ROWE — If you could build your dream library, what would it look like?

That’s the question being considered by Rowe’s new Library Feasibility Committee, which has been tasked with determining what the future of the library looks like.

The committee has launched a feasibility study to look at whether renovating and expanding the existing 1930s building to meet current and future needs, or building a new library altogether, makes the most financial sense for the town. A request for proposals has been sent out and the committee hopes to have a rough plan for a new library that can be presented during Annual Town Meeting in May.

“I love our library but would love some change,” said Rowe Town Library Director Molly Lane.

The library on Zoar Road was originally built in the 1930s and had its last major renovation in the 1970s, when the children’s room was built. Minor updates have been made over the years, including installing new heating systems just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the library is overdue for some major improvements, Lane said.

Lane said the library needs to make some changes to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, including spreading out the shelves to create bigger aisles and upgrading the bathrooms to have more space.

Library Feasibility Committee members added that they would like to see a new community room built to provide more space for events and programming.

“If you’re going to expand the building 18 inches, you might as well expand 18 feet,” said committee member Ed Silva. “I don’t want to spend all the town’s money, but now’s your chance. … After this edition there’s probably not going to be another renovation for 50 years.”

Library Feasibility Committee members are still brainstorming and are just beginning to envision what they would like to see in a library, but they have asserted they would prefer to keep the current building, and its welcoming, cozy aesthetic.

“A lot of libraries have become very modern looking,” Lane said. “We would like to stay wooden and warm.”

The town has allocated $50,000 for a feasibility study to look at the current building and explore its possibilities. A total budget for a renovation has not been set, but the committee has had preliminary discussions about replacing windows, refinishing the floor, improving lighting, and converting the attic and basement into usable space.

Silva estimates it would cost a couple million dollars to upgrade the building and put on an addition.

“The building as a whole is a good building,” Silva said. “They may find some rot or some areas with structural issues, but we could fix those.”

Following the request for proposals, the committee will interview and select an architect in December and begin conceptualizing designs in the new year. Its members hope to have a draft design and budget ready for a public information session in April that could then be voted on at Annual Town Meeting in May.

If the initial plan receives Town Meeting approval, the Library Feasibility Committee will be able to move forward with Phase 2 of the project: finalizing the design; selecting color swatches for paint, curtains, et cetera; and tightening up the budget.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.