The Library invites you to our Expansion Design Kick-Off Celebration & Open House, where community members can meet the architects who will be working with us to design our addition. Stop by from 5-6:30 and raise a glass of sparkling cider, enjoy a home-baked treat and take a few moments to share with us what considerations are important to you as we move from a shared vision of a “big-enough” library towards a sustainable reality. Thanks to a grant from the Vermont Community Development Program, using funds provided by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, we are working with Vermont Integrative Architecture to determine our needs, help us collectively choose a style and structure, and provide a reliable cost estimate to bring the project to fruition.

Andrea Murray and Ashar Nelson formed Vermont Integrated Architecture, P.C. (VIA) with a shared vision to design delightful spaces that would benefit communities and their respective environments. Andrea and Ashar both grew up in Vermont (Andrea in Rochester, Ashar in Middlebury) and are very sensitive to the beauty, variability, and vulnerability of our precious natural and built landscapes – and of course the transition areas in between. VIA is a 10-person, full-service architecture and planning firm located in Middlebury. They have worked on over 200 projects, ranging in size and scope from a small bathroom renovation to a brand new 46,000 square foot office building. The Cutler Memorial Library is excited to invite community members to join us in working with them, Thursday September 13 from 5-6:30 pm!

It’s no surprise that the way people use and need libraries in today’s changing world is also rapidly changing. Our circulating collection (still primarily books but including movies, audiobooks, instruments and tools, craft supplies and digital technologies) remains an important resource shared by hundreds of people each month, but use of the space itself has increased significantly since 2010. This is a trend public libraries around the world are seeing. The Cutler Memorial Library began preparing for the community’s evolving needs more than three years ago, and after much effort, assistance and red tape “behind the scenes,” we have secured the funds and are so excited to begin working with the architects at VIA to bring the expansion plan into focus. Thursday night’s event will be our chance to reflect on how far we’ve come, and pace ourselves for the important work that still lies ahead. We ask you to come celebrate with us!