Library Services

                                     Reference Assistance when we're not open!                     
                        
            
            
            
 

    You are the reason we are here.  Our goal at the library and branch is to provide you with access to the information and resources you need to enjoy and improve your life and the lives of your children.  We provide services for all the  the residents of Boxford from infants to elders.  Our staff is familiar with materials for and respectful of all stages of life from helping parents foster a love of reading and learning in their children, to providing reference assistance to students, to offering consumer and financial information for adults.  Of course, we offer collections to support all of these needs in our community.     
    We are full members of the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC), a group of libraries engaging in sharing materials, and of the Northeastern Massachusetts Regional Library System (NMRLS).  Our library benefits from these associations in a number of ways including access to research databases and a shared catalog, and staff training and support. We are certified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), the state department that oversees library services in Massachusetts.
    Please contact Library Director, Diane Giarrusso, with any comments or concerns you have about services in either of our libraries: 978-887-READ.
 

Book Donations
We prefer GENTLY USED current fiction, nonfiction, children's books, videos/DVDs/music CDs.  We cannot take Reader's Digest Condensed books, old encyclopedias, magazine or anything musty, moldy or damaged.  Basically, if you wouldn't purchase it for yourself, it is unlikely anyone else will, either.  Remember, printed materials can be recycled in Boxford (remove the covers off of hardcover books) or place in the Got Books container at the Boxford Recycling Drop-Off Center. Current best sellers are always a welcome donation to the library.  If we need them, we'll add them to the collection.  If we already have enough copies, we'll sell it in our ongoing book sale in the front foyer.  Money from these sales is used to purchase more books.  We cannot assign a monetary value to the books you donate. We can supply a receipt listing the number of hardcover and paperback books you donate if you wish to use it for tax purposes.

PLEASE, we beg you, do not leave donated books in the book drop or in boxes or bags outside of the library when we are closed. The books are often not saleable after a night in the damp.

If you would like to volunteer to help sort books and prepare for the book sale, or work at the next book sale during the Apple Festival, please contact Deb Hiett at the Boxford Town Library, 978-887-7323.

Here are some other suggestions for your used books.

• Out of date print materials may be recycled in the Town of Boxford.  For example, after the hard covers are torn off the book and placed in the trash, the inside pages can be tied up or placed in paper bags for curbside recycling. Paperback books can be placed directly in your recycling bin.

• Vinyl recordings, magazines, Videos, as well as books can be dropped off on Saturdays from 8:00am-3:30pm at the bin located at the Boxford Recycling Drop-Off Center.
   

Collections:
The library has materials for children, teens and adults, including: Fiction and Nonfiction Books (popular and literary); Audio Books on  CD and Cassette; Downloadable audiobooks; Reference materials in print and database formats; Magazines and Newspapers; Graphic novels for children, teens and adults; Large Print Books; DVDs and Videos; Music CDs, Phone Books, and Tax Forms. The Friends of the Boxford Town Libraries also provide museum passes for residents to borrow.

Boxford is a member of the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC), a resource sharing organization. With the link to the online catalog, residents can explore the holdings of all libraries in the consortium. Books in other libraries may be requested through the interlibrary loan program. Interlibrary loan is accessible in a number of ways, ranging from "at home in pajamas" via the online catalog to telephone or in person at the circulation desk of either library.
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• Computers/Internet:
  The library has computers available for word processing, email, database and Internet access.  Remote access to library sponsored research databases is available 24/7.
  The library offers free wireless access to the Internet at both libraries. You may bring in your laptop or other wireless device and use it at either libraries.
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• Fines & Fees:
  No late fees are charged for overdue library materials; however, patrons should make an effort to return materials in a timely manner so that others may enjoy them as well. Fines and fees will be charged on overdue books from other libraries, in the case of those libraries that do charge fines. Replacement costs will be charged for lost and damaged items belonging to our libraries or other libraries. Books, audio and video materials can be returned via the book drop at the front of either library.
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• Library cards:
  Residents are encouraged to obtain a library card. They are available at both libraries. Please bring picture identification including your current Boxford address with you when applying.  Library cards are used for more than book and materials borrowing.  Your library card is also required to access our research databases from home or work.  Your library card can be used to borrow books from any library within the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC).
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• Staff Assistance:
  If you ever have questions or need assistance in finding something, please ask the staff for assistance.  All request for books and other materials, as well as any question you need answered is held in the strictest confidence and will not be discussed with anyone other than another library staff member so that the question can be answered. Staff members are trained to assist you in using reference materials and databases, locating books and other materials for you, and helping you use the fax machine, copier and computers.
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