Library to Reopen on Sundays

The Tompkins County Public Library will re-open on Sunday afternoons from 1 - 5 p.m. starting January 4, 2004. A state grant of $25,000 from Senators James Seward and John Kuhl, plus contributions from the Brooks Family Foundation and Mr. Arthur Kuckes are responsible for the change.

Sunday hours started in September 1997 and continued up through May of 2003 with a combination of private support and state funding. Local businesses, foundations and individuals sponsored Sunday hours, which cost approximately $1600 for each Sunday.

However, funding to keep Sundays open was not secured until early in December, said Library Director Janet Steiner. "More than a thousand users fill our library on Sunday afternoons, and we are thankful to the individuals who are making it happen again."

Funding is sufficient to keep the library open Sundays from January 4 through May 16, and from September 12 through December 19. With the addition of these four hours, the library will be open 59 hours per week, four more than the state mandated minimum.

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