Hills Branch Library closes for renovation, fall reopening planned
WELLESLEY — The Hills Branch Library shut its doors June 1 for a renovation that will keep it closed through the fall, the most concrete item moving across local sources as the town's official News Flash sat idle Sunday.
COMMUNITY & ARTS The Wellesley Free Library is alerting cardholders that the Hills Branch Library closed June 1, 2026, for renovations and is expected to reopen in fall 2026. Main library services, the catalog, museum passes and digital resources remain available in the meantime, and patrons can continue placing holds and using home delivery while the branch is offline.
The library is also promoting two featured programs on its homepage carousel: "The Doll E Monologues" presented by the National Black Doll Museum of History & Culture, and "Listening to New England with Mel Allen." Full dates and registration information are on the library's program calendar.
SCHOOLS Wellesley Public Schools is reminding families that 2026-27 registration is open for new students entering grades K-12. Children who turn 5 on or before Aug. 31, 2026, are eligible for kindergarten; the district is urging early registration and notes that kindergarten orientation nights were held at each elementary school in April and May.
The district is also highlighting its newly approved Competency Determination policy. Following the November 2024 statewide vote that removed MCAS as the graduation requirement, the School Committee on Nov. 18, 2025, approved policy IKFE, which sets the WPS coursework pathway to a diploma in English language arts, mathematics, science and technology/engineering, with U.S. history added beginning with the Class of 2027.
The 2024-25 District Progress Report is also newly posted, recapping the year's results against the 2023-28 Strategic Plan and including peer-district comparisons on MCAS, SAT and AP performance.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS "🌱 Patch AM: 'Heatwave' Exhibition Awards Reception 6/10/26 and 12 more events" — Patch's morning roundup flags more than a dozen items on the Wellesley calendar this week, led by a June 10 awards reception tied to the "Heatwave" exhibition, per Wellesley Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/wellesley).
"🌱 Patch AM: How Hills Branch's renovation will change where Wellesley residents borrow books." — The outlet looks at how borrowing patterns will shift while the branch is closed for its renovation, a closure the Wellesley Free Library is also publicizing on its own homepage, per Wellesley Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/wellesley).
"🌱 Patch AM: Thinking about walking from Wellesley to fight cancer this October?" — Patch previews an October cancer walk and points readers to sign-up information, per Wellesley Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/wellesley).
"🌱 Patch AM: What new conservation steps are protecting Wellesley's forests and scenic roads?" — Patch summarizes recent local moves aimed at safeguarding town woodlands and scenic-road corridors, per Wellesley Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/wellesley).
No new Wellesley coverage from MetroWest Daily News or The Boston Globe in this cycle.
COMING UP - June 10: "Heatwave" Exhibition Awards Reception, flagged on the Wellesley Patch community calendar. - Throughout June: Hills Branch closed for renovation; main library remains open. - Ongoing: 2026-27 Wellesley Public Schools registration for new K-12 students.