SUNDERLAND — Almost exactly two decades from the date of its ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Sunderland Public Library is hosting a 20th birthday party for its building.

The free party will be held at the library, 20 School St., on Saturday, April 27, from noon to 2 p.m. to celebrate the building that allowed the library to grow into the community center it has become today.

Folks will also have a chance to reminisce on — and visit — the former Graves Memorial Library, which is now the Swampfield Historical Society, at 100 North Main St., before heading over to the current library for remarks, a slideshow and birthday cake.

“It’s really just a chance for people to celebrate the library and all we’ve done in the past 20 years,” said Library Director Katherine Umstot. “The Sunderland Public Library didn’t become what it was until 20 years ago. [The new building] really opened up a lot of new opportunities for us and we’re really excited to talk about what we’ve done over the last 20 years and honor the histories of libraries in Sunderland.”

The Graves Memorial Library opened in the first few years of the 20th century and served as the town’s library for nearly 100 years, but as the town grew, it soon outgrew the 2,000-square-foot building, as evidenced by borrowing numbers. In 1902, 352 patrons borrowed 4,624 books, while 1,549 patrons borrowed 3,358 books in July 1995 alone, according to the library’s website.

From there, planning soon began for a new building and the town received $1.08 million from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, which the town matched at an October 2001 Town Meeting.

“We were always very well-patronized. … We basically had no room for any programming,” said Library Trustee Lorin Starr, who served on the library’s building committee in the early 2000s. Construction began in 2003 and a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the new space on April 25, 2004.

The Sunderland Public Library now occupies approximately 10,000 square feet and serves as the host of countless library and community events. Umstot said the library serves a dual purpose as a community center, as the role of libraries continues to shift in the modern world.

Starr said the library has been a “resounding success” for the town and in a small community like Sunderland, the library is often one of the key gathering places for people of all ages.

“It’s one thing getting it built, but we really have to credit our staff for taking it forward these 20 years and having it be the institution it’s become,” Starr said. “The library is a place that serves everyone from birth until old age, and I think in a town like ours it does become a social hub and a provider of education. It’s the books plus so much more.”

As other local communities build new libraries — for example, Greenfield’s opened in 2023 and Deerfield’s Tilton Library is currently undergoing an expansion project — Umstot said they are looking forward to seeing what their neighbors can do in their new spaces and what ways Sunderland can adapt.

“We’re so lucky that in our community, there’s a lot of other libraries that are getting new buildings like we did,” Umstot said. “Our goal is to make sure our building stays comfortable and useful into the future … to offer more programs for people because that’s what I’d say people love the most, and to offer a wide variety of materials and experiences.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.