CLICK DRAWINGS FOR LARGER IMAGE.
CLICK IMAGE BELOW FOR SHORT VIDEO.
Schematic Design / Cost Estimate
Library Building Program PDF
Case Statement PDF
Today and Tomorrow
FAQs About the Project
Library Project PowerPoint 2016
Library Project UPDATED SLIDE SHOW 2022
Libraries Are Essential Town Service
2022 SPECIAL TOWN MTG PRESENTATION
Design Public Forum May 16, 2023
Building Committee Mtg May 30,2023
In August 2014, a $41,205 Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners Planning and Design Grant was awarded to Tilton Library. A required $20,600 supplement was funded by Tilton Fund, Inc.
Shortly after the award was announced, library trustees appointed a seven member Needs Assessment Ad Hoc Committee which interviewed and recommended an owner’s project manager and an architectural firm.
The firm, Johnson Roberts, Associates, Inc. of Somerville has prepared an initial design using the approved and accepted library building program.
This initial design and results of site studies were used to apply for a Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program Construction Grant Round in January 2017. At the July 13, 2017 meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the Deerfield project was placed on the Waiting List, with a rank of #12 of 24. for a $3,944,338 provisional grant award, which would cover 50% of the project cost as estimated in 2017.
On July 7, 2022, after close to 15 years of hard work by many people, we got the opportunity to improve and expand our beloved library to be even better, with a one-time state library construction grant of $4 million dollars! Our heartfelt thanks to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) for joining us in this new vision for an expanded Tilton Library. Thank you to all who have helped us get to this point.
December 7, 2022 Update: There was a special town meeting on Monday October 24, where the project passed by two-thirds majority. Then there was a special ballot election on December 6, where the project passed by a simple majority. WE ARE READY TO MOVE FORWARD. Thank you, Deerfield!
August 2023 Update: The Town of Deerfield signed a contract with the MBLC in order to accept the first of five payments of the grant and move forward with the project. The Building Committee was developed by the Trustees and appointed by the Selectboard. This committee – made up of members of various town boards and Deerfield residents – are working with the architect and project manger to make design decisions, and keep construction schedule and costs in line. They will make recommendations for the Library Trustees to approve. A REVISED SCHEMATIC DESIGN was approved (CLICK drawings above to see larger image).
Will there be private fundraising too? Yes, the Tilton Fund has embarked on a capital campaign. To date, $827,000 has been raised toward the campaign’s $2 million goal. These funds will further offset the cost of the project to Deerfield’s taxpayers.
The project’s estimated cost (updated 8-8-22) is $12.3M. The MBLC grant cuts that cost down to approximately $8M . The capital campaign will decrease the amount the town must finance by $2M, bringing cost down to approx. $6M. 
There is a potential to get additional funding from Community Preservation Act (CPA) dollars, up to $1M. And the library will get another state grant for being a LEED certified (energy efficient) design, in the amount of $100K. Also, the Building Committee is committed to mitigating construction cost increases within the limits of the grant program.
Additionally, the Deerfield Selectboard wrote a letter to state legislators on behalf of all the towns across the state that are a part of this year’s grant cycle, asking to be given additional funds – in our case $1.23M – to help these towns better afford their library projects. This got the attention of several state legislators – including Sen. Jo Comerford – who worked with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) for these additional funds. UPDATE: In June 2023, The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners voted to give these libraries an additional grant payment, in Tilton’s case $471,000! Please note that this is not part of our capital campaign. And we are still seeking additional funds from the Governor’s budget.
How can I help? If you are interested in supporting the capital campaign, please email us at tiltonlibrary@cwmars.org, and the library director or someone from the Tilton Fund will contact you. Please keep in mind that a capital campaign donation is a gift toward this building project only. It is different from a donation to the Friends which supports library programs or the Tilton Fund Annual Appeal which supports the annual operating budget. NOTE: When donating to the Capital Campaign through the Tilton Fund PayPal account, please note in the “special instructions” box that this is for the capital campaign. If mailing a check, please be sure to make the check out to The Tilton Fund, Inc., with a note that it is for the capital campaign. Thank you!