BRATTLEBORO — BRATTLEBORO - The Brooks Memorial Library has begun renovations made possible by the recent bequest of Ronald Read.
Read left the library more than $1.2 million in 2015. The Board of Trustees has invested the bulk of the funds in an endowment to support the library for generations to come. The balance is being used to offset the costs of restored staff hours and to make improvements to the building, which will be 50 years old next year, according to a news release.
The library's Buildings and Grounds Committee sought extensive input from the public and staff during the planning process. Improvements will include spaces for meetings, a quiet study room for teens, and a ground-floor restroom.
“We will make every effort to keep the library open and disruption to a minimum during the construction” Library Director Starr LaTronica said in the news release. “However, there may be times when some parts of the building will be temporarily out of commission, such as our large public meeting room, which will be unavailable during September.”
LaTronica encourages the public to check out the progress of the construction as they check out their materials.