State Cuts = Slower Library Sharing

The Amherst Town Library wants to continue meeting their patrons' requests for materials that may be in another library’s collection.

Cuts in the state library budget this year have hampered their ability to speedily receive requested materials that they don’t have in their collection.

Library Director Amy LaPoint told the Board of Selectmen last week that one of the library’s highest priorities into the next fiscal year is investigating options to maintain this service.

“The numbers clearly show we have given people what they want,” said LaPoint at last week’s meeting. “We want to preserve this really vital service.”

She said that it may take longer for items to be sent to the town’s library because there is a maximum number of materials they can now transit.

Also, e-books are too new to provide a solution for this problem, according to LaPointe.

The Amherst Town Library is also looking into floor plan options for their space planning project that will reallocate space in the building to better reflect current usage.