New website and Grand Opening!

The Holyoke Public Library website has a new look:  

  http://www.holyokelibrary.org/

Just in time for the 

GRAND OPENING and Official Ribbon-Cutting

Friday, November 22, 2013

Starting 11:00 AM 

Official Ceremony 11:30 AM

250 Chestnut Street, Holyoke

Friends of the Library will provide refreshments
after the ceremony

TOURS of the newly expanded library
will be offered in the afternoon.

Come see!  Bring your friends!

Tag Sale and Book Sale

The Friends of the Holyoke Public Library will hold a Tag and Book Sale on Saturday, November 16th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. 

The sale will be held at the Lynch School at 1575 Northampton Street (Rte 5 near Exit 17 from I-91) rather than at the library itself.  Come to the back side of Lynch and follow signs; there is plenty of parking and a ramp up to the door we'll be using.

Included in the sale are hundreds of used items from the original library building as well as material and equipment that was used at the temporary library location in Holyoke City Hall during the 18-month construction project.  In addition to library materials, the sale will also include used books donated by the Friends of the Holyoke Public Library and others.

See Tag Sale photo gallery for a preview of selected sale items.

Proceeds from the sale will go to the Holyoke Public Library Building Fund.

Note: You'll be able to buy BOOKS and the bookcases for them -- all in one convenient sale!

Library re-opening Oct 28

Regular hours of library service will resume on Monday October 28, 2013:
   Monday -Thursday 8:30 am to 8:30 pm.
   Friday - Saturday  8:30 am to 4:00 pm. 

New phone number:  413-420-8101

New address:  250 Chestnut Street, Holyoke, MA 01040

** A special PUPPET show for pre-school thru grade 5 will be presented at 1:00pm, Saturday October 26 in the Community Room.  Come in the new entrance and turn right (the rest of the library will not yet be open).    Come early (12:30pm) for the tour of the new library.

Pre-Opening Party

Almost ready for opening!  The moving back process has begun.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

4:00-7:00pm

Meet us in the new Community Room, 250 Chestnut Street
for 
Refreshments,

Socializing with Friends

Celebrating our 30^thAnniversary!

Founded in 1983, the Friends group has provided significant support for the Library. 

In fall 2013, for the first time in the history of this volunteer-run nonprofit organization,

we will have a space of our own, a small dedicated workroom/office

 in the basement of the renovated library.  

We look forward to this new era!

At 5:30pm, we'll introduce Friends Board Members

 and then convene our first meeting in the new space. 

Join us and learn about plans for the coming year.

Our Board meets monthly on the second Wednesday of each month, 5:30-7:00pm. All current and prospective Friends are welcome to attend these meetings. Mark your calendars for Oct. 9, Nov. 13, Dec. 11, 2013 and Jan. 8, 2014, Feb. 12, Mar.12, Apr. 9, May 14, and Jun 11. Come early on October 9 for our Anniversary Party!

Meetings of Friends Board

The Friends board meets once a month, on the second Wednesday, 5:30-7pm.

TODAY's meeting, September 11, will be at Career Point, 850 Main St, Holyoke.

All future meetings will be at the newly renovated/expanded Library, 250 Chestnut Street. Hooray! Plan to come early on October 9th.  We'll arrange tours of the NEW spaces!  

As you can see from this photo of the new Children's Room taken yesterday (Sept 10), the library is almost -- but not quite -- ready for use. The building has been built. Walls have been painted, and floors carpeted. Shelving is being erected.  In the distance is the children's activity room, with colorful walls.

Wonderful progress!   But the Library is not yet ready to open; no books can be moved in until the Fire inspector finishes an inspection, and a few other steps are completed.  Exact re-opening date still unknowable...

Friends T-shirts at Block Party

Friends President Tim Damon waved a friendly greeting from the Friends table at the 5th annual Great Holyoke Block Party, Saturday August 31, 2013.  He and Karlene Shea, above, and other Friends volunteers staffing the table during that afternoon wore the green "Friends of the Holyoke Public Library" t-shirts.

Even the bear wore a t-shirt, helping us promote the library and the Friends.

For the first time, we began offering these shirts for sale. Last year, when Christine Alger ordered these shirts for board members and volunteers, she acquired extras in various sizes. We decided to sell these extras @ $15 each and, if demand warrants, re-order a supply to sell along with our other fund-raising merchandise (e.g., the holiday ornaments, and the Holyoke afghan). 

The logo on the shirt was designed by Donna DiCarlo of DiCarlo Studios in Holyoke, closely matching the logo she designed for the new Library. The shirts are 100% pre-shrunk cotton. Sizes S, M, L, XL, and 2XL.  

Here's Dick Coleman (above), long-time Friend of the Library, sporting his new shirt.  And Michael Baron wore one as he helped staff the Library's table at the Block Party:

Many people came to these library tables and gathered information, especially about the NEW library. The construction phase has finished; the moving-in phase is just beginning.  Excitement is high as we eagerly await the re-opening, expected in one month.

Meanwhile, we had a good time at the Block Party. We sold t-shirts and hopefully made some new friends as well.  Karlene, Tim, and Brittney packed up the tent at the end of the afternoon.  For more photos of the Block Party, see Sandy Ward's album,  the Facebook event page, and MassLive photo gallery.

Friends Meeting and Library update

Tim Damon, President of the Friends of HPL, invites us all to come to a meeting of the Friends Board on Wednesday August 14, 5:30pm.  The location will be in a meeting room at Career Point, 850 High Street, Holyoke.  All welcome!

The Friends Board doesn't usually meet in August, but this is not a usual year. We're gearing up for the transition into the newly renovated and expanded Holyoke Public Library.  Come join us!

Monday September 30 is now the projected date for the re-opening of the Library at the original site. The construction phase is almost finished; the building is 98% complete. The sidewalks around the library park are now walkable; the fences were moved today. The new parking lot across from the library on Chestnut Street is being paved this week. The temporary library in City Hall will close for two weeks (probably from September 16 on) for the actual moving of the book collection. Other parts of the move will occur in early September.

This schedule of course impacts plans for our annual Friends cocktail party, which was held in September last year. (Remember the fun of that costume party?)   Come share your ideas for Friends events for the coming year.

Come see us, too, at the Great Holyoke Block Party Saturday August 31  (rain date Sunday Sept 1) on High Street in front of City Hall.  The Friends of the Library will staff an information table there. Stop by and greet us. Come and join us.