Grant funds insulation upgrade at Robertson Memorial Library in Leyden

LEYDEN — Thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association, Leyden is continuing to improve energy efficiency at town buildings, with the most recent area of focus being the Robertson Memorial Library.

MIIA, a nonprofit membership service of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, meets the insurance needs of local governments, according to its website. Leyden Town Coordinator Michele Giarusso said she has found success in these MIIA grants, with one $10,500 grant funding insulation for the Fire Station’s roof last year.

This year, Giarusso worked closely with the Building Needs Study Committee to determine that Robertson Memorial Library would be the next building to benefit from insulation, which was recently completed. In addition to the $10,000 grant, another $3,500 for the project came from the town’s Building Fund. According to Library Director Karin Parks, the one-room building itself is 432 square feet and was built in 1913.

“A lot of Leyden’s buildings are very old and not insulated, so we have a plan to insulate our buildings to save on costs to heat them,” Giarusso said.

Grant funding for energy-efficiency upgrades has been easier to secure since April, when Leyden became a Green Community designated by the state Department of Energy Resources. Giarusso plans to apply for more grants that would fund further insulation improvements, with the next focus being the Town Offices.

In other library news

Robertson Memorial Library is also launching its first book club, which will meet in person on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 5 p.m. at the Town Offices. The first book discussion will be on “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus. Participants are encouraged to pair this book with “Baking Yesteryear: The Best Recipes from the 1900s to the 1980s,” a cookbook by B. Dylan Hollis. Parks invites attendees to bring a treat to share inspired by the cookbook.