Even though it feels like winter in March the annual Sloatsburg Public Library budget vote is approaching. Residents registered to vote in the Suffern Central School District can stop by the Library to cast a ballot on Tuesday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Both the Suffern and Sloatsburg Libraries serve as busy hubs of community activity, providing programs and services to kids and adults alike. And as part of the Suffern Central School District, both local libraries hold their budget votes on the same day.
Serving as the de facto heart of the Sloatsburg community, the Sloatsburg Library serves as a significant benefit to the community, providing extensive children and adult programming while acting as an educational hub and community center. Library patrons regularly drop-in to pick up books or other materials, find a quiet spot to get some work done, attend children’s activities, or any number of library-sponsored program.
The Library’s total proposed budget for the 2018-2019 budget year is $413,770, of which $392,422 would be covered by the Library Tax, if residents approve the budget on Tuesday, March 27. The budget increase is approximately 2% or a $7,694 increase over the current budget.
The Library budget includes utilities, general maintenance, employee salaries and benefits, and program and activities costs. As the library building is a historic municipal property, the larger external Library maintenance and upkeep are often covered by the Village.
The Library has undergone extensive transformation in recent years, with current Director Annmarie McAnany focusing on building and programming improvements — all while keeping the budget constant the past few years.
McAnany applied for and received in 2016/17 a $23,000 NYState construction grant that was applied to material improvements on the inside of the library, including new wooden flooring and the stylized diner-themed Teen Room which has become a popular spot with teens and seniors alike.
Painting of the Sloatsburg Library, circa 1970s. Part of a collection of paintings of Sloatsburg owned by the Village of Sloatsburg.
The SPL has a new Seed Library that allows patrons to grow heirloom vegetables, expanded teen programming and bundled activity bags which allow patrons to tackle a subject via multiple mediums. The new activity bags range from children science bags that kids can take home to learn about science, including their own experiments; foreign language bags that include books, dvds and flash cards; hobby bags for teens and adults filled with items such as baking supplies or a sewing machine to learn how to sew.
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. Libraries these days are much more than books. The Sloatsburg Library is a reflection of the Village itself, a place that houses Sloatsburg’s history, hosts its children and opens its doors daily to those who want to make a connection.
