A New Library

Posted July 13, 2026 by Jake Goldman

I have some incredibly exciting news to share—thanks to the dedication and hard work of numerous library trustees, friends, volunteers and particularly Library Director (and Simmons alumnus) Caitlin Kelley the Montague Public Libraries will be constructing a new main library building in downtown Turners Falls, Massachusetts.

I am incredibly proud of everyone who has labored to make this possible so that the town of Montague can have a modern, accessible library which will be capable of providing the space and services the community deserves. MPL won a competitive grant for $11.3 million dollars through the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and at a June 24th Special Election town residents voted to move forward with the project to construct a new building, appropriating the town’s share of $12.4 million dollars for the project through a debt exclusion. MPL’s main branch is currently located in a beautiful and historic Carnegie Library built in 1905; the building has been insufficient for the needs of the community since almost the mid 20th Century. Thanks to a historic designation its exterior and historic character will be preserved when it is decommissioned as a library. I can’t express how much it will mean for the community to finally have adequate space for library programs and collections and which is accessible to all. Electoral campaigns both in support and opposition to the project were spirited and vociferous—online debate was at times vitriolic, lawn signs still abound almost three weeks after the vote and one poll worker told me that voter turnout rivalled the figures normally seen during presidential elections. In many ways it was an object lesson in community relations.

I’m sure many of you have heard the notion, a common refrain among those opposed to the project, that libraries are outmoded, in some way obsolete or irrelevant in an era marked by changes in media format and information technology and behaviors and there were excellent responses made to these claims throughout the leadup to the vote. I highly recommend reading the building project FAQ page for a small look into how Library Director Caitlin Kelley delivered an honest-to-goodness masterclass in how to communicate the value of libraries and intricacies of a complicated public project. I also hope the new building will afford the possibility of expanded collaborations between MPL and the SLIS West Campus, which already has a great running collaboration with the neighboring Greenfield Public Library!