasibility Study Report, a town study funded at ATM 2002 with $40,000. Lerner Ladds + Bartel, examined the feasibility of expansion of the current library building. The report updates the Library Building Program of 2003, a space-needs study developed by Director Louise Brown.

 

    • 2003: The Library Trustees form the Feasibility Study Committee of Trustees and townspeople to assess the community’s vision for the future of the library.

 

    • 2002: The Library Planning Committee releases a report on the community’s vision for Wayland’s public library of the future.

 

    • 2001: The Library Trustees form the Library Planning Committee of Trustees and townspeople.

 

Design

The preliminary conceptual design calls for a two-story facility of 33,390 square feet with a variety of seating options, including comfortable reading areas, a dedicated quiet area for uninterrupted work, and several individual and small-group study rooms for collaboration, tutoring, working; a midsize conference room for community meetings; a large, cheerful children’s space; a dedicated space for teens and young adults; a meeting/program room with 100-seat capacity; a technology lab; and a café area.

The drawings for this design, developed by Tappé Architects of Boston, are available here.

ADA/MAAB Compliance

In full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Massachusetts building code, the new building will have a barrier-free design that allows use by all regardless of ability. This includes accessible parking, entry doors, elevator use, and toilets as well as rooms throughout the facility. More openness in the building will allow for wider aisles and shelving within easy reach.

LEED Certification

The new building will be LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for maximum energy efficiency—a goal immediately visible in the long, sloping roof plane, positioned for solar-energy collection. Passive solar design will bring sunlight indoors in winter and block much of it in summer, with patrons enjoying natural daylight and views year-round. Energy consumption will be managed by highly insulated walls, windows, and roofs, sustainably sourced materials, and low-VOC construction methods. Special walk-off floor mats will control the particulates being tracked into the library from outdoors.

 


Meeting Community Needs

 

All patrons will have access to thoughtfully designed spaces in which to read, study, work, research and ponder. These will include meeting rooms of various sizes, a flexible layout, smart and integrated technology access throughout the building, and universally accessible space for all ages. The reference area will include a quiet room free of conversation and distractions. The library will support individuals, families, entrepreneurs, and businesses.

New Technology

The new library will feature a flexible-use technology lab with up-to-date technology access for everyone. Technology classes will be a priority. Meeting spaces will be outfitted with high-tech infrastructure platforms to meet ever-increasing patron demands to be connected, to live-stream, and to participate in webinars and online conferencing. The new library will offer:

  • High-speed wi-fi
  • Modern desktop workstations running popular productivity applications
  • Quiet and flexible workspaces
  • Digital hardware for patron borrowing

The new library will also provide space and support to those working remotely, and access to online education classes for remote learners.


Young Adults and Teens

The new library will finally give teens and tweens a space they can call their own. Young people will have input into the design and configuration of this light-filled area. The room will have comfortable seating for reading, as well as work tables for collaboration or group study. It will have up-to-date computers and technology, moveable stacks, and a flexible space for “maker” programming. Activities will be tailored for teens and tweens, and responsive to their changing interests and needs.

Children and Families

The Children’s Room in the new library will be filled with natural light and have ample spaces for story time, programs, and events. The programming space will have a washable floor perfect for arts and crafts. There will be a play area for toddlers and preschoolers, and a reading and work area for school-age children. Both zones will have furniture appropriately sized for children, as well as comfortable seating for adult caregivers. Moveable book stacks will be the right height for children, and can roll away to make room for other activities. Computers will be available for learning activities. There will be a children’s bathroom, a place to hang coats, and parking for strollers. The Children’s Room will be a cheerful, flexible, child-centered space with robust and creative programming.


Lasting Legacy

Founders Edward Mellen and Frances Wayland, and the townspeople of Wayland, understood the importance of a library that would be a center of lifelong learning for the entire community. A new building will bring that vision into the twenty-first century, and on into the future, as a place that connects people to ideas, to knowledge, and to each other.