The Natchez Adams Wilkinson Library Service, including the Judge George W. Armstrong Library, the Kevin Poole Van Cleave Memorial Library and the Woodville Public Library, will be closed Thursday, Oct. 1- Tuesday, Oct. 6, while the new Polaris Integrated Library System is installed.

The libraries will reopen Wednesday, Oct. 7. Internet access to the online catalog will also be down during the installation.

In order to accommodate our patrons’ library needs, beginning Sept. 14, we will offer extended loan periods and may adjust restrictions on numbers of items checked out.

All items returned Oct. 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be checked in as fine-free. This means that anything returned during those days, regardless of when they were checked out, will not incur any fines.

This is the time to get items you checked out last year — and forgot to return — back to the library.

We’re going to close our eyes when we check those items in.

To help alleviate any problems our closing may cause to students and teachers, we are contacting each of the schools to let everyone know that the library and its resources will not be open or available during that time.

However, other libraries are available to the public. The libraries at the Natchez campuses of Alcorn State University and Copiah Lincoln Community College are both open during these days.

We contacted both library directors to let them know we were closing and they are more than happy to offer the resources of the two libraries. Both are located off of Col. John Pitchford Parkway. The Alcorn Library is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Co-Lin Library is open 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Several other changes will be taking place. In addition to our new, upgraded automation system, we are also upgrading our public access time and print management system.

The new system will be more closely integrated with the automation system. The library is also updating its Web site to make it more user-friendly and to better provide information our patrons have requested.

We hope to have the new Web site that will be ready sometime in October. Please check back. The library’s Web address is www.naw.lib.ms.us.

If you have any questions about your patron record, please contact the library at 601-445-8862. All patron records and item records, such as books, books on CD and tape, videos, etc., will transfer over to the new system.

Coincidentally, Polaris is the same system Concordia Parish Library uses. Copiah, Franklin, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marion, and Warren counties each use Polaris, as well. We will be in good company.

We appreciate everyone’s patience while we update and introduce this new system, which will help us provide better library service to our patrons and public.

For more information, contact Natchez Adams Wilkinson Library System library Director Susan S. Cassagne at scassagne@naw.lib.ms.us or 601-445-8862.