By Arianna Williams, Belmont Voice correspondent
Ed Barker’s youngest daughter had respiratory problems that made the old, damp, and unreliable Belmont Public Library off-limits for his family. So, Barker ran for a seat on the Library Board of Trustees. On Jan. 17, his work paid off when the new library building opened after about two years of operating in temporary locations.
On Feb. 6, Clair Colburn joined a panel discussion in the library’s Robert J. Morrissey Hall, and helped explain the building’s features to members of the public at an event hosted by the League of Women Voters of Belmont.
“It was very impactful on the first day seeing all the kids who didn’t have anything like this for so long, one because the old building came down and we’ve never had anything quite like this in Belmont,” Colburn said.
Colburn, an architect who served on the committee that oversaw the project, joined Board of Library Trustees member Barker and Children’s Services Coordinator Deborah Borsuk on the panel.
Built in 1965, the old library building had developed structural issues. The foundation walls were failing and extensive studies showed it was more cost-effective to construct a new building rather than renovate, Colburn said. Borsuk said there were frequent issues with the elevator, water and plumbing. The Belmont Public Library is in the top 10 of busiest libraries in Massachusetts, according to the Belmont Library Foundation.
“It became very clear that operating that building was inefficient and, to a certain extent, dangerous,” Barker said.
It took more than 20 years of research and fundraising before construction began in 2024 with the demolition of the old building.
“We couldn’t spend any time there,” Barker said.
The new building has a reading room for quiet study, group study rooms for collaborative work, and a community classroom with access to 3D printing and sewing machines.
“It’s an all-electric building, so there are no fossil fuels,” said Colburn.
Environmental sustainability was one of the goals for the project.
A green space along Wellington Brook is connected to the library for public use. The path is accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The previous building failed to meet ADA guidelines in 1990, according to the library’s website.
The Robert J. Morrissey Hall’s acoustics were designed to accommodate a piano for future musical events, Colburn said.
“They literally went to the warehouse and sat on about 60 different chairs to figure out which ones are going to be comfortable, which ones are going to be durable, which ones are going to knock over when a teenager sits on them wrong,” Barker said, describing the design committee’s hands-on approach.
“I think it’s absolutely beautiful,” said Maryann Scali, president of Belmont’s League of Women Voters, which donated to the project. She said the library gives organizations a place to gather in person after the COVID-19 pandemic shifted many meetings online.
The Belmont Savings Bank Foundation donated $2 million toward the project. In honor of the gift, the room where the event was held was named after the foundation’s former chairman, Robert J. Morrissey.
The project received $34.5 million in public funding but came in significantly under budget, aided by about $5 million in private funding. The exact figure is still being calculated, but Colburn estimates the project is half a million dollars under budget – money that will be returned to the town. A mural on the back wall of the first floor lists the names of people who donated.
“It goes from the folks who made significant contributions to the kids who gave us fifteen bucks out of their piggy bank,” Barker said.
Memories of the old library linger. The new children’s room displays stained glass windows recovered from the previous building, and granite from the curbs of the old building’s parking lot was repurposed into outdoor benches.
“When we do have some nice spring weather, the ability to use this outdoor area for programming and individual library use will be just so valuable to us,” Borsuk said.
Additional features are still in progress. Colburn said the building committee plans to install a green roof.
“I do not have an exact number, but we have made, I would say, at least 300 library cards since we have been open,” Borsuk said.
Most of the library’s programs are funded by the Friends of Belmont Public Library. Barker said the library’s budget is used to keep the building running, and he encouraged citizens to consider getting involved with the organization.
“I appreciate that it was a community effort that brought us to this wonderful building,” said Borsuk.
Arianna Williams is a journalism student in BU’s newsroom program, a partnership between the university, The Belmont Voice and other news organizations in the Boston area.