Daily News

Five Colleges to Pursue Construction of Library Annex in Hatfield

HATFIELD — Five Colleges Inc. announced it is pursuing siting its library annex at a location in Hatfield. It has ended its efforts to gain approval of building the annex on a site on North Maple Street in Hadley.

“Although we are confident of our legal right to build on the Hadley site under the Dover Amendment, we have decided that, in order to meet our needs for a completed annex, it would be best to devote our efforts at a different site,” said Neal Abraham, consortium executive director.

The new site is located near exit 22 of Interstate 91. “We’re pleased to be working with the town of Hatfield to construct what will be an essential component in the Five College library system, with a goal of completing it by late spring 2017,” Abraham said.

The Five College Consortium, based in Amherst, is celebrating its 50th year advancing the extensive educational and cultural objectives of its member institutions — Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith colleges and UMass Amherst.