The St. Michaels Branch Library is Expanding

New features will include community meeting space, shelving for additional books and new electronic resources.

The Library Foundation, Talbot County, The Town of St. Michaels and the State of Maryland have committed $1,000,000 to the expansion project.

We need the community's help in raising just $350,000 in private contributions to make this all possible.

The St. Michaels branch of the Talbot County Free Library has faithfullly served the citizens of the Bay Hundred Area since 1981. For over two decades, it has been the resource center for a growing community, changing to meet the demands of its constituency. With its beginnings in a small store on Talbot Street, the branch library expanded to its current location on Fremont Street in 1988.

It is now time for another chapter in the story of this valuable community resource.

Here are the reasons for the expansion:

Increased population

The number of card holders has risen from 1,906 in 1982 to 4,292 today.

Increased Holdings

The current library building is bursting at the seams. We have resources to purchase books, but no more shelf space. The branch circulated 20,317 items in 1982 and well over 30,000 in 2001.

Expanded Services to Children in the Community

There will be a full range of story hours for children; arts and crafts as well as educational performance programs. The branch serves over 900 school age children in the Bay Hundred area.

New Seniors Program

Seniors must travel at night to Easton to participate in library sponsored programs. Once the new meeting room is in place we will be able to offer literary programs, such as The Great Discussion and Great Decisions programs along with many of the other programs sponsored by The Friends of the Library, such as Brown Bag lunches.

Public Meeting Facility

There is currently no meeting space in St. Michaels open to all public groups. The expansion will include a 70 person meeting room fitted with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment.

Additional Downtown Parking

In concert with current proposals to expand the downtown business area in the direction of fremont Street, the library expansion will enhance existing space and increase off street parking.