One year ago, Friends of the Melrose Public Library set a goal of raising $200,000 for our community’s new library. After receiving a matching grant of $100,000 from former Melrose resident Bob Hildreth, we hoped to raise $100,000 from the community before the new library’s scheduled opening in the spring of 2024.

 

In response to our kick-off campaign last fall, more than 500 people and organizations made donations. Thanks to all of you, the Friends surpassed our goal, secured the $100,000 matching gift, and inspired an additional $50,000 in matching funds from the generous Piccolo Family Charitable and Adelaide Breed Bayrd Foundations. More than $300,000 has been raised so far for the new library.

 

We are humbled by and deeply grateful for the outpouring of support by the people of Melrose. Your generosity is the foundation of our library’s future as a vibrant resource — offering a wide-ranging array of collections and services, technology access, museum passes, and live and virtual programming, along with the staff and expertise to deliver these services.

 

Friends of the Melrose Public Library is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Melrose Public Library. Funds raised between May 1, 2022 and May 1, 2024 will be used for expenses that are not covered in the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) grant awarded to Melrose for the expansion and renovation of the library building, or as part of the funding approved unanimously by the Melrose City Council. All donations made to the Friends are completely voluntary, and your help in making our new library a centerpiece of our community is greatly appreciated.

​

During construction, the Melrose Public Library is housed in the old Beebe School at 263 W. Foster Street. In addition to visiting the Beebe in person to browse books, use computers or read newspapers, access to many of your favorite library resources is available 24/7 online: museum pass reservations, digital audio and book downloads, streaming video, and hold requests from other NOBLE libraries, to name a few. Offsite, in-person book groups (in some cases accessible via Zoom), along with a full calendar of programming and activities for all ages are listed on the Melrose Public Library’s website: https://melrosepubliclibrary.org/.

​

Thank you, Melrose, for your outpouring of generosity, and for supporting the Melrose Public Library!