Midd selectboard endorses Ilsley project grant

The board also issued a liquor license to the restaurant that will soon open at 51 Main St., at its Feb. 27 meeting.

The Middlebury selectboard has unanimously decided that the Ilsley Library should be expanded and renovated at its current location at 75 Main St., a project roughly estimated at $14.8 million.

I’ve noticed that many politicians talk about the importance of preparing America’s labor force for the future, and I’m always a little surprised that they leave public libraries out of these conversations.

When I was little, my mom would take me to the library at least twice a week to pick out books, but as I grew up my time spent there became less and less. Until now. 

The four leading scenarios for upgrading Middlebury’s Ilsley Public Library to meet community expectations could run from $5.5 million to $23 million, according to a professional estimator.

Middlebury area residents should take note of upcoming public information meetings that will review four proposed scenarios for upgraded or new facilities for Middlebury’s Ilsley Library.

Middlebury’s library of the future should provide better access to those with mobility issues, possess ample space for children and teens, offer outdoor programming space to ensure services during any future pandemics, and shouldn’t be heated using fossil … (read more)

A few weeks ago, a young library patron, perhaps five or six years old, told me quite seriously that the new library should have a secret passage.

When the editor of the national beekeeping magazine that I regularly write for asked me to start recording audio versions of my articles so folks could scan and listen to them, I was again able to make use of the DML to accomplish this task.

An ad hoc committee looking for long-term fixes to the Ilsley Library’s space woes has identified four potential solutions that will be part of a broader public information campaign, kicking off on Nov. 16 with the first of two forums.

Let’s Grow Kids CEO Aly Richards will deliver an AAUW talk titled “Vermont’s Child Care Campaign: Systems Change in Action.” on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Ilsley Library.

This past summer, more than 45 teams “donned Jedi robes, built protocol droids, and learned lightsaber skills,” as the Media Factory put it, to create the final product, which will premiere at a series of outdoor screenings around the state next week.

In 1991, urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term “third space” to describe the neutral, public places in our lives that are not home (first space) or work/school (second space).

I met my best friends at the library, but I didn’t know it then. I don’t really remember the music or yoga classes that much, but I do remember watching plays and listening to the librarians read stories every summer.

A team working on major upgrades to Middlebury’s Ilsley Library continues to meet, gather information and root out potential funding sources in hopes of potentially presenting the community with a bond request in Nov. 2024.