About the Jacob
Edwards
Library
Hours
Monday
|
9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. |
Tuesday
|
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Wednesday
|
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Thursday
|
9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. |
Friday
|
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Saturday
|
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. |
|
(September
- May)
|
The Library is closed
New Year’s
Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day, Patriots Day,
Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day,
Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. Also, the Library closes the Friday
following Thanksgiving and closes early on Christmas Eve.
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Our
Mission
The Jacob
Edwards
Library enjoys a rich legacy of excellent service and is committed to
the promotion of reading, education, literacy, culture, and lifelong
learning for persons of all ages in our community.
-Long
Range Plan,
2017
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Our History
 The first public
library was established in the Town of Southbridge by public vote in
1870. In 1872, Holmes Ammidown, Esq. established and leased
space
on Main Street for the use of the town library. Through the
generous bequest of Jacob Edwards, a new facility was erected on the
current location of the Library in 1914. Having long outgrown
its
original building, a major addition was added to the library in 1966;
this wing included the current Reading Room, Director’s Office, and the
Holmes Ammidown History Room. A major expansion and
renovation
was completed in 2000, thus increasing the library facility to its
current size of 33,000 sq. ft. For a complete history of the library see our book - The First Century: Jacob Edwards Library, Southbridge, 1914-2014.
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Board of Trustees
Richard Whitney
- Chairman
Robin Weber - Vice
Chairwoman
Gary Bridgman
Mary Ellen Blake
Beth Cournoyer
Maureen Gullekson
Jessica Jimenez
The
Board of Trustees of the Jacob Edwards Library meets on the third
Tuesday of each month, except July and August. All meetings
are
open to the general public. Correspondence to the Board of
Trustees may be sent to the Library address.
Trustees Meeting Minutes, Terms of
Office and Bylaws
Library Director's Reports and Terms of
Office
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Staff Directory
 |
Margaret Morrissey,
Library Director
mmorriss@cwmars.org |
 |
Ashley Kenney,
Adult Services Librarian
akenney@cwmars.org |
|
Elizabeth Gendreau,
Children's Services Librarian
egendrea@cwmars.org
|
|
Debrah Gendreau,
Circulation Services Librarian
dgendreau@cwmars.org |
 |
Lynn Wolstencroft,
Technical Services Librarian
lwolsten@cwmars.org |
 |
Michelle Garcia,
Library Assistant, Circulation
mgarcia@cwmars.org |
 |
April Denault,
Library Assistant, Circulation
adenault@cwmars.org |
 |
Kathy Lapriore,
Library Aide, Children's |
 |
Debra Mercure,
Library Aide, Children's |
 | Anekah Ellis,
Library Aide, Children's |
|
Grace Marderosian,
Library Page |
|
Caroline Lamarine,
Library Page |
Staff
photographs taken by April Denault
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FAQs
– Frequently Asked
Questions
How
do I get a
library card? How do I get a card for my child?
What
do I do if my address, telephone, or e-mail address changes?
What
do I do if
my library card is lost or stolen?
What
do I do
if I have lost or damaged library materials?
What
are the
loan periods for library materials?
How
many items
may I borrow on my card?
Are
there fines on overdue library materials?
Can
I renew
items?
How
do I
schedule a meeting or study room?
Does
the Library
have parking?
Is
the Library
handicapped accessible?
Does the
Library have changing facilities for infants?
Does
the Library
have computers for public use?
Does
the Library have WiFi?
Does
the Library
have copy and FAX services?
Does the
Library have microfilm-reading services?
Does
the
Library provide genealogy services?
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How do I
get a library card?
How do I
get a card for my child?
Library
cards are FREE! Complete a Library Card Application
at
any Check-out Desk. Present a completed application along
with a
photo ID that contains your name and current address. Photo
ID
without your current address must be accompanied by printed personal
mail, such as a lease, bill or official document. If you have
no
printed personal mail, please ask the staff to mail you a postcard,
which you can then present to the library staff as proof of your
current address.
Parents and legal
guardians may obtain
a card for a child or legal dependent at the Check-out Desk in the
Children’s Room on the Lower Level of the Library. A parent
or
legal guardian must sign for a minor (under the age of 12) and present
a photo ID that has the parent’s or guardian’s name and current
address. Photo ID without your current address must be
accompanied by printed personal mail, such as a lease, bill or official
document. If you have no printed personal mail, please ask
the
staff to mail you a postcard, which you can then present to the library
as proof of your current address.
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What do I
do if my address,
telephone number
or e-mail address changes?
If
your
address, telephone number or e-mail address changes, please notify the
Library in person. E-mail address may be updated through the My
Account
page.
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What do I
do if my library card is lost
or stolen?
Please
call 508-764-5426 to report a lost or stolen card. You are
responsible for all items checked out on your library card, so please
make your report as soon as possible. There is a $1 charge
for
replacing your card, with a valid ID.
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What do I
do if I have lost or damaged
library
materials?
If
you
have lost or damaged library materials, you must pay for the
replacement cost of the item(s), or provide a replacement of the same
item(s). Please speak with a staff
member
in person about lost or damaged items.
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What are
the loan periods for
library materials?
Most
books, books-on-CD, Playaways and music CDs are loaned for three
weeks. New books are loaned for two weeks. DVDs and videogames
are loaned for one week. Magazines are loaned for one week.
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How many items may I borrow on my card?
Lending
policies are established to encourage the maximum responsible use of
library materials by borrowers. New cardholders are limited
to
borrowing two items the first time a new card is used. Also,
the
library does reserve the right to limit a patron to three books on the
same subject, so that other students and researchers may have access to
materials in order to provide materials on a given subject for other
patrons.
Each
cardholder is limited to borrowing a total of 10 DVDs
at
any given time. CDs, audiobooks and magazines are limited
to 10 at any given time. Wii and DS games are limited to 2 per family; PS4 and XBox One games are limited to 1 per family.
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Are there fines on overdue library
materials?
Yes. Fines for
most print materials and CDs are $0.10 per item per
day
with a maximum fine of $3 per item; fines for DVDs & videogames are
$1 per item per day with a maximum fine of $5 per item. The
maximum fine for late items per card is $10. Lost or damaged
items must be replaced.
Can I renew
borrowed items?
Yes,
most
library materials can be renewed once, as long as there is no one else
waiting for the item. Items may be renewed in person at any
Check-out Desk, by phone, or online. Please phone the library
during open hours to renew by phone; voicemail renewals are not
available. On-line renewals are available by selecting My
Account on
the library’s website. To renew items online, you will need
your
library card number and your PIN. Please ask staff to
demonstrate how to access your record online if you need assistance.
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Does the
Library have parking?
Yes,
free
parking is available. Parking is available along Main Street
in
front of the facility and in the municipal parking lot located behind
the building. Entrance to the parking lot is via Foster
Street.
Parking
on Main Street and in the Foster Street lot has a two-hour
limit. Should the parking lot be at capacity,
additional spaces are available at the municipal lot on Central Street
and LaRochelle Way. Parking is also available in the evenings only
at the Savers Bank lot across Foster Street.
There
are 2 van accessible spaces nearest the library at its rear/north
entrance.
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Is the
Library handicapped
accessible?
Yes,
the
facility is handicapped accessible from the rear entrance. The
accessible entrance is located at the rear of the building.
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Does the Library
have changing facilities
for infants?
Yes,
both
restrooms on the Lower Level nearest the Meeting Rooms have changing
table for infants. Please see the Check-Out Desk in the
Children’s Department for access.
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Does the
Library have computers for
public use?
 Yes,
15 computers are available for public
use. Four internet accessible computers are located in the
Children’s Department on the Lower
Level for children eleven and younger; four are located in the Young
Adult area for teens aged twelve to seventeen; seven are located in the
Computer
Room on the Main Level for persons eighteen and older.
A
valid library card in good standing is required to use the
computers. In order for a card to be in good standing, the account must
be
clear of all fines. You may also obtain a one-time guest pass with a
valid ID if you are not a library card holder.
All
computers have print capability; the cost
to print is 20¢ per page for black & white, $1.00 per page for
color copies. Please bring a storage device with you if you
wish
to save your work. Flash drives may be purchased at the
Information Desk for $10.00.
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Does the
Library have WiFi?
Yes,
free WiFi is available throughout the building and around the
perimeter, as well as from the parking lot.
If
you
wish to print, you will need to use an external device such as a flash
drive and use one of the internet accessible computers to connect to
our printing system. We now offer Wireless printing! Click here
from your laptop to download the drivers and follow the on-screen
instructions. (Wireless printing is not avialable for tablets or
smartphones at this time)
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Does the Library
have copy
and fax services?
The
Library has a public photocopier located on the Main Level.
The
cost to copy is 20¢ per page, black and white only.
The
Library
does not have a public fax service. However fax service is available at
the following nearby locations: Colonial Copy, 22 Central Street;
Honest Town Postal Center, 100 Central Street, Suite 4; Staples, 120
Charlton Road, Sturbridge.
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Does the Library
have microfilm-reading
services?
Yes, microfilm
readers
are located
in the Computer Room on the Main Level. Our most recent acquisition, a
ScanPro 2000, is a universal scanner that features high-resolution
optics and scanning at all magnifications. An oversized, rotating
screen and cutting-edge software let you automatically locate selected
words on the film, and link to secondary sources when doing research.
Any page or article can be printed or saved as a PDF file. The software
also includes editing features, allowing you to "clean up" text or
images.
Vital statistics,
historical documents and back issues of local newspapers including the Southbridge
Evening News may be searched and printed (20¢ per
page). Please see a staff member at the Information Desk on
the Main Level to
access our microfilm readers. Photo ID is required.
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