WINCHENDON — At a recent legislative breakfast at the Beals Memorial Library, the topic discussed was its possible closure, due to a massive budget shortfall.

The budgetary issue, covered in a previous edition of the Athol Daily News, is due to rising health insurance and pension costs. A pair of Proposition 2 ½ overrides to provide $4 million to cover the budget will be voted on at a May 5 Town Election.

Winchendon Town Manager Bill McKinney urged residents to become informed about the budget process and the impact their vote would have on the town’s future. He stressed that funding for education, public safety and public works were also at risk.

“It’s not us versus them, not us versus the government,” he said at the March 13 event. “Everyone should understand what their vote means to the future of the town.”

Beals Memorial Library Director Manuel King expressed how vital libraries are to communities.

“We all love libraries and how we empower our communities, but it is vitally important that we let our legislators know that we come together in groups like this,” King said. “We have this morning to remind them just how important we are, and the crucial role we play in our cities and towns. The key to a vibrant community is an active and engaged library.”

King emphasized the significance of Winchendon’s library, sharing how the town has invested over $2 million in renovating it.

King made two requests of the legislators present at the forum.

“First, to take this message back to the State House – please, please pass all of the MBLC’s budget requests for FY2026,” he said. “And second, please increase the state aid to cities and towns to a level that meets the rate of inflation that is crippling our community’s ability to maintain the services we need to properly serve our citizens.”

Erika Eitland, a member of the Winchendon Board of Selectmen, explained that the library provides services such as free SAT math tutoring, a home-bound program for seniors and individuals with disabilities, and support for low-income students.

“We have a lot of elderly residents. We have individuals with disabilities, and the fact that we have a program that actually brings the books to the people,” Eitland said. “This means that the impact of this place is so much greater than this individual space that we’re trying to save.”

She acknowledged that the budget override would result in a $50 monthly increase for the average household, but argued that this would be a small price to pay for the benefits libraries bring.

“And so this is an opportunity for us to say, you know what, when we invest in places, we invest in our entire community,” Eitland said.

Rick Ward, a longtime resident and former library trustee of the, spoke about his personal connection to Beals Memorial. Ward, who was born just across the street from the library nearly 79 years ago, shared how it had expanded his world beyond Winchendon.

“Every date stamp on that library card represented a new adventure,” Ward said, crediting the library with fueling his lifelong passion for history and travel.

“If we lose this library, we’ve taken the heart of Winchendon away,” he said, adding that the closure of these facilities would leave a gaping hole in the community. “We are now in a death spiral. We cannot shut down these services, it just can’t happen.”

Renee Eldredge, a town resident, expressed her deep concern over the potential closure.

“I work for Heywood Healthcare and I was on the board of directors here at the library awhile back,” she said. “And seeing the library grow, it’s over 100 years old, and the thought that on June 30 we might lose this organization, is devastating.”

Karen Traub, a commissioner with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, spoke about how the board was the first in the world to establish a free public library in 1890, highlighting the state’s longstanding commitment to literacy and accessibility.

Traub made it clear that her support for library funding was unwavering,

“I am here as an advocate and will continue to work on this with determination and strength,” she stated.

Shifting her focus to the state budget, Traub addressed legislators directly, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing library funding.

“For the library, legislators, we highlight areas of the budget that we want to ask for the legislature to support and to boost up,” she said.

Traub explained that the MBLC is looking to increase its direct state aid to local libraries, enabling them to maintain operations, update collections and enhance technology. They are also aiming to boost funding for the Massachusetts Center for the Book, an organization dedicated to promoting literacy and reading through initiatives like the Massachusetts Reading Challenge and Letters About Literature, while also supporting local authors and publishers.

“Now is a good time to ramp up your advocacy,” Traub said.

Tressa Santillo, executive director of the Massachusetts Library System (MLS), emphasized the importance of supporting libraries across the state. Santillo explained that MLS serves over 1,500 libraries in Massachusetts, providing resources and support to help serve communities more effectively. She highlighted the MLS’s Pathways to Inclusion program, which works to increase accessibility to library careers among underrepresented groups.

“With your advocacy and financial support, we will ensure that state funds continue to benefit local communities,” Santillo said.

State Sen. Jo Comerford, one of many local legislators present at the library, thanked the community for its devoted support of libraries. Comerford stressed the importance of supporting rural communities like Winchendon, adding that issues like local aid and education funding are crucial to the town’s future.

“The state budget is complex, but we need fighters in the legislature, and I’m proud to lock arms with my colleagues who are advocates for libraries,” she said.

A recording of the event can be found at https://winchendon.cablecast.tv/CablecastPublicSite/show/210?site=1