New Library
The new Main Library opened on July 1, 2013, and was dedicated on September 15, 2013.
The building is 32,000 square feet in size. The old Main Library was 18,000 square feet.
The project budget was $13.9 million. The Town voted $9 million for the project. The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners awarded the Town a $4 million construction grant. The remaining funding came from private donations.
The project was LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified by the US Energy Council.
The project involved moving the historic Colburn School building (1876) from its original location. After completing the new Library, the School was moved to the site of the original Library and underwent extensive renovations. The former School now houses the Rockland Trust Bank on the first floor and residential apartments on the second and third floors.
All materials in the new library have Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. Returned items are scanned and automatically checked in on a conveyor belt. Patrons can use self-check stations which also use the RFID system to streamline borrowing.