Stonington Free Library

Sustainability and Accessibility Update

The Stonington Free Library aims to provide for all who want access to our space, our programs and our services. We focus on meeting existing community needs while continually planning for a rapidly changing future.

The Stonington Free Library is Everywhere You Are!

Did you know……That SFL serves all 40 square miles of the Town of Stonington, including the villages of Pawcatuck and Mystic? In fact, more than half of our active cardholders reside outside the 06378 zip code!

Sustainers Are Priceless!

Stonington Free Library offers those who wish to support the Library the option to become a sustainer. If you would rather donate on a monthly basis, securely and worry free, we’d be happy to set you up. Each year sustainers receive a report on their contributions along with our wholehearted appreciation for their steadfast support.

You’re special people and we are so grateful that you are with us for the long haul!

To the Rescue

Beth Walker has been part of the Stonington community for many years. She loves it here and she loves the Library. So, it is no surprise that when she approached the front door on a Friday afternoon in July and found it locked, she was incensed.

Library Receives $550 Grant from Mystic Woman’s Club

Our sincerest thanks to the Mystic Woman’s Club for their grant of $550 which has allowed us to purchase an additional book cart and materials for our branch at the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center. Library volunteers run the PNC branch every Wednesday from 10 to 11:30. Stop by to sign up for a library card, check out items or place requests for items to be brought at an upcoming visit. The Library’s collaboration with the PNC to create this branch began in January 2017. Since it began the branch has served 301 people who have checked out 514 items.

An Update on Sustainability & Accessibility

This past October the Library held a Community Conversation and Open House week to present its recently completed Strategic Plan to the community. President of the Board Nick Kepple and several Trustees including Kate Randolph, Allegra Griffiths and Denise Easton reported on the goals of the Strategic Plan, the Library’s financial situation and a proposed addition to the building to make the Library accessible and ADA compliant. Since the Community Conversation, the Library has continued an advocacy campaign to town leaders and submitted two funding requests to the town. The first request was for an increase to the Library’s annual municipal funding, which supports Library operations. The second request was for town capital improvement funds to assist with making the building accessible and ADA compliant.

Our Strategic Plan is Now Available to the Community

These are exciting times at the Stonington Free Library! Two years ago the Board of Trustees launched a strategic planning process. We engaged a highly respected consulting firm to assist us on the most rewarding and valuable part of the planning process—engaging the community. The community’s response to our outreach was overwhelmingly positive and reflected a remarkable level of participation. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with the community as we implement new strategic initiatives to improve Stonington Free Library’s services and programs. We are grateful for the generous support of the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut whose funding made it possible for the library to create this plan.

The Magic of Seeds

We are excited to announce the launch of our Seed Library! Stop by and choose a packet of seeds to plant in your garden. A big thank you to Noreen Kepple, URI Master Gardener, for all her hard work in setting up this program!