New Canaan Library outlines $3.12 million town grant request
Town Council · Meeting of January 26, 2026
New Canaan Library previews $3.12 million budget ask, signals capital request for 1913 building. Library officials, identified as Ellen and Library Director Cheryl Capitani, told the Board of Finance and Town Council Library Liaison Group the proposed operating budget carries a 3.5 percent increase, $105,500 above the current year, with a town grant request of $3,119,000 covering 94 percent salaries. The library said it hit 1 million visitors since opening its current building and was a finalist for a global library-of-the-year award, losing to a Canadian institution.
Officials plan to bring the town a detailed capital proposal within weeks for the vacant 1913 legacy building, where renovation costs could match the $2.4 million already spent relocating out. "We lost to the Canadians," Ellen said of the award, calling it "still an incredible honor." The library's endowment has recovered to roughly $2 million toward a $10 million goal.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 780 words
Source: the Town Council meeting of January 26, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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