The staff at the Mattapoisett Library tries to keep an ear open to the interests and needs of its patrons, from the creation of a teens only space to a lecture on autism for parents. Two new grants received this month and totaling $17,500 will help librarians further expand programs for kids and adults.

“I feel, as director, one of my jobs is to help bring in additional funds so that I can enhance the services to the community. It’s a fun part of the job, frankly, and it’s also important,” said Library Director Susan Pizzolato.

The library received $10,000 from the Phyllis W. McGillicuddy Charitable Trust for two STEM exploration centers that will be placed in the young adult loft and in children’s department, respectively. The centers will give kids and their families a way to explore science, technology, engineering and math outside of the classroom, such as 3D printing technology and computer programming.

“It’s time for the library to get on board and start being a place where people can see what this is all about,” Pizzolato said.

With limited funds, grants offer the library staff a way to provide services that might otherwise be out of reach for patrons.

“Small libraries like ours struggle to fit these extras into their budget, so having a grant gives us a chance to buy some state-of- the-art, up-to-date equipment that otherwise we really wouldn’t be able to handle with the town appropriation,” Pizzolato said.

Each STEM station will have a topic that will be set up for about a month and offer hands on activities and materials for students.

“Hopefully word will get out, students will bring their friends, other people will see them using it and it will really catch on,” Pizzolato said.

The library staff will also reach out to local specialists in STEM fields to provide face to face connections that can spur youth on to pursue areas that interest them.

The stations, said Pizzolato, give students and families a way to connect with STEM outside of school, especially after school, on weekends and during the summer. It also provides more resources to homeschool families.

This year, the library will also facilitate one-on-one tutoring with a new a program aimed at an adult education.

This month, the library received  an additional $7,500 grant from the Marianne J.H. Witherby Foundation to provide one-on-one tutoring for adults in anything from the high school equivalency exam to computer tutoring and balancing a checkbook.

“Sometimes if the school setting wasn’t a comfortable setting for somebody, the last thing they want to do is sit down in rows with somebody at the head of the room,” Pizzolato said.

Materials will be purchased based on the needs of those who come forward for tutoring, and sessions will be scheduled at the convenience of the tutor and student. Pizzolato also stressed that the tutoring will be discrete.

The library hasn’t done a formal learning program for adults during Pizzolato’s tenure, but she said there have been requests from those looking for help and for those who want to volunteer their time.

“Mattapoisett is fortunate to have a lot of adults who are looking for opportunities to give to others,” she said. “We’re counting on volunteers to come forward to be one-on-one tutors for adults.”

Now the task will be to identify volunteers, provide training and match their skills with the needs of adult learners.

As these grants provide needed programming for the community, they also help the library meet the state's certification requirements. The Mattapoisett Library is required to spend around $63,000 on library materials that can be circulated. The town currently funds $55,000 of that amount leaving a gap of about $8,000.

The town has worked to narrow that gap over the past several years, but the grants, along with gifts from the Library Trustees and Friends of the Mattapoisett Library, help makeup the difference.

Overall, it’s a win-win-win for the library, town and community.

Said Pizzolato, “For a very small library it’s pretty exciting.”

To volunteer as a tutor or to seek tutoring, visit or contact the library at 508-758-4171.