Welcome back to Behind the Stacks! We had a wild and wonderful month of May, culminating in the West Haven Library marching in West Haven’s Memorial Day Parade! This was the first time the library had been in the parade in over a decade, and we must say–it was truly heartwarming to see so many people cheering for the library. Now that we’ve brought this tradition back, we hope to keep it going for many years to come!
As summer approaches, we have some upcoming changes we want to make everyone aware of, as well as give a reminder about one of the big changes we’ve made in the last few years. Do you have a library book or DVD sitting at home that you’re certain it is simply too late to return? Well, back in September of 2020, our board and library director made the decision to go fine free! This was partially in response to the pandemic–the last thing our patrons needed to worry about was a late fee for overdue items. While this only applies to books and DVDs, it has become a growing trend among Connecticut libraries in the past few years to follow this practice. What we’ve actually seen as a result is an increase in items being returned. Instead of people being discouraged from coming back into the library (not wanting to face the clichéd “angry librarian” and her overdue fines), they are encouraged to bring our materials back to us and continue using their library resources, without any concerns! Please note that fines are still applicable to special items such as museum passes, Wi-Fi hotpots, and Chromebooks. Many people are very pleased with the peace of mind this change brings them, but we are still running into people who had no idea we’ve implemented these new policies! Rest assured, if an overdue book or DVD has caused you to hesitate in coming back to the library, we will be the first to welcome you back with open arms!
Summer is also bringing some slight changes to the library hours in the form of Summer Hours between July 1st and September 1st. The Main Library will be closing on Monday evenings at 5 p.m. instead of 8. But not to worry! Our Ora Mason branch will still be open until 8 on Monday nights. In fact, Ora Mason’s hours are not changing at all, so if you’re a regular patron there it will be business as usual! The only other small change will be on Saturdays at the Main Library, where we will be closing at 3 p.m. instead of 5. In summation, the Summer Hours for the Main Branch of the West Haven Library are as follows: 9:30 am to 5 pm on Mondays and Fridays; 9:30 am to 8:00 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Thursdays; 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays
As you may already know, both libraries have numerous upcoming events for children and teens as our Summer Reading Program kicks off June 18 on the West Haven Green (rain date: June 23). This year’s Summer Reading theme is “Level Up at Your Library”, where you are encouraged to level up your skills with reading, puzzles, and games! However, the gamification of summer reading is not just limited to children and teens – grown-ups can get in on the fun too! Keep your eye out for an all-ages summer reading scavenger hunt and a Candyland-style game board and spinner for grown-ups to play our Adult Summer Reading challenge and be entered for a chance to win a prize! More information to come!