South Burlington library to open Sundays in January as staff seek $9,000 for self‑checkout replacements

Bridal Grama, a library presenter, told the Council the library has expanded services and will begin regular Sunday hours on Jan. 4 under the FY27 plan.

"We're we're happy to be doing that on January 4," Bridal Grama said, citing a recent council-approved budget increase that funded the extra day. She pointed to heavy demand for programming: "We offered 853 programs at the library with, you know, a healthy attendance," and added that the library saw more than 14,000 program attendees across age groups.

The library asked for a modest one‑time capital allocation to replace aging self‑checkout machines. "So that's what that $9,000 request is for replacing our self checkout machines," Bridal Grama said, explaining the total replacement cost is higher but the library will supplement purchases with reserve funds and donations.

Staff also noted expanding digital services and partnerships with recreation on events such as Juneteenth and community dinners; the presentation cited free remote access to the New York Times as a new resident benefit. Officials emphasized staffing and training as primary budget drivers and framed the Sunday opening as a cross‑departmental change that will require coordination with facilities and public‑safety on‑call coverage.

The library presentation closed by asking the council to consider the request within the broader FY27 budget and by offering to provide follow‑up details on program projections and the proposed equipment vendors.