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State Library warns archives storage nearly full, asks for preservation facility study funding; seeks to distribute public‑library construction grants
Summary
The state librarian told the bonding subcommittee that archival storage has reached near capacity and that the agency is studying a vacant Rocky Hill facility as a potential preservation site; the state library also reported active public library construction grant requests and a Middletown service‑center renovation need.
State Librarian Deborah Shander told the bonding subcommittee the state archives face a capacity crisis after a sudden increase in records transfers, and asked the committee to support a study and future funding to develop a preservation facility. She also updated the committee on the state library’s Middletown Service Center renovation and the public‑library construction grant program.
Why it matters: The state archives preserve documents of long‑term historical value for government transparency and public research. Shander said digitization alone is not a substitute for secure, climate‑controlled physical storage because digital files require ongoing monitoring and migration to remain accessible.
Key points from testimony - Capacity problem: The state archives previously received roughly 500 cubic feet of records per year; the librarian said transfers last fiscal year exceeded 3,000 cubic feet and the current leased off‑site facility is close to capacity and sits in a floodplain. - Preservation facility study: The state library drew down $80,000 from a prior $10 million allocation to study reuse of a vacant Rocky Hill campus facility and determine whether renovation and expansion would meet archival needs; the agency said a full, state‑of‑the‑art archival facility could cost in the tens of millions and it will return with a more precise midterm request after the study. - Middletown Library Service Center: The library has $755,000 allocated to address HVAC and building issues in a 1960s Middletown facility that supports statewide services including the Connecticut Digital Library and the library for accessible books; the archives urgency delayed some work but the agency plans to use the funds soon. - Public library construction grants: The state library administers a competitive grant program that may fund up to half of a local library construction project (statutory cap up to $2 million per awarded project). There are 18 active projects and roughly $4.6 million authorized but not allocated until local matches are secured; the state library said many future requests would ask for the full $2 million cap and that demand exceeds current annual award capacity.
Ending Shander said the state library will complete the Rocky Hill facility study and return to the committee with cost estimates, and asked legislators to consider multi‑year support to preserve permanent records and to maintain the public‑library construction grant pipeline.
