'Survival Mode': Marblehead Library Director Makes Plea For Tax Override Tiers

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Marblehead Abbot Public Library Director Kimberly Grad said the historic institution will be reduced to "survival mode" if voters do not approve at least one of the three "tiers" of Proposition 2 1/2 tax overrides before them later this spring.

Grad issued a public plea for tax override funding this week as she outlined the impact of the three tiers — as well as a "no" vote — on services for the library that opened in 1877 and underwent an $8.5 million renovation in 2021.

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Calling the override decision "a modern turning point" for the library, once described as a "common purpose" to "make wise provision for the future," Grad said under a "significantly reduced budget" with no override, the library "would be forced into a survival mode that fundamentally diminishes our role as a community resource."

Those cutbacks include a reduction of eight library staff positions, reduced hours to three days a week with no nights or weekends, and the loss of accreditation.

"The loss of half our staff means losing more than just hours," she said. "It means losing the familiar faces — your neighbors,
who know your name, your children's reading levels, and your favorite reading genres."

• Marblehead Abbot Public Library Faces 'Drastic' Service Cuts Amid Budget Crisis

She said the library would "become largely inaccessible to students, commuters, and working families" and that the lack of funding for any new materials would make the collection "stagnant."

The loss of state certification would also forfeit state aid and mean Marblehead library cards would no longer be accepted in other towns.

Passage of the $9 million "Tier 1" override would prevent de-certification, but leave the library in a state of "partial recovery," she said.

Grad said hours would be 45 per week — down from the current 52 — and result in a "maintenance-only model" that includes limited staffing and no budget for new books or media.

The collection would remain stagnant, unable to grow alongside the interests and needs of our community, she said.

Passage of the $12 million "Tier 2" override, she said, would restore "the 21st Century library experience that the Abbot Public Library was designed to provide."

"By returning to our full 52-hour, six-day schedule, we would
ensure the library is available when you need it most, restoring the daily rhythms of the library, the quiet focus on a Saturday morning near the fireplace, and the sound of laughter from the
Children's Room on a weekday morning," she said. "With full staffing restored, we can provide the personalized assistance and diverse programming, from early literacy storytimes to senior outreach, that serves as the hallmark of our mission."

She said tier 2 funding would also allow full access to meeting spaces and specialized rooms, "keeping the library functioning as a true community hub."

She said the passage of the $15 million "Tier 3" override allows for the "full realization of the town's investment in our recently renovated library."

"These resources ensure that the tax dollars already invested in the library's renovation are preserved and that the facility remains protected for decades to come," she said. "Our goal today is to ensure that (the 150-year-old library's) legacy remains intact for the next generation of Marbleheaders.

"The library isn't just a municipal department — it is a community resource that belongs to you."