Kittery gets $500,000 federal grant for library project

Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King announced Friday the town of Kittery has received $500,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities -- federal funding that will support the renovation and expansion of Rice Public Library.

Town voters approved a $5 million project bond 1,719 to 582 at the Nov. 5 election to redesign and grow the footprint of the 1888 historic building.

Last May, Collins and King wrote a letter in support of the town’s federal grant application.

“The Rice Library is a pillar of the Kittery community, offering more than 400 programs for children and adults each year,” said Collins and King in a joint statement. “This funding will help the town renovate infrastructure that is more than a hundred years old, allowing the people of Kittery and southern Maine to continue to enjoy the library and its array of educational services into its second century.”

Kittery Town Manager Kendra Amaral said the NEH grant will “transform the 19th century Rice Building into a 21st century library.”

“The project will enhance our ability to deliver excellent humanities programming in an accessible and vibrant public space,” she said. “We are grateful for the funding award from the NEH, and for Senators Collins’ and King’s support of our project.