Westborough library plans four-week closure for move as new building nears completion

The Town of Westborough Board of Public Library Trustees received an update June 24 that the library’s new building is on schedule and on budget for a certificate of occupancy targeted for Sept. 1, but staff urged trustees to plan a four-week closure to move collections and complete staff training.

The library director told trustees the Sept. 1 date signals when staff can begin preparing the new space rather than the date the public will be admitted. "We're really in the home stretch," the director said, adding that transition meetings and vendor coordination are underway.

Staff recommended a four-week shutdown based on outreach to other libraries and guidance from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, which the director cited as recommending a minimum four-week closure (two weeks to move and two weeks for staff training). Trustees discussed targeting a closure window after Labor Day to allow the recommended timeline and to permit a short, staged reopening for testing if vendors meet milestones.

The director identified key milestones and constraints that shape the closure timetable: shelving and the circulation desk arrive Aug. 3, and the library’s membership in the CW Mars cataloging/ILS requires that services be shut down in one location to enable the other. That cutover, internet provisioning by Spectrum/Charter, and vendor scheduling for electricians and technology installers are linchpins for setting exact move dates.

Because the board did not have a quorum, trustees did not vote on closure dates; staff will return with calendar options once vendor and town network timelines are confirmed. Trustees noted the next regular meeting on July 22 and a tentative in-person trustee session on Sept. 23 to coordinate final plans.