Connecticut's Library Heritage
The Henry Carter Hull Library had occupied its 10 West Main Street address since 1950. Although the quaint 8,200 square foot Georgian building had undergone an expansion in 1978, it was apparent to everyone that the library was much too small to accommodate Clinton's growing population. Annual circulation had risen from 50,000 at the time of the expansion to over 220,000. Office space was gradually relocated to the cellar to make room for new collections and technology. The cramped building contained numerous ADA violations and had limited parking. In the early 1990s, the library board had explored the feasibility of a further expansion but had come to the conclusion that there was not enough land and that the library would have to relocate.
During the summer of 1995, Clinton's first selectman, James M. McCusker, Jr., decided that it might be a good idea for the town to acquire a piece of property located just off Interstate 95, directly across the street from the high school, and adjacent to the new Clinton Crossings Outlet Mall. The property, which formerly had been the corporate headquarters of a bank, had been vacant for a few years. It consisted of a ten-year-old, two-story, 20,000 square foot building with parking for more than eighty cars. When the selectmen formed a committee in November 1995 to explore how the purchase of the new property might benefit the town, Selwyn Taubman, a new library board member joined the committee as an advocate for turning the property into a new Henry Carter Hull Library. Although several boards and commissions initially expressed an interest in the building, by December the library was the only remaining viable candidate. The committee however had become bitterly divided. Although all agreed that the town needed a larger library, half of the members were in favor of the purchase; half were opposed.
During the months that the committee met, Taubman had detailed the positive aspects of the move. An architect and structural engineer hired by the library had examined the building, and reported that the second floor would need to be reinforced to accommodate book stacks. A second fire stair would be required, some interior walls would need to be removed, and some code problems would have to be addressed. Taubman stressed that if the town purchased the property for the assessed value of $1,500,000, the Henry Carter Hull Library, which is an association library, would give its building at 10 West Main Street to the town to do with as it wished. The board would also use the its building fund to pay for renovation costs. The board also pledged to raise $250,000 in donations needed for furnishings and equipment. In addition, the board promised to apply for a State Public Library Construction Grant and to turn that money over to the town to help pay off the bond. If the deal was successful, the taxpayers of Clinton would have a new 20,000 square-foot library facility in a prime location at a cost of $1,000,000, or less if a lower price could be negotiated.
The library board started a petition for the purchase of the building, telephoned voters, sent postcards, and hosted an open house at the vacant facility. At a public meeting on February 6, 1996, the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance heard reports for and against the purchase from the committee. Both boards voted in favor of sending the purchase of the property on to a public hearing and referendum.
The public hearing on February 20, 1996 turned into a humorous affair when the moderator announced that since the public notice had not specifically included the word "library" only the purchase of the building could be discussed, and any mention of the word "library" would not be tolerated. Comments from speakers "filling the building with books", "reinforcing the second floor so that an elephant could walk from end to end" and "allowing users to borrow things with a card" drew laughter and applause from the many library advocates in the crowd. A week later, the referendum was held and the purchase of the property was approved by a 2-1 margin.
During the spring and summer, first selectman James M. McCusker, Jr. negotiated with the owner over the price of the property. The Library Board hired architect Arlene Tunney of Tunney Associates in July even though the town had still not reached an agreement with the owner. Finally, in September, a deal was struck to buy the property for $1,300,000. Selectmen then voted to lease the property to the library board for one dollar a year for a period of up to 90 years.
The library board began a fundraising campaign and eventually met their $250,000 goal, including a major commitment of $50,000 from Chesebrough- Ponds, a subsidiary of Unilever, and Clinton's largest employer.
In April 1997, the town received news the State Bonding Commission had approved the State Public Library Construction Grant for $500,000. When the construction bids were opened in the summer of 1997, the anticipated cost of the project had escalated. After paring back the scope of the renovation, the library board convinced the Boards of Selectmen and Finance that a contingency fund of up to $100,000 needed to be established for additional repairs to the building, upgrading of some mechanical systems, and wiring needed to bring the project to fruition. Kristian B. Larson, Inc. was awarded the construction contract and work began on the new facility in June of 1998.
The old library closed in July. An indispensable small army of nearly 200 volunteers moved the library's collections and furnishings to the new site during the summer. The new library opened its doors by the end of August and had its official dedication on September 5, 1998.
The facility features a community meeting room for up to 100 people, two conference rooms, as well as a tutoring room. The first floor houses the children's services area, more than three times the size of the previous one; and large and inviting areas for new releases and audio-visual materials. Adult services, which occupies the second floor, is surrounded by large windows, allowing natural light to flow through the building. A children's reading garden will be added in the spring of 1999.