Lee library board appoints Samara, reviews Ramsdell timeline

Library · Meeting of July 1, 2026

Lee library trustees fill vacant seat, press for Ramsdell funding clarity. The Library Board of Trustees unanimously recommended Russell Samara for its open seat over applicant Andrea, and voted to forward three Friends of the Library poetry readings for Select Board liquor-license approval. Trustees pushed back on parts of Town Manager Liz's June 11 memo on the Ramsdell branch renovation, agreeing to rewrite a stalled Community Preservation Committee funding application ahead of an October deadline and flagging a $250,000 accessibility grant for elevator work.

Library Director Dawn reported a summer-reading kickoff drew 108 people and that digital circulation gains are offsetting a decline in physical checkouts. "Physical circulation went down several thousand, but digital circulation went up so much that it more than makes up for it," Dawn said. Construction on Ramsdell is not expected to start before early 2028, and trustees opened discussion on whether to seek Town Meeting approval to expand the five-member board to as many as nine seats.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,562 words

Source: the Library meeting of July 1, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.