It’s that time of year where the Sloatsburg Public Library wants to know where you stand. Library budget time. Tuesday, On March 27, both Sloatsburg and Suffern libraries hold their annual budget vote. Any Ramapo Central School District resident registered to vote is eligible to stop in and make their mark.
Oddly enough, Sloatsburg residents will be voting Tuesday to approve the 2012 budget, which the library is currently operating under. Due to how the Ramapo Central School District distributes library budget funds, the library’s fiscal year is not a regular calendar January to January year. The library receives funds from the district in October and April, thus the library budget — in this case the 2012 budget — takes in both 2012 and 2013.
Sloatsburg’s proposed overall budget for 2012 will see a total increase of $20,000 over last year. In terms of income, Sloatsburg experienced a decrease in county library system grants, though, through large carry-over from donations, grants and surplus from prior years, the budget will balance out some of the lost revenue. Expenses have increased slightly in 2012, mostly due to a slight escalation in employee benefits and building maintenance costs. Aside from employee salaries, the library’s largest expense is library materials, which mostly includes books, dvds, cds, and periodicals.
Revenue from the proposed 2012 library levy totals $361,000, a $7000 increase over the 2011 budget. The overall proposed library budget for 2012 is $397,000. If the budget is voted down, the library would continue operating under the 2011 budget.
Both Sloatsburg Public Library and Suffern Free Library serve Ramapo Central School District residents and are primarily supported by a library tax. The combined budgets for the two libraries would see a 2% increase in the district’s library levy, increasing homeowners’ overall library tax by $6 to $12 dollars per year.
A dynamic, vital center of village life, the Sloatsburg Library serves as both an educational hub and community center where residents drop-in to pick up materials, bump into friends and attend library-sponsored activities. Children’s Librarian Annmarie McAnany continues to put together the ever-popular Summer Reading Program, which has consistently seen an increase in participation by village elementary school students. Last year nearly 140 kids read more than 2,500 books during the summer long program. McAnany has also expanded children’s programming, bringing to the library an eclectic mix of talent that both educates and entertains.
From yoga and Zumba classes to book clubs and knitters, quilters and gardeners, the library serves as a community meeting house for village organizations and clubs. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, it acted as a village refuge, providing information and electricity to residents.
The library is more than the books and dvds that line its shelves. It’s a reflection of the village itself, a place that houses Sloatsburg’s history and hosts its children, and opens its doors daily to those who want to make a connection.
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Library Upgrades Computers — The Sloatsburg Public Library has completed a welcome upgrade to its public access computer center, adding four new HP desktop computers, with 22″ NEC monitors, that will give the library computer center a total of three networked work stations.
Sloatsburg Students Start Something — More than a dozen Sloatsburg students participated in Start Something, where the 5th-graders are matched with an adult mentor, learn a bit about their mentor’s career, and develop a real life project based on what they learn.
