Last Updated:September, 2009

          The new spaces are now open!  We're still getting furniture and setting things up, but you can take a look!  We have a community meeting room, a quiet study room, a teen room and a youth activity room which is currently acting as the preschool collection room while work starts in what used to be the "E" room.
          We will be tackling this project over two years (2009 - 2010) to help spread out the costs and the burden. To find out more about the project, please attend one of our fundraising events listed on the fundraising page. Or, call Lesley at the Library at 772-4346 or send an e-mail to WigginML@comcast.net.

Scroll down on this page to read the ongoing updates.

September 2009:
(click on the photos for a larger view)

Meeting Room: This room will be used for library programs like author visits and crafts and can be used by community groups.  We're waiting for chairs.	Quiet Study: This space is for those who need a place to work quietly or in a small group.  We're waiting for a table & chairs before starting to use this space.	Teen Collection: Books, Audiobooks, Magazines and more will be available for teens in this space.  It will be a great place to come after school, to do homework and hang out with friends.  We're putting together the shelving now!	Youth Circ Desk  You'll see the circ desk as soon as you move from the library hallway into the new space. You can check out items here now!
Preschool Collection/ Youth Activity Room: For now, this space is housing the Preschool collection.  Any items marked with "E" are in this room.  Eventually, this will be the Youth Activity Room	Youth Activity Room: In addition to the "E" books, the READ program will take place here.  Come read with Hannah or Maisie or Billy - sign up with Miss Jan.

June 2009:
What does it look like today??

Community Meeting Room: This room will be used for library programs like author visits and crafts and can be used by community groups.
	Quiet Study Room: This space is for those who need a place to work quietly or in a small group.  Our many tutor pairs will be able to meet in this room.
Youth Program/Activity Room: Here is where you will come for Story Times, Children's or Teen book groups, Teen programs and crafts.
	Children's Circulation Desk & Office: The circulation desk will be in between the children's collections and the program room.  Behind the desk will be the librarians' office.
Teen Collection Room: Books, Audiobooks, Magazines and more will be available for teens in this space.  It will be a great place to come after school, to do homework and hang out with friends.

May 2009:
Work has begun in the empty space that will be part of the library by the end of 2009. A lot of work is needed to upgrade this space for insulation, electrical and fire before we start using it. Eventually, this new space between the current library and the town offices will house a community meeting room, a quiet study room, a children's and teen's program room and teen collection room.

We're also excited to announce a Benefit Performance by Rob Richards as Charles Dickens performing A Christmas Carol on Thursday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m. This classic holiday event is a MUST for the whole family and will be followed by a Dessert Reception and time to meet "Charles Dickens". Rob Richards is the Chair of the Department of Theater and Dance at Phillips Exeter Academy. The performance will take place at the Stratham Community Church.
Tickets: Available at the Wiggin Memorial Library and Water St. Books starting November 1, 2008. Individuals: $10.00; Family: $25.00. ALL proceeds benefit the Wiggin Memorial Library Expansion Project.

August 2008
You may have noticed that construction has begun on the end of the building that used to house the Police Department. There are many changes happening there: the stage has been removed, the kitchen is being relocated and the space is being broken up to be the new homes for the Town Clerk and the Planning and Building Offices. In fact, they will be moving into those new spaces on 8/14 & 15. The entrance that used to serve the Police will become the main entrance for all town government offices.

All of this construction has had quite an impact this summer, affecting where Library and Recreation programs could take place -- a great reminder of why we need extra space! In the end, the space will be more useable, more up to date and serve the current needs of the town.

What about the Library? Well, all this renovation will be opening up almost 3,000 ft2 next to the current library space. We are currently working on a budget to do the work, and purchase the necessary fittings to fill that space. You can see a preliminary drawing of the renovated Library space at the Library or on the Website (http://www.wigginml.org/towngovt/planA.pdf). We are looking forward to having space for events and activities, small study space, and a comfortable reading and browsing area, all things that you indicated were important on recent surveys.

There is a lot left to do -- most importantly: We need your support to make this project happen. Fundraising efforts will begin this fall and we hope you'll get involved. Also, the town will need to vote for the construction monies to renovate the space at the 2009 Town Meeting. Please plan to attend that meeting and support the library with your vote!

We continue to invite your ideas, questions and suggestions as well. Contact Lesley, Library Director (772-4346, director@WigginML.org) or Paul, Town Administrator (772-7391, strathamta@comcast.net).

March 2008
We have some preliminary results from the building study and we're reviewing potential plans for reconfiguring the current Municipal Center. The Board of Selectmen believe that we should work within the current footprint of the Municipal Center building which should allow for approximately 2,000 - 2,500 additional square feet of space for the library. That extra space will allow us to expand our services in some ways (add some program space especially). While it isn't likely to accommodate library growth for 25 years, we do believe this can help us meet the community's demands for the next decade.
The Board of Selectmen is holding a public forum to present some early drawings of a plan for the renovated Municipal Center and we would like everyone to attend and offer your ideas and thoughts. The forum will be on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 7 p.m. See you there!

November 2007
You may have heard that plans are moving forward to study the Municipal Center building and determine some viable options for better space use and increased space for the library and other town departments. On November 5, the Board of Selectmen voted to hire the firm Dennis Mires Architects to conduct a space needs and building study. Dennis Mires Architects has excellent experience with Library and Municipal projects, including the Hampton Falls Public Library. Over the next two months, the firm will look at the building's structure, layout and infrastructure as well as gathering information about current space usage and needs and growth projections in order to compile a report for the town as to some good options for renovation and reconfiguration of the current Municipal Center. The resulting report will be used to present facts and potential plans to the voters at Town Meeting 2008, as well as a projected cost analysis for completion of a project.
While the study is being conducted, we are also asking you to weigh in on current library services as well as what you see as future library needs. A brief survey is being mailed with tax bills. Information collected from you will be an important piece of the overall planning process and we appreciate your time to fill out the survey.
There are a few convenient ways that you can return the survey to us. You may affix a stamp and put the survey into the mail. You can drop off the survey either in the library or in the town offices. Or you can take the survey online and submit it to us electronically by using this link:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=NUl8lJCTFvoKb_2f7EIfc96g_3d_3d.
We would appreciate having your responses as soon as possible, no later than January 11, 2008. As always, thank you for your support and for your helpful ideas! We invite any other ideas, questions and suggestions as well!  Contact  Lesley, Library Director (772-4346/director@wigginml.org) or Paul, Town Administrator (772-7391/ strathamta@comcast.net). 

Exeter Newsletter Article about Study, 11/13/2007.

September 2007
Now that the police department is in their new space, many changes will be happening in the Municipal Center and with the library. Of course, the police left the smallest space in the building (not to mention the farthest away from the library), so there is plenty of planning and reorganizing to be done before any physical moves take place within the building.
The town is moving forward with the site/building study of the Municipal Center and we expect that a “request for qualifications” will go out to firms by October 1 of 2007. If this timeline is achieved, we will be looking forward to having some results in early 2008. This study will look at all the current building issues (available space, HVAC, infrastructure, etc.) as well as the site (water/septic, available space for addition, etc.). The results of that study will help the Library Board of Trustees and the Board of Selectmen move forward with good, solid information as we start to plan the future of this building. Expect to be hearing information about such plans and the need for design money leading up to and at the March 2008 town meeting.
We invite your ideas, questions and suggestions as well!  Contact  Lesley, Library Director (772-4346/director@wigginml.org) or Paul, Town Administrator (772-7391/strathamta@comcast.net). 

May 2007
As the police department starts to move into their new space in mid-May, many folks are wondering what is going to happen next in the Municipal Center and with the library. The police department is moving out of the smallest space in the building (not to mention the farthest away from the library), so before any real plans can be made a complete study must be done of the current Municipal Center and the land surrounding it.
The good news is that the money for the study was approved in the Capital Improvements Program back at the 2004 Town Meeting. Current plans are for RFQs to go out to firms by the end of May for the study to be completed over the summer. That study will look at all the current building issues (available space, HVAC, electrical & other infrastructure, current space availability and use) as well as the site of the Municipal Center (looking at water and septic, available space for addition, etc.). The results of that study will help the Library Board of Trustees and the Board of Selectmen move forward with good, solid information as we start to plan the future of this building.
One of the next, critical steps in the process will be to form a building committee made up of a cross-section of the community. We’ll be looking for people with building experience, space-planning knowledge, fund-raising experience as well as those of you who love to use the library or who just have some ideas about where the library might go from here in terms of space. We’ll be putting out a call for participants in early fall. If you already know you’d like to be involved, contact Lesley now and I’ll be sure to get you on the list when the time comes.

February 2007
In addition to the money previously approved to conduct a site/building study of the Municipal Center in the winter/spring of 2007, additional money has been requested in the updated Capital Improvements Program that will be presented, discussed and voted on at the March 16, 2007 Town Meeting. These requested funds would be in place for the next step of the planning process after the outcome of the site/building study: architectural and design work.
Once we have some important answers about the current Municipal Center (how much expansion can the site and building support, how would expansion affect current infrastructure, and what is the maximum amount of additional space that could be gotten from the building/site as is and/or with an addition and renovation), we will want to move forward with more detailed planning which will require a design/architectural professional to create a real plan for the space so that the community can begin to discuss and review future needs, growth and the vision for an expanded Library and Municipal Center.
Please participate in the Town Meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 16, 2007. The presented Capital Improvements Program will help us all understand what the large, upcoming expenses facing the Town are, and what kind of a timeline some projects are anticipated to involve.

December 2006
With the police department moving into their new building on Portsmouth Ave in 2007, many people are wondering what impact that will have on the library and the town offices in the Municipal Center.
The police department is moving out of the smallest space in the Municipal building, so it isn’t yet known exactly what changes will happen after the department has moved, nor the most appropriate, efficient use of that space. As the town continues to grow, the town offices, the library, and the recreation department are all feeling growing pains: increased demand for services requires more space for programs, general services and collection space in the library and the increased demand will also eventually necessitate more library employees to provide those services.  Happily, this building has served the community’s needs very well since 1989 and we are all excitedly looking towards its continued use in the future.
In early 2007, a site/building study will be conducted so that we can begin to answer some questions about the current Municipal Center and how it can best serve the town’s future needs.  The library board of trustees and the board of selectmen are committed to a thoughtful, transparent process of examining current resources, use and needs before considering future needs and possibilities.  Also in 2007 a revised strategic plan for the library will be released, addressing future needs and outlining a community-focused approach to meeting those needs. 

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