Amid months of public outcry, town officials explained Tuesday that if an override passes, the town will be able to fund the library to the state's required amount for certification next year.

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners voted April 3 to certify the Wareham library for fiscal year 2014 after originally denying them in early March. The Board of Library Commissioners also said they reserved the right to not certify the library next year if the town’s appropriation to the library is not restored to the 2013 level of $432,835.

In the town's proposed balanced budget, there is $125,000 allotted to the library. Town Administrator Derek Sullivan said the override budget would provide for the $432,835.

He said on top of the $125,000, the override would include an additional $200,000 to the library's budget, plus $30,000 in a revolving fund, which counts toward the state's figures for the library budget, but, "isn't a true budgeted dollar." The remaining $77,000 would come from the $1.2 million Capital Improvement section of the override.

Community members spoke at Tuesday's Selectmen meeting about the importance of the library.

Book Club member Dianne Murphy said the library serves an average of 500 people a day.

Wareham resident Bridget Kearns brought her two children to the meeting and said, "We spend a lot of time at the library getting books and it's very important to us the library stay open. It serves everyone in the community, from the youngest people to the oldest."

In a press release, the Board of Library Commissioners Chairman Frank Murphy said, “Whether a library is certified or not, is a direct result of local actions. We all want the Wareham Free Library to exist and to provide great service and improve over time. Our question is this: what will help Wareham get out of this difficulty?”

Commissioner George Comeau said, “Everything you said we feel and we commend the job your Director, Trustees and friends have been doing. But, you’ve had six consecutive waivers. Either your town supports the library or it doesn’t--for the library to have a place at the table, the most powerful tool we can give you is decertification.”

But town officials said they don't agree with the way the state board does business.

Selectmen Peter Teitelbaum and Alan Slavin went before the board on Feb. 6 and said there would likely be an override article for the town after the Board of Library Commissioners first raised concerns about the town's funding for the library.  Then, in March, they voted to decertify the library and told selectmen by way of press release.

"I've been practicing administrative law in this state for 15 years," Teitelbaum said. "Never in my life have I ever received a decision from a public body from a press release, and they never told us in the press release what number they wanted to see."

"I support funding the library to this new number, now that we finally have it," he added.

The Board of Library Commissioners will review Wareham’s fiscal year 2015 State Aid to Public Libraries application at its November meeting to determine compliance, and will vote at its December meeting.