The Hartford Public Library Board is closing three branches as part of a restructuring plan.
The Goodwin, Mark Twain, and Blue Hills branches will be closing and staff members will be moved to other locations.
“Our Library serves, and must continue to serve, our diverse and changing neighborhoods and communities with services, programs, and collections so that all residents can learn, succeed, and thrive,” Greg Davis, chairman of the Hartford Public Library Board, said in a statement. “This plan will enable us to achieve those goals.”
Davis said the announcement came after nine months of strategic planning.
“Each community’s needs were looked at in the context of its ecosystem of current services provided. The restructuring will keep open the Downtown Library, and the Albany, Park, Dwight, Barbour, Camp Field and Ropkins branches. The Goodwin, Mark Twain, and Blue Hills branches will be closing and their staff will be redeployed across the system. There will be no layoffs with this plan,” Andrea Comer, a board member and chair of the strategic planning committee, said in a statement.
A news release from the Hartford Public Library said the plan will allow for additional open hours, including Saturdays, mornings and evenings, at several locations staring in September and additional programming in the branches.
“We will also be exploring expanding remaining locations, enhancing mobile services, and introducing 24-hour self-service kiosks,” Bridget Quinn Carey, HPL’s CEO, said in a statement.
