Library to Re-Open on Sundays Starting February 4

The Tompkins County Public Library Board of Trustees announced today that the library will re-open on Sundays from 1 – 5 p.m. starting on February 4. The announcement followed the news that Vector Magnetics had made a significant contribution to the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation, which was to be used at the discretion of the library board.

Sunday hours ceased in February 2006, following a six-week open period funded by a New York State grant from Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton. Efforts to secure the necessary funding to maintain Sunday hours during 2006 through a public referendum in the Ithaca City School District and through direct appeals to the Tompkins County Legislature were unsuccessful.

Board President Henrik Dullea said that the board deeply appreciated the gift and that the decision to use the funds for Sunday hours was thoroughly discussed by the trustees, in light of the many other needs which need funding. While Sunday hours was a high priority for private fundraising in 2007, Dullea said that library trustees will continue to urge the county legislature to include funding for Sunday hours in the future as part of the library’s core operations.

With the new seven-day schedule, the library will be open 59 hours per week, four more than the minimum required by state law, but nine hours less than comparable libraries in similar communities.

Sunday hours will be in effect from February 4 through May 20 and again from September 9 through December 16. 2007

Library Hours are:
Monday-Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 8:15 p.m
Friday –Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sundays, September-May 1 – 5 p.m.