Carpenter-Carse Library Takes Action to Make Room for Community
Art Night Benefit on Saturday, March 14
As Hinesburg continues to grow, the need for accessible, shared community space has never been greater. The Carpenter-Carse Library has long served as a hub for learning, connection, and gathering but its current community room is at capacity. Programs like story time, meetings, and events are filling the space, and there is no dedicated space for quiet study or small group use. It’s clear: our growing town needs more room.
“Our staff has worked hard to increase engagement with library programs and services, and the results have been wonderful. We are so happy to be welcoming more people into the library, but we are also frequently frustrated by the limitations of our facility and our inability to consistently meet the needs of all our patrons,” Jill Andersen, CCL Library Director, explained.
The library has a plan and it’s one that’s been part of the vision from the very beginning. Original blueprints for the Carpenter-Carse Library included using the adjacent rental space as an expanded community room. That long-standing goal is now ready to become reality. The proposed expansion would allow for larger community events, dedicated study and meeting rooms, and a more flexible space that truly serves residents of all ages.
Anderson noted, “The library is a gathering space, a place where many local residents have found fellowship, friendship, and meaningful experiences of all kinds. We want to continue to be this resource for our community, and with more space we can be an even better version – one where multiple groups can meet at once, or a large group can gather comfortably with enough room for everyone to join in.”
To help make this vision a reality, the Friends of the Carpenter-Carse Library are hosting the first annual Carpenter-Carse Library Art Night Benefit on Saturday, March 14, from 6-8 p.m. at Hinesburg Town Hall. Tickets support the community room expansion and include entry for two people and a raffle for original artwork donated by local artists. Everyone leaves with art!
This fundraiser is a chance to invest in a shared space that belongs to everyone. By attending, donating, or spreading the word, community members can help the library deliver on its promise to make room for learning, connection, and belonging now and for the future.
Purchase tickets and donate at the library and online here.