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Upcoming Library Hours and Services Interruptions

The end of December 2012 and the beginning of January 2013 will see a few changes to the library - as well as a few interruptions in our day-to-day services.

Holiday Hours
The following changes affect Library hours for the Christmas and New Year's holidays:

Besides the days and times listed above, the library will be open regular hours - including 1 PM - 5 PM on Sundays!

No Internet Access on Wednesday, Dec 26
On Dec. 26th, the Town will be switching to a new and faster internet provider.

This means we will have a day without internet access at the library. You will still be able to check books out and use the catalog from home. We hope to have internet access restored by Thursday.

Library Closed Mornings Jan 7 - Jan 11th
The main library will be doing some building upgrades on the ceiling in the main lobby the second week of January 2013. Because of the construction, there will be a delayed opening that week. The main library will not open to the public until 2:30 p.m. from Monday, Jan. 7th through Friday, Jan. 11th

However, the MacKay Branch Library at 43 Newfield St. in North Chelmsford will be open from 9:30 a.m.—2:00 p.m. daily (in addition to the branch’s regular hours).

The Library Is Open on Sundays Again!

At the town meeting in April, town meeting representatives voted to approve the library budget - which included restoration of Sunday hours at the main library from October to May.

Sunday hours begin this weekend, October 14, 2012, and continue until the weekend prior to Memorial Day weekend, May 19, 2013. Sunday hours will be 1:00 - 5:00 PM.

The library hasn't been open on Sundays since 2007, due to tightened budgets. We're happy to have this funding restored, so the library is able to serve patrons at a time that is convenient for many people.

If you're out and about on Sunday, stop in!

Library will be open on Sundays in the Fall

At town meeting on Monday, April 30th, 2012, town meeting representatives voted to approve the library budget - which included restoration of Sunday hours at the main library from October to May.

Sunday hours will begin the weekend after Columbus Day, October 14, 2012, and end the weekend prior to Memorial Day weekend, May 19, 2013. Sunday hours will be 1:00 - 5:00 PM.

The library hasn't been open on Sundays since 2007, due to tightened budgets. We're happy to have this funding restored, so the library is able to serve patrons at a time that is convenient for many people.

Library Holiday Hours

The Library will have special holiday hours over the next two weeks. In addition to our usual closings, we'll also be closed two extra days as a cost-saving measure.

The holiday schedule for the Main Library and MacKay Branches are:

Also, keep in mind snow storms might cause additional closures. Be sure to watch the weather while traveling during the holiday season.

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.