Sherborn to Join Minuteman Library Network

By Whitney Cyr

As assigned summer reading is getting underway for the children of Dover and Sherborn, the community can find a renewed resource in the Sherborn Library.

Starting July 1, the Sherborn Library will be a part of the Minuteman Library Network, a consortium of 36 public libraries and 7 academic libraries in the area west of Boston.

According to Library Director Elizabeth Johnston, area residents will be able to use their home computers to tap into the network’s expansive database of resources. If something isn’t at the Sherborn Library, it can be delivered from another Minuteman library.

“It expands and diversifies our library and makes it more convenient for the people of Sherborn,” Johnston said.

To achieve their goal of joining the network, Johnston says, “we successfully raised funds from community donations. We raised $50,000.”

The Friends of the Sherborn Library held various fundraising events where the community could donate. The library recognized the need to participate in the network as a result of annual community surveys.

“We can say to the community, we’ve taken your donations and using your dollars for a directed resource for you,” she said.

The staff at the library underwent training, both internally and from the Minuteman Library Network to prepare for July 1.

“The community is very excited about it,” she said. 

The Sherborn Library, Johnston said, will be able to provide access to information for every member of the family and for anyone with a life long interest in learning.

Johnston pointed out the lack of depth in an internet search, emphasizing that the resources at a library will always be unlimited.

“The library adds to your base of knowledge, which is very much a foundation of education,” she said.