Now that they're on the same page as town officials, supporters of the Wareham Free Library will launch an endowment campaign in an effort to get funding for the struggling library.

At Tuesday’s Selectmen meeting, members of the Wareham Free Library Foundation, the Friends of the Wareham Free Library and trustees signed a “memorandum of understanding” with the board. The document outlines certain expectations the groups have when it comes to library funding.

Kerry Mello, president of the Wareham Free Library Foundation, said for the past year the groups have worked on a plan that would bring “stability” and “excellence” to the library.

The library has been beset by budget woes following a drastic cut in 2014, which resulted in the loss of its state certification. Without state certification, the library cannot received state funding and the town cannot apply for federal and state grants available for libraries. Additionally, library directors in other towns can choose not to participate in sharing books and materials with uncertified libraries.

Mello said the agreement will be a key component for raising funds. It outlines expectations between the library and town, such as having the town provide a reasonable budget for the library so it can become certified again. The agreement also has a clause that would eventually allow the foundation and the Friends of the Library to support some portion of the library’s budget each year through fundraising efforts.

“We are about to embark on a major fundraising campaign to provide the library with funds for an endowment,” said Mello. “This [memorandum of understanding] is very vital to kicking that off, and it will be vital to the success of that campaign.”

An official recognition of the public/private partnership between the town and library groups seemed like the way to go, she said.

“To encourage people to donate to endow the library, I think people need to know that everybody is on board,” said Mello. “We’re all committed.”