GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Public Library and the city of Greenfield invite the community to the grand opening of the new Greenfield Public Library today, July 13.

The festivities kick off at 9:30 a.m. with the Greenfield Military Band, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m., after which the 26,800-square-foot facility will officially open for a day of discovery and exploration. Participants will include Greenfield Mayor Roxann Wedegartner, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, and other elected officials.

After the library is officially open, attendees will be invited to the community meeting room to enjoy a slice of cake, sign the guest book, and begin exploring the new library. The library will remain open with all-day programming until 5 p.m., including a family story time, arts and crafts activities, and demos in the new makerspace, teen room, and children’s department.

The library, located at 412 Main St., will be open during regular hours on Friday and Saturday, July 14-15, continuing the celebration with special programs, musical guests, and more. Click here for a schedule of the grand-opening events. The festivities, sponsored by Friends of the Greenfield Public Library, are free and open to everyone in the community.

GREENFIELD — Anna Bognolo will serve as the Greenfield Public Library’s new library director beginning July 10. She is taking over for Ellen Boyer, who is retiring after leading the library since February 2012.

Bognolo earned her bachelor’s degree, three master’s degrees, and a post-graduate diploma while attending the University of Rochester, the University of Toronto, the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, the Scuola Vaticana di Biblioteconomia in Rome, and Simmons University in Boston. Prior to entering the field of librarianship, she worked for Christie’s Auctioneers in London and Rome.

She then spent much of her career in library services, working for nearly a decade at Springfield Technical Community College as the reference outreach and technical services librarian. In that role, she developed a sound knowledge of the Central and Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing consortium’s inner workings and the services it provides to member libraries.

In September 2017, Bognolo was named library and archive director at Eaglebrook School in Deerfield. She oversaw the day-to-day operation of the library, provided instructional support to students and teachers, and led the expansion of the school’s archive. She has also worked as a substitute librarian at the Jones Library in Amherst and the Greenfield Public Library, as well as in a part-time capacity at the Boyden Library of Deerfield Academy.

In addition, Bognolo remains actively engaged in community affairs. She is president of the Massachusetts Library System’s executive board and participates in local service organizations, including the Franklin County Community Meals Program and the Great Falls Books Through Bars program.

“I am honored to have been selected to serve as the director of the Greenfield Public Library and thrilled to be able to serve the community of Greenfield in this role,” Bognolo said. “I strongly believe that libraries are essential components of thriving communities, and I look forward to working with the staff, board, and community to continue the Greenfield Public Library’s great work and to create a vision for how the library can best serve and adapt to the growth and changes in Greenfield and Franklin County.”

GREENFIELD — The grand opening ceremony for Greenfield’s new public library will take place on Thursday, July 13, with the library opening to the public immediately following the festivities.

The last day for library operations at the Leavitt Hovey House at 402 Main St. will be Saturday, June 17, with library collections being moved to the new building next door at 412 Main St. June 21-23. Once the collection has been put in place, staff will spend the time from June 26 to July 12 setting up the building, checking to make sure all the technology works the way it should, learning how to use new equipment, and finding where all the light switches are.

During the transition when the library is closed, patrons can continue to use the library’s website, greenfieldpubliclibrary.org, to access its online resources, such as Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy, as well as Consumer Reports, archives of the Greenfield Recorder, and the library’s online subscription to the New York Times. In addition, the staff is busily preparing a number of online, virtual programs for patrons’ enjoyment.

Patrons will be able to reach staff via email, phone, and the ‘contact us’ form on the website, although response time may be slowed while computers and phones are being put in place.

Additional festivities will occur on Friday and Saturday, July 14-15. Keep an eye on the library’s website for information and details or register for one or more of the library’s email lists to receive updates at rb.gy/v8ua9.