The private Springfield Library and Museums Association sold the property to the Urban League in 2003.
04.13.2011 | SPRINGFIELD - Youngsters tour the Mason Square Branch Library which officially re-opened Wednesday morning. SPRINGFIELD – It took eight years, but residents and city officials made it clear Wednesday that the newly reopened Mason Square Library on State Street was well worth the wait.
“It brought tears to my eyes, it really did,” said Ethyl Hudson, 86, of Union Street. “Just to be able to walk through and see the renovations. I got a really warm feeling. We’re back.”
The reopening was celebrated with a gathering of community leaders, neighborhood residents, and children from nearby schools who were excited to have the full-service library at 765 State St.
It was closed and sold by the Springfield Library and Museums Association in 2003 to the Urban League of Springfield to the surprise and anger of many residents.
The reopening was made possible by a sustained lobbying effort by the neighborhood and its supporters, and a contribution of approximately $1.5 million from the Springfield Library Foundation to purchase, renovate and furnish the building, officials said.
Many of the speakers at the ceremony praised the late Annie Curran, who left her estate of more than $1 million in the 1950s for the stated purpose of maintaining a library in the Mason Square area. The private, nonprofit foundation oversees her fund.
The city took the building by eminent domain in 2009 for its appraised value of $802,500, forcing the Urban League to relocate. The league had set aside some space for library services during its ownership of the building. Most of the renovations, furnishings and relocation costs, all totaling about $700,000, were funded by the Library Foundation.
Residents of all ages were taking part in the daylong celebration that included a children’s chorus, poetry reading, flag and ribbon-cutting ceremonies, tours and demonstrations. Additional activities were scheduled today and Friday.
“I feel happy,” said William Chapman, 9, a third grader at William N. DeBerry School. “It’s nice. Now, people can borrow books to read.”
Jesse Lederman, youth chairman of the McKnight Neighborhood Council, said there are many programs for all ages and more being developed. A career center, for example, will provide information “on getting a GED, how to write a resume, and getting a job,” he said.
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said neighborhood residents were steadfast in their effort to restore a full branch library at the site. The taking was approved by the City Council and Sarno.
Former Mayor Charles V. Ryan, president of the Library Foundation, praised the “extraordinary generosity” of Annie Curran and the tenacity of the neighborhood.
“People of the neighborhood just would not give up,” Ryan said. “They knew they had to keep pushing and did keep pushing. This is a great day.”
Morris Jones, a resident and former city councilor who lobbied for the reopening of the library, said it “will serve as a lighthouse and a beacon for the Mason Square community.” He was unable to attend the event due to being in the hospital, but provided a written statement.
“I am glad and honored to be part of the team,” Jones said. “The most important thing is we should never let a major facility such as a library go without a community public hearing.”
He and others urged the community to use the library.
Molly Fogarty, city library director, called the reopening a “glorious occasion.”
“A lot of people worked really hard for a long time with determination, courage and dedication to restore the library to its full potential,” Fogarty said.
The library is “a center for education and community life,” she said.
Estelle Early, a resident who recalls the library as a youth, said she is happy the library is back as a legacy to the city.
“It’s important to our youth who are now coming up,” Early said. “Reading has become a lost art to some and hopefully having the library back will rebirth that energy.”
Anita Medina, who recently moved back to Springfield, said she is happy to see the library open.
“I plan on coming here, grabbing a couple of books and pushing my kids because reading and education are very important,” Medina said. “I would like for them to grow up differently than I did.”
City Councilor E. Henry Twiggs said the library offers a “world of knowledge” to people of all of ages.
“Libraries say a lot about a city’s priorities, especially how a city regards learning and culture,” Twiggs said.
Jerry Orbe, an intern with The Republican, contributed to this story