Lynnfield Residents Urged To Vote Yes To Protect Town Library

Lynnfield Residents Urged To Vote Yes To Protect Town Library (May 23, 2025).

June 4 override vote critical to prevent loss of public services.

In order to save critical public services the community relies on through its library, schools, and senior center, Lynnfield residents are reminded to make a plan to vote in the upcoming Special Town Election on Wednesday, June 4.

At the annual Town Meeting in April, which saw record turnout, the Selectboard presented Lynnfield residents with a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which they explained would require a $4.65 million override to provide the same level of services and resources currently provided to residents. By an overwhelming margin, those in attendance voted to move the proposed budget forward and put the question of the override before the community at a town wide special election. 

Without the override, widespread cuts will force important programs and positions to be eliminated. For the Lynnfield Public Library (LPL), the loss of funding - which would total over $300,000 – would be catastrophic, causing severe cuts to programming, library staff, and hours. 

“My colleagues and I love being a part of the Lynnfield community and want to be able to provide the same level of support and service to the community that we’re providing now,” said Katherine Decker, a Lynnfield resident and Head of Circulation at Lynnfield Public Library. “We are asking our neighbors and friends to vote yes to safeguard the programs and resources thousands in our community can access when they walk through our doors.”

The LPL provides programs for all ages, story-times and promotion of literacy, print and electronic materials, research assistance, technology help, book groups, as well as a place for locals to connect and engage with their community. Last year, LPL hosted nearly 400 programs with over 7,460 participants. 

“Each day, the Lynnfield Public Library welcomes nearly 400 residents who can rely on us to provide their entire community with the educational, informational, cultural, and recreational opportunities they’ve come to enjoy and, in some cases, rely on,” said Patricia Kelly, who has worked at LPL for nearly three decades and is currently serving as LPL’s Head of Reference and the President of the Massachusetts Library Staff Association. “Whether it be through creating community spaces to bring people together, connecting residents with outside cultures and histories, or helping people navigate critical services through our ever-expanding digital world, we’ve worked hard to ensure the library serves as a cornerstone of the Lynnfield community.”  

Without the override, over 60 percent of the LPL staff would be eliminated – from 24 full-and-part-time staff members to 9. With limited staffing and funding, the library would no longer be open on Saturdays and would have to limit evening hours to one evening per week. 

The impact would cause a ripple effect throughout the department, bringing the percentage of municipal investment down below the required level for the library to remain accredited through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). Without certification, LPL would lose access to state funding, further crippling the system. In the current fiscal year, LPL received over $30,000 in state funding through the MBLC to support technology upgrades, new materials and amenities, and more.

Lack of certification would also end the community’s ability to access the state’s inter-library loan system, which allowed Lynnfield residents to borrow 16,377 items from other libraries across the Commonwealth last year alone.

The Special Town Election is slated for Wednesday, June 4 at Lynnfield High School, (275 Essex Street). Polls will be open from 7 am to 8 pm.  

Early voting begins on Saturday, May 24 and will continue through Friday, May 30. Anyone interested in voting early can do so in-person at the temporary Town Clerk Offices at 525 Salem Street (back of Senior Center) during the following times:

Residents can also request an absentee ballot by mail or in-person:

About the Massachusetts Library Staff Association

The Massachusetts Library Staff Association Local 4928 is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the American Federation of Teachers – Massachusetts (AFT-MA), and the AFL-CIO.