After nearly a year and a half of construction, the new McAuliffe branch library in the Nobscot village area of Framingham is ready to open its doors.
On Saturday, February 13 from 1-4 p.m. the public is invited to visit the new branch, which at nearly 17,000 square feet is almost triple the size of the old McAuliffe in Saxonville.
While the library will not be signing out materials until the following Tuesday, February 16, library staff will conduct tours of the new facility, which is located at 746 Water Street, across the street from Heritage at Framingham and the Hemenway school.
Key features of the new branch library include a meeting and program room with a capacity of 50 people, 21 Internet-connected personal computers, two study rooms, and on site parking for 55 cars.
Designed by Finegold Alexander Architects of Boston and constructed by Lupachino/Salvatore of Bloomfield, Connecticut, the new building has a soaring, modern design with 5,200 square feet of windows to maximize the use of natural light.
The new McAuliffe was designed as a “green” building that represents best-in-class building strategies and practices and sustainability. Construction of the building required 1300 tons of concrete and 77 tons of steel, 18 subcontractors, and its one mile of shelving will contain nearly 70,000 books and other materials.
The Framingham Public Library Foundation expresses its deep gratitude to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, Town Meeting, and the nearly 800 generous donors from the community who funded this project.