By BOB TUROSZ

NORTH READING — There’s a lot happening at the Flint Memorial Library these days and there’s more to come, says Director Sharon Kelleher – not the least of which will be six additional hours of operation starting in the next budget cycle.

North Reading’s population topped 15,000 a couple of years ago and since then the Library has been under a mandate to meet the minimum open hours requirement set by the Mass. Board of Library Commissioners.

Libraries in communities of more than 15,000 population must be open at least 50 hours a week and meet certain other criteria to be eligible for state library aid. For some years North Reading’s Flint Memorial Library has been open for only 45 hours a week and is in the second year of a temporary grace period from the state to boost hours to at least 50.

Town Administrator Michael Gilleberto, in his first budget year, said finding the additional $19,280 for the extra hours to meet the library’s state requirements was “a challenge and opportunity.”

The proposed fiscal 2016 Library budget which Kelleher and Gilleberto are recommending will be $497,826, including the $19,280 for the six additional hours to mandated number of hours of operation. This will allow the Library to be open 51 hours a week. To find the extra money in a tight budget year, the budget proposes using some of the Library’s state aid money to offset part of the cost for the next two years.

Using state aid to offset part of the operating budget hasn’t been done in the past, Kelleher mentioned but it is a creative way of reaching the state mandate a full year before the three–year grace period expires.

The proposal is to use $12,000 of the state aid to meet the additional hours in fiscal 2016 and $6,000 the following budget year. “We really need the additional hours for many reasons,” she said.

The proposed 51 hour weekly schedule will have many benefits, not the least of which is consistency. At least now the library will have a consistent opening time of 10 a.m. six days a week, Kelleher said. (Currently, on Monday and Wednesday, the library doesn’t open until 1 p.m.)

Ideally, the Library would have liked nine hours to consistently close at 8 p.m. every day but the additional funds aren’t available in the budget, she said. So the Library will continue to close at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Just as with any business or public service organization, consistent hours are more customer–friendly, Kelleher said. “We already know (the extra hours) will benefit the community.” The expanded hours will also offer the ability to offer programs on Wednesday and Monday mornings.

The remaining money in the state aid account will be used to enhance library services and implement deferred and much needed small capital projects, Kelleher said. Going forward, the Library will keep the equivalent of one year’s worth of state aid in the fund, she added.

Using some of the state aid fund will allow the extra hours to be phased in more quickly and with less impact on the budget, commented Selectman Stephen O’Leary. The town budget will assume the full cost of maintaining the additional hours in the third fiscal year.

Why the library is better than Google

Kelleher said the Library offers many services and amenities to the public beyond the obvious attractions. These include:

• Half Price Lowell Spinners tickets.

• Discount museum passes.

• Free DVDs – binge watch an entire season of Breaking Bad without joining Netflix!

• Free Internet access.

• Free Browsing Café, with $1 coffee vs. $6 at Starbucks.

• Free programs for children, young adults and adults.

Kelleher said the ongoing goal is to make the Library a community destination with programs such as the 15 in ‘15 reading challenge program now in progress.

Upcoming programs include Living with Coyotes on March 24; flea markets, antiques and collecting with author Maureen Stanton on April 28; a program on self publishing on May 14 and a Great Discussion Series still to be scheduled.

The Library is a busy place, according to the budget presentation. Total circulation is up 13 percent with increases in adult materials, (nearly 4,000 items) and 3,253 young adult and children’s items circulated in December.

Patrons also continue to benefit from the Library’s membership in the Merrimack Library Consortium. Twelve hundred items were borrowed from other libraries in December compared to 846 in December of 2013. Twenty- one community groups used the Library Activity Room in last December alone.

“We are making the library a very popular place and reaching a whole new demographic,” Kelleher stated.