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Receiving Gift
Pomfret Public Library Director Laurie Bell receives a gift and pledge from the Cardinal family. From left: Bell, Trevor Cardinal, Ken Cardinal and Tory Cardinal. Courtesy photo.
POMFRET — The Cardinal family, owners of the Baker’s Dozen Coffee Shop and Bakery chain and Sweet Peas Farm Market, made a gift and pledge towards the capital campaign at Pomfret Public Library.
Library Director Laurie Bell said the library was awarded a construction grant of $421,000 from the Connecticut State Library in 2018, and has been raising funds to match that grant. The future expansion to the library will add about 2,000 square feet, effectively doubling the public space. The increased library space will provide the Pomfret community with rooms for creative and educational growth, community meetings, and other social gatherings.
She said the future café area will be named for the Cardinal family, Baker’s Dozen and Sweet Peas, in acknowledgement of their commitment to the project.
Pomfret Public Library was built in 1911. The children’s room and office were added in 1976, and the Aicher Memorial Garden and Deck in 1994, but the facility has remained much the same since it was built over 100 years ago. Library services have evolved to now include access to the internet and technology, and a variety of programs (outside of pandemic-time) that promote life-long learning and creative growth. The current facility is valued by the community for its charm and history, but does not easily support those types of services. Plans include a lounge and cafe, conference room, Pomfret Historical Society archives, a children’s activity space, a meeting room that will accommodate 30-60 people, and an expanded patio and garden.
The capital campaign committee, with Atty. Kate Cerrone as chairperson and Marc and Mary Archambault as co-vice chairs, has found generous support in the community for the project. The COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily forced curtailment of many library programs and services, but the need for community and connection has never been stronger and the library is poised to meet that need in the future with its upcoming addition, said Bell.
More information about the project and how to contribute can be found at pomfretlibrary.org/building.
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