Date: Fri 17-Jan-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

Booth-library-Fairfield-Hills

Full Text:

with cuts: Library Now Open For Business At Fairfield Hills

B Y A NDREA Z IMMERMANN

Once again, Newtown residents have a library from which they can access books,

videos, audio-cassettes, magazines, and inter-library loans, IRS forms,

reference materials, computer resources, reading rooms, and just about

everything else you've come to expect from a local library. A scaled-down

version of the Cyrenius Booth Library will have regular hours when it reopen

Tuesday, January 21, in Shelton House on the Fairfield Hills campus.

"I am very excited, and I'm pleased the state let us come here," said Library

Director Janet Woycik. "It will be nice to have our patrons come and see us

again."

The books that will be available are materials returned after the original

building closed - "the most popular books," as well as new volumes. Shelves

have been erected to hold materials, and library staff has been working

feverishly to shelve books and get everything in order for the public.

Patrons are asked to park in the back of the building and use the

rear/handicapped entrance, which most directly leads to the part of the

building which now houses the library. Almost directly across from the

entrance is the reading room where current magazines and newspapers will be

available.

Past that, to the left, is a large room with circulation desk, adult

non-fiction and fiction, and reference materials. Two offices off that room

have CD-ROM systems that provide health information and full text, and

Info-Track that provides magazine reference and some full-text (the back-up

fiche for most full-text is in storage); another office is the business

reference room.

The next room is a bright, spacious area used as the children's library. The

staff has put down rugs to "warm" part of the space. In February or March,

Children's Librarian Rebecca Swensen said she hopes to hold Story Hour at

Shelton House.

Beyond that is an area for technical services, library director's office,

small staff kitchen, meeting room, magazine storage, and other work space.

Friends of the Library, who have space in a different part of the first floor,

are now accepting books for the annual Labor Day Weekend Book Sale.

Material stored in the box trailers during construction and asbestos removal

have been moved and stored in Fairfield Hills' Bridgeport Hall.

The library will be open Monday through Thursday, 10 am to 8 pm, Friday noon

to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday 1 to 5 pm. For information

relating to adult or children services, call 426-4533; reference questions can

be directed to 426-8552.