The late Edward Costa, a former member of the Cranston library’s board of trustees and a key player in getting the Arlington Library expanded at the Cranston Senior Center, was honored Monday with a re-naming of the library. It will now be called the Edward Costa Memorial Arlington Branch.

Costa’s wife, Roberta, spoke about the honor it was for the library to be named after her late husband.

“Ed was committed to excellent public service in the city of Cranston,” she told a small crowd gathered outside of the library Monday morning. “His mission was to provide a library branch for the residents of Arlington. Ed, we can now say mission accomplished.”

Senator Jack Reed was on hand for the memorial, saying that he has a passion for libraries, a place where “communities gather and people come to learn.” Reed said that the federal budget has called for an increase in library funding by $6 million.

“Ed Costa exemplified what it means to be a mentor to the community,” Reed said. “He worked so hard in getting resources to the libraries, and he’ll now serve as a reminder of what we all must give back to our community.”

Mayor Allan Fung lauded Costa for the work he has done in Cranston, specifically in expanding the Arlington branch of the library and facilitating the partnership with the Cranston senior center.

“Ed is beaming down on this with pride,” Fung said. “He’ll now be remembered for generations of people who will be walking through these doors into the Arlington library.”

Costa’s family, including Roberta, Leanne, John, Katherine, Lyla, and Michael, were gathered at the 1070 Cranston St. location to accept the honoring.