Shaw library’s needs focus of public survey

GREENVILLE – With a basement no longer usable because of water problems and a first floor cramped for space, Shaw Public Library faces a dilemma.

Should trustees ask town officials to support an expansion of the 1925 building on site or should they look for another property so they could build anew?

To help answer those questions and more, trustees asked residents and patrons to reply to a needs assessment survey.

Some 2,100 surveys were mailed out in April and about 300 responses have been returned, said Karen Chandler, head librarian.

“People have been very good in responding to most of the questions,” she said Friday.

The final results are being tallied, she said, but what appears so far is that a large percentage favor an expansion on site. The trustees are expected to meet with town officials later this year to discuss a proposed solution.

“They want to make sure everything is done the right way,” Chandler said.

The money for the survey came through a Maine Community Foundation grant of about $2,500, Chandler said.

The library, which is situated at the base of a hill and has no drainage system, has been bothered by water runoff for years. The problem was exacerbated last year by heavy and frequent rainfall.

Twice last year, the basement was flooded by 2 feet of standing water that had to be pumped out. That water and the resulting mud ruined the basement that was used as a children’s library and for storage.

More than 500 children’s books and other materials were destroyed, Chandler said.

“The community really came out to help us,” Chandler said. Volunteers rolled up their sleeves to help salvage what books they could, and a firm was hired to remove mold.

However, not long after that hard work was completed, a catch basin in the road collapsed and the basement flooded again.

“Everyone tells us we really shouldn’t use the basement again,” Chandler said.

The loss of the basement space has created cramped quarters on the first floor, Chandler said.

Until a solution is found, some older collections and materials are being stored temporarily in the Community House.

Meanwhile, every effort is being made to accommodate patrons, Chandler said.