From: The Pember Board

Most of you have received the flyer from the school addressing the budget, elections and propositions that are coming before you. This year there is a new one. A process was created by the State to assist public libraries pursuant to Section 509 of New York State Education Law The Granville School District Board of Education has been authorized to place a proposition before the voters at the May 21, 2024 School District Election. We would like to share with you how this will work and how important it is to the library. Other libraries throughout the area that utilize this collection method are Greenwich, Salem and Argyle.
The Pember, like everyone, is having a hard time with sustainable funding. Attempting to run the library primarily on donations, especially in a time when people everywhere are experiencing difficulties, is not allowing us to provide quality, consistent programing or to hire people at a living wage to perform the programing and other tasks involved in running the library day to day. To be respectful of the current economic climate, we worked out a rate that would be approximately $30-40 dollars per household, less than the cost of two hard cover books, which will result in raising $100,000 annually, from the Granville School District households. These monies will appear on your school tax bill and the funds will be collected by the school. They will account for this levy separately from their own and it will be paid in full to the Pember. This is totally separate and apart from the annual school budget. If it is modified in the future, it will be done through another vote.

It is the goal of the Pember to continue to provide and perhaps enhance library service to all residents of our school district, which parallels our service area.

In addition to the basic library services, we have computers for use in the library or to borrow and take home with you. There are numerous reading-based programs for preschoolers through adults, movie nights, game nights, art shows, lectures, and music. We also participate in a program called “farm 2 library” that shares the excess produce of local growers with families for free at their local library. This consists of dairy products, fruits and vegetables along with pastas and beans provided through our “Friends of the Library” group. Internet access is always important and that is free to the public as well through the Pember’s system.

We hope this gives insight into how important this is to the Pember and to our surrounding communities. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me an email at maryj.pember@gmail.com.

We thank you for your consideration of this important proposition and hope you will understand the importance of our request.

Libraries will get you through times of no money, better than money will get you through times of no libraries. (Anne Herbert)

Thank you in advance from the Pember Library and Museum Board of Directors.