Library to Open on Sundays Beginning January 9 Thanks to Local Donors

The Tompkins County Public Library Foundation is pleased to announce that the Brooks Family Foundation and Vector Magnetics Inc each have committed $25,000 to open the library on Sundays in 2005 beginning Sunday, January 9 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The goal is to offer library service on Sundays from January through May, and from September through December. An additional $10,000 is needed to provide a full schedule of Sunday hours, which includes special programs for adults and families.

"We are delighted to have nearly all the funds needed for Sunday hours in 2005 in hand," said Library Director Janet Steiner. "The library is a favorite weekend gathering place. In addition to resources and information services, in the past the library has offered stimulating cultural activities on Sundays including changing art exhibits and displays, live music performances and An Afternoon with an Author series co-sponsored by The Bookery."

Sundays are second only to Saturdays in popularity as measured by circulation per hour. Students working on assignments and regular Internet users rely on Sunday access, as do working adults and families and rural residents for whom weekday visits are difficult.

The Brooks Family Foundation co-director stated, "While we hope that in 2006 public funding will ensure a full schedule of library hours, we are pleased to be able to help make this essential service possible this year."

"We are grateful for the generosity of the Brooks Family Foundation and Vector Magnetics Inc," stated Robin Moss Hinchcliff, President of the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation Board of Directors. "Providing weeklong library access has been a top priority for fundraising. We are hopeful other community members will join the effort to assure a full, robust Sunday schedule."

For information about contributing to meet the goal for Sundays in 2005, please contact Suzanne Smith Jablonski, Executive Director, Tompkins County Public Library Foundation, at 272-4557 extension 231 or ssmithjablonski@tcpl.org.