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2009 Town Report Available

The 2009 Town of Chelmsford Annual Report is available. The library has reference copies at the Reference Desk and in the Local History Collection, located on the lower level.

The Town has also been putting electronic versions of recent Annual Reports on their website. These can be accessed by visiting http://www.townofchelmsford.us/Annual_Report.cfm.

For more information on Chelmsford's Town Reports, or the information it contains, please contact the Chelmsford Town Clerk's office at http://www.townofchelmsford.us/Town-Clerk.cfm or

Upcoming Changes Due to Budget Cuts

At a special Town Meeting on Aug 16th, town reps voted to adopt new taxes in order to help offset the Town's budget shortfall. Unfortunately, this didn't close the budget gap entirely, so Town Departments, including the Library, are making an additional 2% cut to their operating budgets effective September 1, 2009.

What This Means for the Library
This latest cut to our budget (which is about $8,000 - on top of the initial $100,000 cut for FY10) will affect the Library in several ways:

1. Reduction of Hours at the Main Branch - opening time on Friday and Saturday will now be 9:30 a.m. (instead of 9:00 a.m.). This has the benefit of bringing Friday and Saturday opening time in line with the rest of the days of the week. The new hours are Mon-Thu 9:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Fri-Sat 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
2. Reduction of our Materials Budget - This latest cut further reduces our book budget. We continue to be the busiest library in the consortium but our collection resources are now limited. Donations from the public are greatly appreciated and can now be counted towards our municipal requirement for certification. Certification allows us to continue to receive state aid and to participate in inter-library loan within our consortium and across the state. As so many communities are having financial difficulties, the Board of Library Commissioners will be granting unlimited waivers this year - provided the cuts made to the libraries are equitable within the context of other town services.
3. Reduction of Hours at the MacKay Branch - MacKay will be closed on Mondays. The new MacKay hours are Wednesdays 1:00 p.m. - 8:00 pm and Friday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. This is a result of the initial FY10 cut of $100,000.

These changes will take effect September 1st. The last Monday MacKay will be open (until our budget situation improves) will be August 31, 2009.

The Chelmsford Library is always trying to balance the needs and expectations of our patrons with the resources we have available to us. Since these changes affect all of us, we'd like to hear what you think. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact at Becky Herrmann, Library Directory, at bherrmann@mvlc.org or 978-256-5521 x101.

Summer Reading Begins June 6

Chelmsford's 2009 Summer Reading program is here!

This year's program has been tailored to fit with the 2009 One Book Chelmsford, Three Cups of Tea and author Greg Mortenson's picture book edition, Listen to the Wind. There are many aspects to this year's Summer Reading program, but the two main themes are collecting Pennies for Peace and outdoor adventures.

1. Everyone is encouraged to keep track of the time you spend reading, and for every 5 hours of reading, the Friends of the Library will contribute 100 pennies for peace. Our goal is to donate $500 by the end of the summer to Greg Mortenson's foundation for building schools
2. Enjoy hiking through Chelmsford! Chelmsford has many open spaces and trails, and hiking and exploring our community is a great way to start your own trek towards K2 like Greg Mortenson. The summer challenge for children is to hike 5 miles and record your adventures in your passbooks

For reading logs, hiking passbooks, book suggestions and links to trail maps of Chelmsford, visit the Summer Reading webpage or stop by the Children's Room.

A Call to Artists

The Chelmsford Library, the Chelmsford Cultural Council and The Art Room of Chelmsford is sponsoring a juried art exhibition.

As a part of this year's One Book Chelmsford, the artwork should be inspired by Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea. The exhibit will be on display in the Chelmsford Library during the month of May. The prizes will be gift certificates to the Art Room in Chelmsford:

• Adult category: First place $75; Second place $40
• Youth category: First place $60; Second place $25

Artwork must be submitted by April 20th, 2009. Check the One Book Art page for more guidelines, important dates, and an entry form.

For additional information, or if you have questions, please contact Kathy Cryan-Hicks at kcryanhic@mvlc.org or 978-256-5521 x109.

Winterfest Photo Contest

Chelmsford 2009 Winterfest was a big hit, and the photography contest was particularly successful. Over 140 photos were submitted - more than ever before - and some of them are incredible.

The winning photos in each category are currently on display on the lower level of the Chelmsford Library. They will remain on display until the end of March, so if you didn't get to see them at the Chelmsford Senior Center during Winterfest, you still have time.

The winners in each category are:
Student

• 1st Place: Lucy Schultz
• 2nd Place: Alexander Lin
• 3rd Place: Alexa Lambros
• Honorable Mention: Ethan Levine

Amateur

• 1st Place: Neil J. Jorgensen
• 2nd Place: Christopher Livingston
• 3rd Place: Christopher Ball
• Honorable Mention: Peter Lee

Professional

• 1st Place: Robert Moll
• 2nd Place: Lee Fortier
• 3rd Place: Bruce Magnuson
• Honorable Mention: Lee Fortier

People's Choice

• Student: Peter Joseph Miller
• Amateur: Chris Livingston
• Professional: Robert Moll

After the end of March, the winning photographers can pick up their photos at the Library. All other photographs entered into the Winterfest contest can also be picked up at the Library any time before the end of March.