Flood Updates
8/25/2025
Dear Library Family,
In my last update, I shared a press release from Town Hall outlining their strong commitment to restoring our building. I am happy to report that repairs at the library are continuing to move forward. A great deal of coordination has been happening behind the scenes to bring us to this point, and we are SO excited to see real, measurable improvements taking shape in our space! I look forward to providing more details soon.
Over the past few weeks, many of you have reached out to say how grateful you are that the library will reopen, and many more have asked what you can do to help. With that in mind, I am writing today to offer a meaningful way you can support Hagaman Library, right now.
Hagaman means something different to everyone. Whether your family visits for free books, programs, or simply a welcoming space to spend time, this building has made a difference in so many lives. That’s why I’m asking you, as a member of our community, to send us a letter sharing what you love about your library. We want to include your thoughts in how we reimagine Hagaman Library in the future.
As we move forward with construction, I will continue to share your messages of support with our library staff, Board of Trustees, and Town officials. Recently, I received a beautiful letter from one of our community members. A quote from that letter is included here:
“Being now 81 years old, I found Hagaman Library to be a good place to keep my mind active with reading and keeping in touch with the news of the world. But the quiet space of the library itself was also very important, to read, to learn new things, to be with like-minded others who share a common concern for the acquisition of knowledge.
During the months that the library has been closed, the world for me has shrunk and gotten smaller, less interesting, less accessible. So I look forward to the day that Hagaman Library opens again.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself—and I, too, look forward to the day Hagaman reopens. Until then, the library staff and I look forward to hearing from you and reading your reflections on what makes our library so special and so important to East Haven. Letters can be sent to me by email to smallory@biblio.org, or by post to:
Hagaman Memorial Library
227 Main Street
East Haven, CT 06512
We look forward to hearing your thoughts,
Sarah Mallory, Library Director
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7/22/2025
To Our Library Family,
As we reach the halfway point of summer, I am reaching out with an update on the status of our building. As you know, it has been 3 months since water damage caused the temporary closure of Hagaman Library. I am happy to report that in a recent Press Release from Town Hall, the Town Administration has expressed a deep commitment to ensuring our building continues to serve the East Haven community for many years to come.
The town has been working closely with their insurance carrier to navigate the process of restoring our building. More information will be coming soon as we take the necessary steps to move forward with renovations. In the meantime, library staff are working diligently to ensure your continued access to services, programs, and books.
Popup Library
I am excited to announce that beginning this week, we are adding new hours to our Popup Library, which is a temporary satellite location now available at 91 Taylor Avenue. Browse free books (yours to keep!), get a library card, ask reference questions, receive tech help, and more. The Popup Library is free and open to all. This Satellite Location is brought to you thanks to the dedication of Hagaman Library staff, in partnership with the East Haven Senior Center, with special thanks to Read to Grow for donating a variety of children’s books for us to give away to the community! Drop in to check us out today!
Popup Library at 91 Taylor Avenue Hours:
Tuesdays from 9:30am to 2:30pm
Thursdays from 9:30am to 8pm*
*closes 6pm on 3rd Thursdays to accommodate town meetings
Hagaman Happenings
In addition, the library is continuing to offer programs in a variety of locations around town with the help of our phenomenal community partners, who have opened their doors and donated space to ensure free programming continues for members of our community. If you are looking for a way to support Hagaman Library this summer, I encourage you to check out Hagaman Happenings for the latest printable version of our monthly event calendar. Please drop in to a program and thank our staff and our community partners for coming together to serve our town.
I sincerely look forward to providing you with more updates in the near future.
In Kindness,
Sarah Mallory, Library Director
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5/16/2025
To Our Library Family,
As you know, it has been four weeks since a flood forced the temporary closure of Hagaman Library. During this time, we have determined that the leak was caused by an outside vendor. We are currently working closely with town administration to ensure that all necessary repairs are completed as efficiently and effectively as possible. The town’s insurance provider is in the process of evaluating the situation to provide a full estimate and a timeline for repairs. Once that estimate is finalized, we will move forward with repairs—and in some instances, improvements—to return the library to full service. While an emergency closure is never ideal, we are confident that the improvements resulting from this process will benefit the community for many years to come.
On behalf of the Hagaman Library team, I want to extend our sincere thanks for your patience and ongoing support. We understand how much the library means to you because it is our library, too. Hagaman Library is more than a building; it is a community hub where we come together to connect, learn, and grow. We are committed to reopening as soon as it is safe and feasible to do so. Our top priority remains the safety of our patrons and staff, followed closely by our commitment to ensuring that the work is done right.
While the building remains closed to the public, our dedicated staff continues to work behind the scenes to offer a range of programs and services. Please see below for a list of currently available services, and check back regularly for updates as new services become available. Thank you again for being a vital part of our library family.
Services Available Now:
Programming: events are being moved to a variety of locations around town and online. We are also building new partnerships and finding new ways to serve the community. Please check our Library Calendar to view programs that have been moved to new locations around town or rescheduled as virtual events. Thank you to our community partners for their continued assistance in providing programs. It means so much to see local organizations coming together during this difficult time, to support our community in new ways!
Access to Ebooks, Audiobooks & Streaming Movies: We are also working to increase your access to digital services. We have temporarily expanded access to Hoopla Digital, now with 8 free borrows per month for anyone with a valid Hagaman Library Card. We also have other options available, which you can explore here: https://hagamanlibrary.org/ebooksandaudio/.
Access to Print Books: Your East Haven Library Card can be used at any library in Connecticut!Access to Print Books: Your East Haven Library Card can be used at any library in Connecticut! To make sure all patrons maintain access, we have extended renewal dates on books and expiration dates on library cards. If you have any questions on this, please reach out to the library director by email at smallory@biblio.org
Access to Library Cards: We are excited to announce that beginning immediately, East Haven residents can visit the James Blackstone Library at 758 Main Street, Branford, CT 06405 to pick up a Hagaman Library Card. Thank you to Blackstone Library by helping to support our community. All you need to bring with you to obtain a library card is a photo ID and two pieces of mail with your East Haven address. Blackstone staff will provide you with a copy of your new card, and Hagaman staff will enter your information in our computer system. Alternatively, East Haven residents can request a card online by visiting: https://hagaman.biblio.org/eg/opac/register. Our staff will create a card and send it to you by mail.
Ask A Librarian: While our building is closed, we are not available by phone. However, if you have reference questions, genealogy questions, or need other support, please don’t hesitate to reach out by email. Our staff are available by email and would be happy to assist you: https://hagamanlibrary.org/staff-contacts/
Updates Coming Soon: Please continue to check back for ongoing updates. Additional outreach events where you can connect with library staff, make appointments for tech help, and schedule Notary services are coming soon! This page is the best place to find the most recent updates on the restoration process. You can also follow us on Facebook for the latest programming news.
Thank you again for your continued support. We can’t wait to see you soon!
Sincerely,
Sarah Mallory
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4/30/2025
Hello Hagaman Friends & Family,
Though our building is still temporarily closed, Library staff are working to provide new programs and increasing digital services. With that in mind, we are excited to announce this week that we are temporarily expanding access to Hoopla Digital, now with 8 free borrows per month for anyone with a valid Hagaman Library Card! To check out Hoopla books from the comfort of your home, visit: https://www.hoopladigital.com/. Don’t have a library card? We have other options available! For more information, visit: https://hagamanlibrary.org/ebooksandaudio/.
Thanks to members of our community providing feedback last week regarding our calendar, we’re also happy to report we’ve simplified the display so it’s easier to access. Please check out our Library Calendar to view programs that have been moved to new locations around town! Thank you to our community partners for their support and for offering locations for events, including: East Haven Public Schools, the Family Resource Center, East Haven Adult Ed, the Senior Center, East Haven Youth Services, East Haven Recreation Department, ETV, and Old Stone Church.
If you have reference questions or need other assistance while the library is closed, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can also follow us on Facebook for the latest programming news, and be sure to check back here for updates on the restoration process!
Thank you for your continued support,
Sincerely,
Sarah Mallory, Library Director
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4/22/2025
To Our Library Patrons and Our Community,
As you may have heard, Hagaman Library is temporarily closed due to flooding caused by a broken pipe. Thanks to the quick actions of library staff, our town administration, and the Department of Public Works, the flooding was controlled in a timely fashion. Now, we are working on restoring services as safely and as quickly as possible.
Though our building is temporarily closed, Hagaman Library is more than just a space in our community! We encourage you to check out the free, instant access we provide to eBooks, audiobooks and streaming services, so you can continue to enjoy reading material from home.
Thanks to the generous support of our community partners, we are also proud to be offering off-site programming for all ages. Many events have been relocated. Please check our Library Calendar and our Facebook Page for updates on programs. And be sure to check here for updates on the restoration process as we work on reopening the library we all love.
Thank you for your patience and your continued support.
Sincerely,
Sarah Mallory, Library Director