In the 15 years that successive New Canaan Library boards have studied the prospect of a rebuilt facility, conducting focus groups and hiring architects to come up with designs, it’s become clear that the best plan for the community requires demolition of what remains of the original structure there, officials said Tuesday. Though they carefully considered a renovation or incorporation of the 1913 building into a future library, “each board came to the same conclusion,” Alicia Wyckoff, a former president of the organization, told members of the Board of Finance during a budget hearing at Town Hall. “In order to get the types of spaces and functions of a modern, 21st Century library that our community is requesting—more programming spaces, meeting and study rooms, more places for the teaching and learning that is so important to our community today—we need to build a new library on a new footprint,” Wyckoff said, speaking on behalf of the library, its board and supporters. “These considerations led to the Midcentury Modern design that pays homage to an historically important architectural movement and one for which New Canaan is well known.”
She added, “Furthermore, as these plans came into focus, it became abundantly clear that it was not viable to retain the 1913 building for a multitude of reasons. First, it is not financially feasible for us.
Renowned author, professor and researcher, Doug Tallamy, will speak on the topic of his recently published book, “Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard.” Tallamy is best known for the national conversation he sparked more than a decade ago about the link between healthy ecosystems and human wellbeing. His first book, “Bringing Nature Home”, emphasized the irrefutably significant tie between native plant species, native insects and the rest of the food chain essential for a healthy world. Sponsored by the ten organizations that comprise the New Canaan Pollinator Pathway, Mr. Tallamy’s presentation will offer specific suggestions of how homeowners can turn their properties into conservation corridors and help make a difference for global biodiversity. The event will take place on Tuesday, March 3 at New Canaan Country School Auditorium, 635 Frogtown Road, starting at 7:30 pm (Doors open at 7:00 pm). Tickets are $15.
Join rheumatologist Anastasia Slobodnick, MD, who will discuss the latest advances, and treatments for gout. Anastasia Slobodnick, MD, is a rheumatologist and internal medicine physician. She sees patients who have medical conditions that affect their joints, tendons, ligaments, bones and muscles. Dr. Slobodnick grew up in New York City and completed her medical education and training at New York University School of Medicine. Her interest in rheumatology was sparked in medical school when she had the privilege of observing a rheumatologist in practice and grew to appreciate the breadth and mystery of this field.
To the editor:
These are exciting times for the New Canaan Library as we embark on a project to build a new library and center for lifelong learning that will serve the town for generations to come.
We truly appreciate the incredible amount of support and interest that we have received from the community, town government and our very generous donors. Over $15 million in private capital has been raised to date indicating strong support for our existing plans for an iconic mid-century glass and stone building combined with the Town Green.
Further, a recently completed economic impact study indicates that New Canaan could benefit with up to an additional $6 million of economic activity as a result of this project. We expect to break ground in early 2021 and have the new building up and running by late 2022.
To achieve all this, it is critically important that we continue to move forward now with our current plans. Over the past 15 years, successive Boards of Trustees of the New Canaan Library have worked to advance a plan for a new library in downtown New Canaan. This process included convening focus groups to determine the needs and desires of residents and a careful examination of the requirements for the next generation of modern libraries.
In partnership with The New Canaan Museum & Historical Society, New Canaan Library presents the third in a six-part lecture series that explores the origins of specific constitutional rights. February’s lecture will look at the Thirteenth Amendment and will be presented by the Right Reverend Doctor John L. Selders, Jr., an ordained minister serving in the United Church of Christ. The lecture takes place on Thursday, February 20, at 6:00 p.m., preceded by light refreshments beginning at 5:45. Please register for the lecture online at newcanaanlibrary.org; all lectures must be registered for individually. Bishop John Selders will speak on the Thirteenth Amendment, which declares the abolishment of slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States.
