Lewiston Public Library to roll out new hours

LEWISTON — The Lewiston Public Library will have new hours starting in late June.

The library announced Thursday that its new operating hours will begin June 29, and its former Summer Saturday Hours will no longer be offered.

The library is open Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except during the summer when Saturday hours have been 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The library is closed Sundays.

During budget deliberations in late April, the City Council cut library hours from 50 per week to 45, saving about $12,000. The original proposal was a cut to 40 hours per week, but it was met with resistance from some officials as well as the public.

Patrons check out books at the Lewiston Public Library in 2019. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal file

Following the council’s decision, City Administrator Heather Hunter said the reduction in hours stemmed from a library staff proposal to close Mondays to the public.

“This was a scheduling change under consideration independent of the budget deliberations,” she said.

In response to the reduced hours, the library restructured its schedule based on use and other factors, but will continue to be open Mondays. It will open 30 minutes earlier each day, but will close earlier on Fridays and Saturdays.

The new hours will be Monday to Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will remain closed on Sundays.

“The Lewiston library is a city treasure and I am glad that this council-mandated reduction in hours will not result in the closure of a complete day,” Mayor Carl Sheline said. “As mayor, it was encouraging to see the overwhelming public support for this institution, which has been a cornerstone of Lewiston for over 100 years.”

During budget talks, those in favor of cutting the budget said it was simply an effort to find cost savings during a difficult budget year.

According to a city news release, digital services including Mango for language learning, Kanopy film streaming, CloudLibrary e-books and e-audiobooks, and online card registration and renewal are available when the library is closed.

“The Lewiston Public Library continues to create stellar community programs and events that engage residents such as free delivery of library materials to qualifying homebound patrons, author visits, and homeschool family meet-ups,” the release said.

For a full list of upcoming events and more information about offered services, individuals may contact the Lewiston Public Library at 207-513-3135 or visit lplonline.org.