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Tufts Library moving to branch libraries during construction project; overdue fines eliminated

Posted on: September 24, 2018 - 8:21pm
fogg library
Fogg Library for Kids! starts Dec. 1st

Weymouth, MA – Mayor Robert Hedlund announced today that plans are finalized to move current Tufts Library services and collections to the three neighborhood branches of the Weymouth Public Libraries for the duration of the construction project. Starting December 1, 2018, the Fogg, Pratt, and North library branches will offer expanded hours of operation to meet the needs of all Weymouth library patrons. Each branch will be the new home of services previously offered at Tufts. 

Fogg Library for Kids! will house only the children’s collection from Tufts Library and will provide only services and programs for kids. Fogg’s current collection will be placed in storage. At Fogg Library for Kids!, all patrons may continue to pick up items placed on hold. Starting December 1st, the new hours of operation for Fogg Library for Kids! will be:

  • Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
  • Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Tufts @ Pratt Library will house the adult and teen collections including DVDs and audiobooks from Tufts Library. Pratt’s current collection will be placed in storage. Starting December 1st, the new hours of operation for Tufts @ Pratt Library will be:

  • Mondays 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
  • Tuesdays 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
  • Wednesdays and Thursdays 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
  • Fridays and Saturdays 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

North Library will keep its current collection and will house the science fiction, Western, paperback, microfilm, and art book collections from Tufts Library. Tufts’ local history collection will be placed in storage. Starting December 1st, the new hours of operation for the North Library will be:

  • Mondays 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
  • Tuesdays 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm
  • Wednesdays and Thursdays 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

While all three branch libraries already provide wireless access to the internet, Tufts @ Pratt Library and North Library will have public computers with printing capabilities for patron use.

Find a flyer on all the new hours and services coming to the branch libraries here.

“Moving the staff and collections out of Tufts Library is another step towards realizing our vision for a New Tufts Library that is a place of opportunity, community engagement, and lifelong learning for residents,” said Mayor Robert Hedlund. “And, with their expanded hours, our three branch libraries will be open 152 hours per week, an increase of 23 percent over the current hours of Tufts and the branch libraries.”

“The New Tufts Library project began in earnest last March with the hiring of Tappé Architects and by keeping our noses to the grindstone, we are now ready to move out of Tufts just six months later,” said the Town’s Director of Library Services, Robert MacLean. “Although it is temporary, we are looking forward to bringing the Tufts’ collections and staff to our beloved neighborhood libraries.”

With the move from Tufts to the other branches starting in October, there will be periods of time when one or more of the current four libraries will be closed. When that schedule of closings and re-openings is confirmed, the Weymouth Public Libraries will announce it through the local press, in house to patrons, and on its website and social media platforms.

In addition to the move of Tufts Library to the branches, the Weymouth Public Libraries also announced the elimination of overdue fines on all parts of its collection starting Monday, October 1, 2018. Any existing overdue fines will also be waived. Fees for lost or damaged materials will remain in place.

“In 1852, Weymouth son and merchant banker Joshua Bates made a large donation to establish the Boston Public Library and requested that the library be ‘Free to All,’” said Mayor Robert Hedlund. “Now the Weymouth Public Libraries are truly ‘Free to All’ with the elimination of overdue fines that have prevented some children, teens, and families from accessing the library’s collections and services.”

“With the sharp increase in the use of our collection of ebooks and audiobooks, overdue fines have been decreasing for several years,” said Director of Library Services, Robert MacLean. “That, along with the punitive nature of fines and the fact that not all of our patrons can afford to pay fines, makes it the right time to end the policy.”