10/10/2026
A Message from Library Director Jeremy Skinner:
This fall has been filled with some major challenges in directing the library. I will begin with one of the hardest decisions I have made since I began working here in 2014. Starting on October 12th, Curry Public Library will be closed on Mondays. For years we have been able to remain open every day of the week through creative scheduling and the support of volunteers, but the past four years of accelerating inflation, particularly in the area of property and liability insurance, has cut into our ability to maintain this schedule. We do not anticipate this schedule change being permanent as we are taking action to eliminate some costs, while finding new funding streams for others. We continue to work closely with our Friends of the Library and our Library Foundation to fund many aspects of the library. As a result, all of our program costs are funded through grants and gifts, and we are hoping to expand this support into other areas.
The library will begin to see significant utility savings as our solar infrastructure goes online in the next year. This massive project, which is funded entirely with a Community Resiliency Energy Program grant from the State of Oregon, is a management challenge in and of itself. As I write this message, contractors are digging into the ground in preparation to pour concrete piers to support three solar canopy structures. We are planning to keep the library open during construction, but please drive carefully when you visit our site. If everything proceeds according to plan, the structures should be in place by the end of November.
Moving forward, one silver lining to being closed on Mondays is that it will provide an opportunity for deferred maintenance on our closure day. That said, I hope to revisit this schedule during our next budget cycle. Our goal remains to be the best small library anywhere, and we will continue to work to make this a reality.