A critical look at the Wareham Free Library's woes prompted new Director Michael Carlozzi to draft a comprehensive five-year plan. The goal – fund the library using 1 percent of the town's budget, which will ultimately result in its re-certification.

The plan was given to the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night.

"The primary goal is certification," said Carlozzi. "This plan shows what we can have in this town with a one percent budget... I think it has to be a long-term goal."

Currently, the town budgets 0.39 percent of its annual budget for library services. Normally, Carlozzi said, towns allocate 1 percent of the municipal budget for libraries.

The library gets $216,000 each year from the town, and Carlozzi estimates that even $400,000 would be enough for a decent library, but $600,000 – or 1 percent – would make it exceptional.

Since the library suffered budget cuts in 2014, it has lost certification. That means the library has not receive any state aid, which had amounted to $20,000 annually.

The library's hours and staff were cut as a result of the loss. Decertification also means that patrons haven't been able to borrow or place holds on books and materials from other libraries, except in Freetown, Somerset and Assonet. Those towns agreed to work with the Wareham Free Library despite its decertification.

Since then, groups like the Friends of the Wareham Free Library and the Wareham Free Library Foundation have been raising funds to support the library. Though their efforts have paid off significantly (even funding a third of Carlozzi's salary), it's not enough.

Carlozzi said there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

"We're starting to move in the right direction," said Carlozzi, who thanked Town Administrator Derek Sullivan for working very closely with the library.

Carlozzi was appointed as director in June. His focus is to make the library well-known for education and get it re-certified.

The requirements for certification are: a library that is open 40 hours a week (Wareham is only open 33 hours a week between two branches), has a library director, spends 12 percent on materials and provides free public service.

"As always, the question is the dollar sign," said Selectman Peter Teitelbaum. "And that's what put us in this predicament in the first place."

Read the entire plan here.