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| By the Wilbraham Public Library Board of Trustees WILBRAHAM Last month the Board of Trustees of the Wilbraham Public Library (WPL) voted to restrict the use of the Wilbraham library by Hampden residents if the Hampden Free Library were to close as a result of their Town Meeting vote. This was not a vindictive decision; we purposefully voted ahead of the Hampden Town Meeting, after much thought and lengthy discussion. The Trustees considered various options for weeks before coming to a final decision. At the Hampden Town Meeting the override failed, meaning closure of their library on June 30. The following letter was sent to all residents of Hampden who are current card-holders at WPL. It explains the details of our decision, which was made at the request of Ellen Bump, Director of the Hampden Free Library, and under the guidance of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. June 13, 2005 Dear Wilbraham Public Library Cardholders, It is with regret the Wilbraham Public Library Board of Trustees wishes to notify you of our decision on the use of the Wilbraham Public Library by residents of Hampden. Effective July 7, 2005, Hampden residents will be subject to the following restrictions: No circulation of Wilbraham Public Library materials or materials from other libraries at Wilbraham Public Library. No holds on Wilbraham Public Library materials placed from anywhere. No summer reading program registration. Sign-up for individual children's programs will be limited to space available on the day before the program. July 7, 2005 was chosen as the date to begin these restrictions because on that date the Hampden Free Library will be decertified by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). As you are most likely aware, certification is being lost because the citizens of Hampden voted against the funding necessary to keep the Hampden Free Library open. These restrictions will remain in place until the Hampden Free Library is again certified by the MBLC. In the meantime, Hampden residents will be allowed to use materials in our library, use the computers, ask reference questions, and attend adult programs and meetings. We welcome you to the Wilbraham Public Library, and sincerely hope the residents of Hampden vote to provide the funds necessary to restore services of the Hampden Free Library at your next Town Meeting. We believe a strong public library is essential to a strong community. Sincerely, The Wilbraham Public Library Board of Trustees The WPL Trustees are disappointed by the decision of the Hampden Town Meeting, but feel we must respect the vote of Hampden residents. Our decision was made independently of theirs. While we feel the loss of a library is a failure for a community, our first duty is to residents of Wilbraham, who elected us to assure quality library services for our town. The WPL Trustees considered many specific issues before our vote. First was the request for this vote by the Hampden Library Director, as a show of support for the Hampden Free Library. Also, we felt it is unfair to ask Wilbraham residents to pay for library services for Hampden residents which they voted not to provide for themselves. Tax dollars mean a lot to our residents, too. Our most important concern was the level of library services we provide to Wilbraham patrons. We are a community of readers and active library users. Often there is a wait for popular books at WPL. To add hundreds, perhaps thousands, of new users to our library would create unfair delays for Wilbraham residents. The most difficult decision for WPL Trustees was to restrict the use of children's programs. We knew this would be a disappointment to parents in Hampden, and we believe it is a great advantage for children to have access to libraries. However, WPL children's programs are generally filled to capacity. If we open our programs to Hampden residents, after they close their library, many of our children will lose opportunities because of inadequate space in programs. As a compromise, we will allow Hampden children to register for programs the day before they begin on a space-available basis. Unfortunately, we cannot allow them to participate in our Summer Reading Program. Materials were ordered months ago. We ordered them for 500 participants. Last year, 500 children participated in the Wilbraham program, and 400 in the Hampden program. Adding so many children to the Summer Reading Program would also limit the availability of books for Wilbraham children. We simply do not have the resources to absorb so many children into our program. While we are disappointed we had to make the decision to restrict the use of the WPL by Hampden residents, the Trustees feel it is the only way to fulfill our obligation to citizens of Wilbraham. Our guidelines were approved by the MBLC, and most surrounding communities are putting similar restrictions in place. It is our sincere wish that library supporters prevail at the next Hampden Town Meeting. |