July 7th, 2007 Brian Herzog
As of July 1st, 2007, the Saugus Library has reopened, albeit with limited hours.
They are still short when it comes to the budget, but between donations, dedication and volunteers, the library is managing to provide some core services to its community. Congratulations Mary Rose Quinn (Library Director) and the rest of the staff.
A recent Boston Globe article details the situation pretty well - what caused it, what things are like now, and a few possibilities (including intervention from the state government).
In the meantime, since the library's closure, the Saugus library has unfortunately been decertified, which means Saugus residents can't borrow materials from other Massachusetts libraries.
close, closure, libraries, library, public libraries, public library, saugus, saugus library, saugus public library
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May 25th, 2007 Brian Herzog
It's been a threat for a while, and now it looks like the time has arrived: the library in Saugus, MA, has closed until further notice.
A friend of mine lives in the town, and I'm a librarian in Massachusetts, so I've heard a lot about this. At some point the town found its budget could not support the library's $500,000 cost. Various fees and taxes were proposed to preserve library funding, but none got support when they came to a vote.
The Library Director closed the library over the weekend due to a staff shortage, and now it is closed indefinitely. The staff who have not already left for other jobs have been told by the Town Manager to use up their vacation time before they all get fired.
Ever wonder what it would be like to live somewhere without a public library? Move to Saugus. Perhaps if enough people do, voting on library funding will come out differently.
close, closed, closure, libraries, library, ma, mass, massachusetts, public libraries, public library, saugus, saugus public library, spl
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