Fremont library will expand Friday hours

Responding to a request from patrons, the Fremont Public Library in Mundelein will expand its Friday evening hours.

Starting June 4, the library, at 1170 N. Midlothian Road, will stay open until 6 p.m. It has closed at 5 p.m. on Fridays.

The change comes as the library prepares to eliminate its Sunday hours for the summer, as it does every year.

Through a survey conducted last year, patrons said they wanted extra hours, Fremont board President Janice Powell said.

"Patrons would like us to be open 24 hours a day, but we can only do what we can afford," Powell said.

The extra hour should especially be convenient for patrons trying to pick up books, videos or other materials on their way home from work before the weekend, officials said.

Although libraries and related organizations throughout the area are struggling financially, Fremont officials insisted the facility can afford the extra hour of service.

Full-time employee schedules are being adjusted to account for the extra hour, library Director Scott Davis said. The change will result in more pay for some part-time workers, but "those costs are minimal," Davis said.

The impact on overall circulation likely will be minimal, too, Davis said, but the move could boost patron satisfaction.

Once the adjustment is made, the library will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Sunday hours will return after Labor Day, as usual. In the fall, the library will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

The library will be closed Monday for Memorial Day.