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Library seeks continued HCA support for teen services, Saturday summer hours and HVAC capital work
Summary
Millis Public Library reported strong usage (70,000 visitors in 2024, 130,000 checkouts) and requested continued Host Community Agreement funding for a teen services assistant and Saturday summer hours; the library also proposed HVAC capital work including remote monitoring for its archive and better cooling for the IT/network room.
Millis Public Library Director Kim Solson told the Finance Committee the library served about 70,000 visitors in 2024 and recorded roughly 130,000 physical checkouts; digital resource use has also grown sharply.
Solson outlined two requests funded through Host Community Agreement (HCA) money: continued support for a teen services assistant position that enabled expanded Thursday and Friday evening hours and increased teen programming, and funding to keep Saturdays open in July and August. The teen assistant request (approximately $19,614) supports outreach and programming that attracted about 2,600 teen attendances across recent events; Solson said the Saturday summer-hours request is separate and would allow the library to remain open during peak summer months when it otherwise would close Saturday hours.
On capital, Solson described a facilities condition assessment and asked for HVAC upgrades: replace or repair a central controller, add remote monitoring for the climate-controlled archive, and provide cooling for the IT/network room. The upgrades aim to protect archive material (town reports and digitized high-school yearbooks) and extend equipment life. Solson said the library has completed LED lighting upgrades and refreshed the teen room with Friends funding.
Solson and the committee discussed sustainability of HCA-funded positions after HCA funds phase out; she said the library will explore options including placing the position into the operating budget, grant funding or Friends fundraising, and noted HCA funding timelines require the town to plan for transition.
