Hours to be Restored for Several Public Libraries

Beginning September 16, several Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) branches will be open longer hours.

On that date, all libraries with Sunday hours will open one hour earlier -- at noon -- and remain open until 5 p.m. The libraries are Bethesda, Gaithersburg Interim (Lakeforest Mall), Germantown, Marilyn J. Praisner, Rockville Memorial, Silver Spring and Wheaton.

Also under the new hours, the following branches will be open Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.:  Bethesda, Germantown, Quince Orchard, Rockville Memorial and Wheaton. Friday and Saturday hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at these branches remain unchanged.

Emphasizing the importance of the added hours of operations, County Executive Ike Leggett said, �I am very pleased that this fiscal year, we were finally able to provide funding in the budget to restore hours for at least several branches.  Our libraries are one of the most important services we, as a County, provide and their impact on residents of all ages is tremendous."

�It is thanks to the fact that County Executive Leggett recommended and the County Council approved funding in the budget that we can return hours to some of the branches within the Montgomery County Public Libraries system,� said MCPL Director Parker Hamilton.  �The additional 47 hours per week will mean more opportunities for our customers to access all the resources of these libraries such as books and materials, programs, teen events, study areas, trained library staff and wireless and public computers.�