I would like to take this week to talk about the building. On a daily basis, I am asked in hushed whispers about what’s going on with the staff office. At long last, I have good news to share and am eager to do so! But first, let me tell you the story of how we got here and where we’re going.
Our beautiful, historic building has been through a number of changes over the years. While the major renovation in 2017 gave us many building improvements, some areas of the building were not updated and now it is time to do so. During the summer of 2026, we are launching a historic renovation effort. There will be much more on this to come in future months, but here’s a quick preview of what’s planned.
The restoration will include the long-awaited return of the historically unique rolling room dividers between the lecture hall and the library collections, the re-establishment of a dedicated director’s office, and much needed updates to the office area used by professional staff. Fixing the rolling room divider will enable us to use the full functionality of the main floor of the library (e.g., for a lecture while not disrupting library patrons.) Restoring the library director’s main floor office, which was removed some years ago before we added on the new wing, will enable our leadership to be more visible to our patrons and engage more easily with them. Upgrades to our professional staff area will ensure we have appropriate working conditions for those who run our programs. Our aim is also to free up more space on our lower level for community organizations to gather.
We’re pleased to share that our grant application for historic restoration was approved by the Community Preservation Committee and is scheduled to go before town council in April 2026. (Wish us luck!) There will be many more updates on this in the coming months, but for now, I’ll just say we are excited for what this will mean for the future of our building.
As in any good story, in the midst of our plans, we encountered a plot twist: a persistent “funky smell” in the office area of the building. Not an entirely surprising development for a historic building near the ocean, but certainly an unwelcome one. After conducting mold testing, we discovered mildew in the file room and supply closet, both spaces with inadequate ventilation. Out of an abundance of caution, we temporarily relocated our staff to the main floor and paused book donations.
Since then, our board and staff have been hard at work addressing the issue. Contaminated materials have been removed, the affected rooms have been demolished, gutter repairs have been completed, we’re preparing to install a new dehumidification system and digitizing our files. Additional construction will still be needed before the lower level is useable again, and this work will be incorporated into the larger historic renovation planned for next summer.
Meanwhile, we know how beloved the Quiet Reading Room is and we want to assure you that we are actively working to restore public access in the very near future. This has required some creative thinking about how we use our space. We truly appreciate your patience and flexibility in the coming days and weeks, as we puzzle the pieces back together and find new ways of presenting our collection to you.
On a final note, we have some good news for those who want to pick up a title or two for the holidays: we will once again be accepting book donations this week for our Second Time Around bookstore! We know many of you have been saving treasures for us, and we would be delighted to receive books in excellent, saleable condition.
Thank you, as always, for your support, your understanding, and your enthusiasm for our library. Each week brings us a little closer to our new normal. We’re grateful to have you with us on the journey.
Allison Strickland
Acting Executive Director
West Falmouth Library.