Community effort moves to fundraising phase
For more than two years, Granby residents, library leaders and town officials have been working toward expanding and renovating the Granby Public Library to better meet the needs of the community. That effort has reached a key milestone as plans move from study and design toward fundraising and implementation.
The project grew out of long standing concerns about space, accessibility and the limitations of the current library building. Since the library moved to its current location in 1981, Granby’s population has grown 57 percent. The existing facility is too small for the range of services required to support a town of Granby’s size. State standards specify 1.7 square feet per capita for towns of 10,000-17,000 residents, while the current library stands at just 0.84 square feet per capita.
In 2023, library staff, library board members and Granby residents formed the Granby Public Library Strategic Planning Committee to create the library’s long-range strategic plan by evaluating data collected via interviews, focus groups and a digital community survey. Three strategic priorities rose to the top: space and facilities, programming and community awareness. The resulting strategic plan was approved by the library board in February 2025.
In 2024, the Granby Public Library Board began a planning process to explore options. From the outset, the emphasis was on transparency and community involvement—residents were invited to share feedback through public meetings, surveys and working sessions that helped identify priorities such as improved accessibility, flexible program space, updated infrastructure and room to grow.
To help translate those priorities into a workable plan, the town engaged professional design and planning partners to evaluate the existing building, develop renovation and expansion concepts and facilitate collaborative feedback sessions with residents, library staff and local stakeholders. These conversations helped refine a proposal that balances ambition with fiscal responsibility and reflects how the library is actually used.
Throughout 2025, the proposed project was reviewed by multiple town bodies, including the Capital Program Priority Advisory Committee (CPPAC). Library representatives presented project details, cost estimates and long-term benefits, responding to questions and incorporating feedback along the way.
On Feb. 2, the CPPAC recommended allocating $6 million toward the library expansion and renovation, a strong endorsement of the project’s importance to the town.
That recommendation marks significant progress, but it also highlights the need for private support. In addition to the $6 million in public funding, the campaign seeks to raise $3 million in private support—an amount confirmed as achievable through a recent feasibility study—and grant funding of $3 million, for an overall $12 million library expansion and renovation.
A group of Granby residents has formed a Campaign Cabinet—a volunteer leadership team that will work closely with dedicated library volunteers and town leaders to guide the capital campaign in raising private funds for the project and share information about the project across the community.
With years of planning now complete and funding discussions underway, the project is entering a new phase. In the months ahead, residents will hear more about the proposed expansion, the fund raising campaign and opportunities to get involved.
The Granby Public Library has long been a cornerstone of the town. With continued community engagement and support, its next chapter aims to preserve that role while ensuring the library can serve Granby well for generations to come.
Submitted by Lauren Charamut