HOLYOKE — With the incredible sights of the eclipse last month, many rushed to find solar glasses quality enough to look at the rare marvel.
Now with the next solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous United States not coming until 2044, the Holyoke Public Library is happy to take those glasses off your hands if you don’t want to worry about where to store them for two decades.
The Holyoke Library has announced they will act as a solar glass collection site and accept donated glasses until Friday, July 5.
Through a partnership with Astronomers Without Borders, the collected donated glasses will be sent all around the world to help bring the glasses necessary to experience the event to the people who may not otherwise have a safe way to view the eclipse directly. The organization has been sending out donated glasses for annular and total solar eclipse since 2008.
“The Holyoke Library found out about this organization because we heard that other libraries were accepting solar glasses to be reused in other countries,” Library Development Associate Nancy Kocsmiersky told Reminder Publishing. “We have had a great response so far.”
Kocsmiersky said the eclipse experience at the library this year was very positive. She added the library had run out of glasses to give out a week before the event itself.
“The response has been very popular with people who came to the library and with the kids from the Lawrence School who all received free glasses from the library. The day of the eclipse the whole school was invited to come to the library park to view the eclipse,” Kocsmiersky said.
The library asks that those thinking of donated solar glasses first check to make sure they’re safe for reuse. In order to tell if they’re safe for reuse, look at the integrity of the lenses and their housings. The lenses need to be free of punctures, scratches and bends. The housing, whether the plastic or cardboard, needs to be in good shape.
When looking through the glasses, the only visible thing should be the sun and other light sources as bright as the sun, or such as a bright-white LED bulb, including the flashlight on your smartphone. All else should be black.
According to Library Assistant Director Jason Lefebvre, the library has already received large shipments of glasses from Wellesley, Cambridge, Peabody and Dartmouth and even an individual mailing from Rhode Island.
“We have been receiving eclipse glasses from all over the state and are easily in the thousands that we will be able to donate along for people to enjoy in other parts of the world,” said Lefebvre. “The library was happy to offer this service to our Holyoke patrons and are even happier to be a hub for the state.”
Donated solar glasses can be delivered and given to the front desk staff or mailed to the Holyoke Public Library at 250 Chestnut St. If mailing, the library asks that glasses are wrapped in padding before going into box or envelope. For more information, visit or call the library.
