The Wareham Free Library came one step closer to recertification Tuesday night.

At the Board of Selectmen's meeting Tuesday evening, President of the Wareham Library Foundation Kerry Mello presented a donation of $5,000 from the foundation to the Wareham Free Library for the sole purpose of purchasing books and materials.

This donation will move the library's book budget closer to 15 percent of its overall budget. The book budget must be at this level or higher, in order for the library to gain recertification.

Due to budget cuts two years ago, the library lost its certification – and, with it, its eligibility for state assistance.

It also had to severely cut back on its open hours. Last year, a $289,000 budget was approved for the main branch of the library to remain open for 23 hours a week. The Spinney Memorial branch of the library in Onset is running on the leftover money from its refurbishment budget. It is currently open 10 hours a week.

However, in order to regain certification from the state, the library will also need to be open for at least 40 hours a week, and hire a library director. Its acting director, Deb Rich, left the library in February.

Though the donation will help toward accomplishing one of those goals, it will not be enough to grant certification.

“Not only has the foundation donated $5,000 but they've also agreed to pay for a possibly $23-24,000 pay for a library director,” said Selectmen Judith Whiteside. “The trustees asked [Town Administrator Derek] Sullivan to please fill the position so that the goal of regaining the certification of the library could come forward.”

The donation was accepted in a unanimous decision by the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night after Priscilla Porter, President of the Friends of Wareham Free Library, presented a list of fundraising events for the library. Both the foundation and the friends are organizations that help benefit the library.

Upcoming fundraising events include the following:

• April 13 - “The Finest Hours” movie screening at Flagship Cinemas at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and could be purchased at theater the night of the showing.
• April 19 – Book sale begins on Tuesday, Apr. 19 from 5 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. and runs on Thursday during regular library hours from 10 a.m. - 7p.m., on Friday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., and again on Saturday from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
• May 12 – Author Michael Tougias of “The Finest Hours” will be at the library from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. There will also be a fundraising dinner at 7 p.m. at the Marriot TownPlace Suites with cocktails starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $100.
• May 22 – The annual Rubber Duck Race will feature contests, games, music, and the race itself at Tihonet Village with registration and duck decorating starting at 11 a.m. The event lasts until 2 p.m. Ducks are $5 a piece, even if residents choose to reuse their ducks. Should anyone spend $25 worth of ducks, they will receive an extra duck.
• June 18 – The Free Library will celebrate its 25th year in its current building and will have a harp orchestra play during the event.
• July 28 – The library will host a concert at the library.

Tickets for all of the events are available at both branches of the library.

The Friends of the Wareham Free Library meet every fourth Thursday of the month at 7 p.m.