M.N. Spear Memorial Library

Our new library software, Evergreen, is scheduled for installation Memorial Day Weekend. Please read how this will affect your library usage.

C/W MARS staff will install the new library systems software beginning at 5pm on Friday, May 25^th. Patrons will not have access to their online accounts from May 25 – 28.

The system will be up and running by Tuesday, May 29^th and we will be ready to go live with the new system when we open at 3 pm.

To help facilitate an easy transition the Spear Library will be closed on Saturday, May 26^th and Sunday, May 27^th. We will also be closed on Monday, May 28^th for Memorial Day.

New Catalog: What Patrons Need To Know
As C/W MARS prepares to move to the new Evergreen system, patrons will need to be aware of some of the differences they will see in the new catalog and things that will and will not be migrated over from their catalog record.

In the new catalog, patrons will see some new features, such as:

• All library items in one place! All C/W MARS libraries, from both Western and Central Massachusetts, will have their items in this catalog, so patrons will not have to change catalogs to request from the other region.

• Patron Dashboard. When logged into your library account, it will show all checkouts, holds, items to be picked up and fines in one place.

• RSS Feeds for lists. Do you have a list of books you want to share with others? You can create a "published" list that others can see.

• Outstanding Holds. Patrons who have outstanding holds at the time of migration will find them on the new catalog.

Patrons will also need to be prepared for some changes. These next items will not be able to be carried over to the new catalog, including:

• ECommerce. Paying fines and library donations online will not be available when we come up on the new system. We hope to have online payments back by the end of summer 2012.

• Current PIN. Patrons will be able to login to their new online catalog account using the last four digits of their library card barcode as a password. They will be required to create a new password when they login for the first time.

• Reading History and Current Wish Lists. In the case of Reading History and Wish Lists, patrons have the ability to export their lists or print from a computer. There is a button to choose "Export List" at the top of their list. We recommend that patrons choose "Brief Display" for their list; this will give you the title, author, and publishing information. These can be sent to an email address as a text file or displayed on the computer for printing.

• Patrons who wish to export their Reading History or Wish Lists should do so prior to the conversion.

Read about the video going viral here:
Daily Hampshire Gazette article, 3/10, on video 
Republican, 3/9, on Fundraising Video
New Yorker mention of video on Book Bench,
Boston.com mention on Creative Type Blog
Boing Boing mention for video

New Shutesbury Library Challenge Gift
On January 11, 2012, a $150,000 matching (1:1) gift has been offered to the Friends of the M.N. Spear Memorial Library by an anonymous donor. The pledge was offered as a way to help the Friends fund raise and defray the $1,000,000 cost to Shutesbury voters.

If the $3.5 million Library Project, as approved and awarded by the MBLC in July 2011, goes forward, the donor is committed to supporting the project up to the $150,000 (1:1) level. If the Library Project does not go forward, the entire pledge would be declared void.

Donation and Pledge Information
Donations and pledges for the new Shutesbury Library are for the new library as proposed in the Town of Shutesbury, Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program Grant Application, January 2011.

If the project does not move forward, donors will not be obligated to honor their pledges and donations will be returned at the donors request or at their instruction, to have the funds transferred to the Friends general fund or to be left in the New Shutesbury Library fund for future use for a new library.

New Shutesbury Library Fundraising totals as of 4/26/2012:

Total donations and pledges received to date: $233,232.93

Included in the total above is  $60,291.82  of donations and pledges received toward the $150,000 challenge gift.

View tax impact of the new Shutesbury Library r class="style34" />        Without fundraising here         With fundraising here
Click here to see the precise tax impact on your home valuation. You will need your home valuation available here.

Click here to read the newsletter distributed on December 15th by the Friends
Click here to download the 2009 Library Building Program (1.1MB)
Click here to download the 2011 MBLC Grant Application (19MB)
This document does not contain the architectural drawings, which are available at the library.
Click here to see LFNAC's 4 years of meeting minutes.