Brighter Days Ahead For Westborough Library?

At the Westborough Public Library, "the lighting here is really inconsistent," Library Director Maureen Ambrosino says.

" There are some areas where it's really dim, and hard to read. And there are some areas where it's so bright it's like broad daylight," Ambrosino said Thursday.

This Saturday, an event seeks to generate support for giving the Westborough library an Energy Star lighting makeover valued at more than $15,000, funded by National Grid.

The Westborough library hosts National Grid's "Light Up Your Library Community Tour" from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Radio Disney will be there from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Energy-themed activities will be part of the event.

National Grid also donated "a couple hundred" fluorescent light bulbs that will be sold for $1 each, with the proceeds benefiting the Friends of the Westborough Public Library, Ambrosino said.

National Grid chose seven Massachusetts libraries and two Rhode Island ones for the contest.

Voting online is running throughout November.

As of 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the Westborough library had 30 percent of the votes. Lancaster's Thayer Memorial Library had 27 percent of the votes. The Attleboro Public Library was third, with 17 percent of the votes.

One can vote once per day until Nov. 30.

Winning the contest would "would help us take care of something that we need, and do it now, without any cost to the town," Ambrosino said.

Westborough library officials submitted a 250-word essay with their application, she said.

"We were talking about how improper lighting can give you headaches. And that we would gladly give up headaches for having a shot at better lighting," she said.