By Pamela West-Finkle
As another Catskill Mountain Summer comes to a close, we say goodbye until next year to the leaves, the warm breeze, and our visiting friends who enjoy our cute little library in the mountains. Between our Libraries Rock workshops and concerts and the town art projects, lots of children enjoyed the library this summer.
I would like to give a huge thank you to Kari Haugeto, Gloria Carlson, Rima Walker, Laurie McIntosh, Mary Davis, Don Knies, Diana Johnson, Wyva Hasselblad, Diane Lockspeiser, Carol Johnson, and all of our volunteers and board members who helped out with our summer events, Wednesday programs, and coverage for my vacation days. As many of you know, I performed in an Off-Broadway musical in mid-July and had to go back and forth to the city for rehearsals, but the library ran like clockwork and I am so grateful for everyone’s help in my absence.
Our library received the exciting news that we received New York State Construction Aid money in the amount of $86,458 for the purpose of adding on a children’s room and creating handicap accessibility in the library. The application was submitted August 2017 and we just heard the news in August 2018. We have to hold up on groundbreaking until 2019, however, as we are still investigating our flood mitigation options and will hopefully be approved for feasibility study financial assistance through the Catskills Watershed Corporation in early September. Thankfully, there is funding available to cover most aspects of our flood mitigation and construction project, and Senator Seward announced the appropriation of an additional $50,000 towards our costs. It’s been a long, arduous process, but if all goes well, we will be accepting bids from local contractors to begin work next spring!
The reality is that at this time we CANNOT accept book donations simply because we do not have the space for them, nor do we have the manpower, back strength, and time to manage and process all of these books. We are grateful to our patrons and community members who so thoughtfully gather their precious books, load them into their cars, and bring them to the library; however, please understand that I will have to refuse them for the most part. You are welcome to take them to area hospitals, doctor’s offices, thrift stores, etc, and if you cannot find a home for them, the transfer station will recycle them if you tear the hardcovers off. For those of us who love books, this seems like a travesty, but unfortunately in the digital age we live in, this is our reality. Thank you for understanding.
Finally, I would like to try something new for our patrons who asked about some type of Libraries Rock activity for the older teens and adults. I am scheduling our first Rock and Roll Trivia Night on Thursday, September 27th. Signup will begin at 6:30 pm and I will moderate from 7 to 8 pm. Teams are allowed and encouraged. I’ve previously taught History of Rock and Roll in high school and I attended the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Teacher’s Institute, spending 40 hours at the rock hall in Cleveland, Ohio in 2012. We’ll have a combination of questions and musical samples to identify from 1950s – 1990s.
I hope you have a great September! Since we had such a rainy summer, may we be blessed with some Indian Summer days to make up for it!~