RUMFORD — Rumford Public Library Director Abby Austin said plans to open on Saturdays are being discussed, along with a survey to get feedback from patrons.

She told the Select Board on July 2 that operating hours were discussed at a meeting with Town Manager George O’Keefe and the library board of trustees.

“Now that the library board is advisory, I think he eased a lot of concerns. They (trustees) have a clearer vision of what their needs and ways to serve the library are going to be,” she said.

Austin said, “We also discussed having the library open on Saturdays. We’re going to be working to see what we can do to get the staffing we need in order to make that happen.”

O’Keefe added that question will go through the budget process and be implemented in July of next year.

“One of the things I let them know is that the Select Board has always said they’d like to see hours on Saturday,” the town manager said. “So I asked Abby and the board of trustees to find a way to use whatever methodology they’re comfortable with to take a patron survey to get some feedback on hours of operation and consideration of Saturdays.

“And I also reinforced and was really being very, very clear that the Select Board has nothing to do with books and programs. The board of trustees has sole and final authority on books and programs, and policies regarding books and programs like circulation and patron cards and that kind of stuff,” O’Keefe said.

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