NORWELL MARINER – After years of planning and fundraising, the James Library and Center for the Arts is installing an elevator, a major step in the Arts for Everyone Campaign.
In 2014, members of the public and the library’s board started a Strategic Planning Process and identified a need for the library was access to the building.
The building that the library inhabits, located at 24 West St, was built in 1874.
“They weren’t thinking about bathrooms, let alone handicap access when they built the building,” said Executive Director Megan Ward.
“We have a lot of seniors and people with different ambulatory issues who love to come and listen to great music and see the art shows but they couldn’t access the art gallery or the music hall,” said Ward.
It is hoped the new elevator will be up and running by the first week of November. It will provide access to all three floors of the James and provides storage space for the library.
Also part of the Arts for Everyone Campaign will be assisted listening devices, two new handicap parking spaces (one for a van and the other for a car), a sloping pathway providing accessibility to the library’s side entrance with an electronic push button for the door, a fully-accessible bathroom and much more to make the James Library more accessible to all.
The campaign was launched last October with a three-year plan in mind, but due to support from the community and outside organizations, the $450,000 for the campaign was raised in a year.
The Bloomwhistle Charitable Fund set up a Matching Challenge up to $200,000 to raise funds.
All donations under $1,000 were matched by a 2:1 ratio and any donations over $1,000 were matched on a 1:1 ratio.
The Cordelia Family Foundation has also provided the James with a number of grants for seniors in the community, allowing the library to provide a number of free tickets to library events.
“We are able to offer seniors free tickets, for example the house tour, we had 86 seniors attend that didn’t have to pay out of pocket,” said Ward. “That’s money that they could be spending on their lighting or their food or transportation. Without these supporters we wouldn’t be able to do it.′
Installation of the elevator began Monday, Oct. 15 and work should be done in the next three weeks.
“I think that the entire project should be done by the end of November,” said Ward. “We’re hoping that by the second or third week in November we’ll be able to welcome people, the ramp outside will be completed, the elevator will be in working order. It’ll be awesome.”
Ward has a personal connection to the accessibility project, as her husband is 
in a wheelchair.
“It’s close to my heart,” she said. “It’ll be great to be able to welcome my husband and other people to the James without any barriers.”
Once the elevator is complete and after the holiday season, Ward said the James may host an open house around New Year’s for the community and donors to show where their donations have gone.
To learn more about the Arts for Everyone Campaign visit jameslibrary.org/arts-for-everyone/
By Kate Walsh
