A new committee has been established to look at the long-term needs of the Thomas Memorial Library, and develop a plan to meet those needs.

The Thomas Memorial Library Study Committee was established by Town Council vote Nov. 5.

The committee will include members of the Thomas Memorial Library Board of Trusteees, with representatives from the Cape Elizabeth Historical Preservation Society, the Thomas Memorial Library Foundation and the Town Council.

More specifically, the committee is charged defining a library program that will meet the needs of the community for the next 30 years; develop a concept plan for proposed improvements to the library facility; and, recommend a plan for both public and private funding for improvements.

Included in the plan will be an analysis of the opportunities to continue to utilize space for records preservation activities.

Jay Scherma, director at the Thomas Memorial Library, told members of the Town Council Nov. 5 that Cape Elizabeth is in a unique position of having a private group, the Historical Preservation Society, take on responsibility for archiving many of the town's historic records.

The committee will report back to the Town Council by May 1, 2009.