On Friday patrons and staff said goodbye to an old friend as the last book was checked out at the old Edgartown Public Library on North Water street, ending the brick building's life as a library.

The new Edgartown Library is finished and the shelves have arrived. But what of the historic Carnegie building that will be left behind?

In early February, library lovers will be invited to carry the first of nearly 50,000 books and other items to the new Edgartown library building.

The new Edgartown Library, scheduled to open in June, will most likely welcome its first patrons sometime next spring because of construction delays and a struggle to stay within the original $11 million budget.

The Edgartown Library Board of Trustees has voted to hire Lisa Sherman as the next director of the town’s free public library. She will succeed Jill Hughes, who will step down at the end of August after three years as director. Ms. Sherman is currently the director of the Aquinnah Library.

Edgartown selectmen Monday voted unanimously to transfer ownership of the town’s historic Carnegie Library building to the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust, which plans to transform the building into a visitor center and repository for historic books, papers and art.

Edgartown library director Jill Dugas Hughes will be stepping down from the job at the end of August, the library board of trustees announced this week.

Nearly a year after contractors broke ground on a new Edgartown library, the project is overbudget and behind schedule.

The Edgartown library is losing access to an adjoining parking lot next week, when renovations begin at a historic house next door. Starting Monday, patrons and staff will have to park their cars on North Water street or in other public parking spaces.

Kids can count down the New Year a little early at the Edgartown library on Wednesday, Dec. 31, from 1 to 3 p.m.