GREENFIELD — Residents left a mark on the new Greenfield Public Library that the pouring rain couldn’t wash away Saturday morning as the library welcomed folks to sign a 30-foot steel beam that will be placed on the structure early this week.
Despite being organized with only a week’s notice, a steady stream of residents armed with silver permanent markers braved steady rainfall determined to sign their names and inspirational phrases on the beam, which will be visible from the street once it is moved onto the structure. The beam, however, will not be visible once construction is complete, so residents were asked to sign a guest book, too.
“I was thinking on a beautiful day, we’d get 200 people,” said Karen Larabee, president of the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library. “On a rainy Saturday, I think we’re going to have a couple hundred people.”
Many of the people showing up to sign the beam brought their children to give them an opportunity to make a mark on the new building they will be growing up with, which Larabee said “was so exciting to see.”
Jennifer and Brian Hydefrost brought their two children with them to sign the beam and said they are really excited for the new building, especially since they’ve built the library into their home-schooling curriculum.
“We’ve been for it all along,” Jennifer Hydefrost said. “The rain has not stopped us.”
“It will be good,” Brian Hydefrost added after signing his name on the beam. “We really wanted to have our mark captured.”
Amanda MacLeod brought her 6-year-old son, Max, to sign the beam because they’re “super excited for the new building.” She and Max were just coming to pick up their books for the week and decided to take part in the signing when they found out it was happening.
“A library is a key part of the community,” MacLeod said. “I’m really excited.”
MacLeod said the new library is coming just in time for Max to use it as he gets older.
“For him to grow up with it and to have it is amazing,” she said. “It’s an amazing resource to have.”
Rachel Roberts, vice president of the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library, said seeing so many families bring their children to sign the beam brought tears to her eyes, adding the library is an “amalgamation of all of us.”
“It’s been about the future of Greenfield,” Roberts said. “The joy people are bringing to this is wonderful.”
In 2019 — seven years after the vision for a new library was first discussed — Greenfield voters approved building a new library with a 61% positive vote. The $19.5 million appropriation accounts for construction costs as well as the cost of the architect, project manager, furniture and fixtures, according to Library Building Committee Co-Chair Ed Berlin.
In addition to a $9.4 million grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the Greenfield Public Library Foundation had said it would contribute about $2 million, reducing the city’s cost to about $8.1 million. The foundation recently announced it had reached its $2 million goal.
Roberts said she was so happy to see the “very quick community effort” of people coming out to support the new library on Saturday. As of 1 p.m., Roberts said more than 200 people had come and left their names on the beam. In an email Saturday night, Roberts confirmed more than 400 people signed the beam in all.
Roberts said the beam, which will be the final one put in place, will be lifted onto the structure either today or Tuesday, March 22, and will likely be visible from the street.
“I’m encouraging people to bring their binoculars,” Roberts joked.
According to Roberts, the new library is expected to be complete and open to patrons between April and June 2023.
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.