All public libraries in Franklin County will be closing early today. After 3:00, please call your local library before venturing out to go there. It is possible that Coyle will remain open until 5:00, but call ahead to be sure. The next heavier surge of snow is due to hit Franklin County during the late afternoon. The libraries opened on time this morning, but plan to close at 3:00 to allow everyone safe travel home.
Hopefully, the libraries will be able to open at their normal times tomorrow, Thursday, January 27.
We are sorry for any inconvenience this might cause you. Thank you.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Grove Family Library 5th Anniversary Celebration
Join me in celebrating the 5th Anniversary of the opening of Grove Family Library. Enjoy art, authors, music, refreshments throughout the week of January 31. See the schedule at the link above.
Hard to believe, isn't it? 5 years ago (on January 27 and 28) more than 100 volunteers were moving the contents of little Ragged Edge Library across Route 30 to newly completed 17,000 square foot building. And oh the number of people who have visited the library since, more than 400,000 people, checking out almost 530,000 items from the collection. That's a five-year average of 80,000 visitors and 106,000 items per year, which continues to grow!
In 2005, the building project totaled about $3.50 million. $0.75 million was given as in-kind contributions from Guilford and Greene Townships, contractors, architect, and other businesses. Cora Grove gave $1.5 million. We thank many others for their generous contributions, which have reduced our debt to $560,000. Having paid off about $700,000 of the debt principal over the last 5 years, our goal now is to pay off the balance from donations over the next 5 years. The library system is paying the loan interest out of Grove Library's annual operating allocation, now. Please stop at the library to enjoy the festivities, then if you have not received a mailing, pick up an "Extinguish the Debt" campaign brochure, select a naming opportunity where appropriate, and help the library move ahead to new intitiatives for the future.
Thank you!!
Hard to believe, isn't it? 5 years ago (on January 27 and 28) more than 100 volunteers were moving the contents of little Ragged Edge Library across Route 30 to newly completed 17,000 square foot building. And oh the number of people who have visited the library since, more than 400,000 people, checking out almost 530,000 items from the collection. That's a five-year average of 80,000 visitors and 106,000 items per year, which continues to grow!
In 2005, the building project totaled about $3.50 million. $0.75 million was given as in-kind contributions from Guilford and Greene Townships, contractors, architect, and other businesses. Cora Grove gave $1.5 million. We thank many others for their generous contributions, which have reduced our debt to $560,000. Having paid off about $700,000 of the debt principal over the last 5 years, our goal now is to pay off the balance from donations over the next 5 years. The library system is paying the loan interest out of Grove Library's annual operating allocation, now. Please stop at the library to enjoy the festivities, then if you have not received a mailing, pick up an "Extinguish the Debt" campaign brochure, select a naming opportunity where appropriate, and help the library move ahead to new intitiatives for the future.
Thank you!!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Cutbacks in Library Hours
No doubt by now most of you have seen something in the media about the cuts Franklin County public libraries have made in their operating hours for this year. The cuts were a direct reflection of the huge cuts we have experienced in state funding over the last 2 years.
Our staff fought a huge battle last year to remain customer-friendly in very tough working conditions. Every staff member had lost either pay or hours, and that was very hard on morale and energy level. I congratulate and thank them for serving you well under such advers conditions. This year by cutting the operating hours during times when each library was quieter, we were able to avoid any further cuts in pay. These same staff members are already significantly underpaid before the state cuts hit libraries. In 2009 and 2010, we were able to limit hour restrictions by cutting many other areas of the budget, but the additional cuts were crippling. There were no more options, when other costs continue to rise, ie utilities, insurance, library materials.
We all greatly appreciate the financial commitment of our local officials and donors. The steady county library tax, commitments from local governments and school districts, and generous donors who met our annual appeal goal for 2010 are now the backbone of our operating budget. The state cuts reduced that annual budget by 1/8th.
THANK YOU FOR BOTH YOUR FINANCIAL AND MORAL SUPPORT DURING THESE TOUGH TIMES!!!
Our staff fought a huge battle last year to remain customer-friendly in very tough working conditions. Every staff member had lost either pay or hours, and that was very hard on morale and energy level. I congratulate and thank them for serving you well under such advers conditions. This year by cutting the operating hours during times when each library was quieter, we were able to avoid any further cuts in pay. These same staff members are already significantly underpaid before the state cuts hit libraries. In 2009 and 2010, we were able to limit hour restrictions by cutting many other areas of the budget, but the additional cuts were crippling. There were no more options, when other costs continue to rise, ie utilities, insurance, library materials.
We all greatly appreciate the financial commitment of our local officials and donors. The steady county library tax, commitments from local governments and school districts, and generous donors who met our annual appeal goal for 2010 are now the backbone of our operating budget. The state cuts reduced that annual budget by 1/8th.
THANK YOU FOR BOTH YOUR FINANCIAL AND MORAL SUPPORT DURING THESE TOUGH TIMES!!!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thank You!
I would like to personaly thank all the library supporters who marched in the Chambersburg parade with me on Saturday. It was great! People responded well to us, especially to the "Cat in the Hat" and the Kindly Canines. Every person was impotant, because we were able to spread out and greet the crowds. What a wonderful expression of support for public libraries!
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Chambersburg Reads 2010
Chambersburg Reads to Inspire Service kicks off Monday, September 13 (National Literacy Day), 7:00 p.m. at Franklin Firehouse, with "Rising Stars: Celebrate Community Volunteerism". Join me there to hear award-winning motivational speaker Kathy Silks. You may know her from WITF, one of the organizers of the local "Reading Rainbow" programs of the 1990s. She is terrific! We will also present awards to 11 deserving local community volunteers and get a glimpse of their personal inspirational stories.
This event is being sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Franklin Fire Company, RSVP Capital Region, and the Chambersburg Reads Partners.
The next scheduled event is a Mural Painting Workshop at Grove Family Library on Saturday morning, September 25. Marti Yeager of Fayettville is the instructor. Please reserve your spot by September 20. (click website link below)
For more information on the calendar of events, recommended reading, organizations that need volunteers, and our sponsors visit Chambersburg Reads website . Chambersburg Reads is a two-month regional community reading program for Franklin and Fulton Counties.
Change Matters, You Can Make a Difference!
Hi, Everyone,
As you have no doubt already heard, the state has cut public libraries again this fiscal year. We will be operating on about $16,000 in invested annual appeal funds in 2010 to keep the status quo in programs, operating schedules, staff and new materials. Over the 2-year period, Franklin County has lost a total of over $250,000 per year in state funding to local public libraries. This is one-eighth of our previous budget.
We just heard that to balance the cuts in federal dollars to PA, Governor Rendeel is cutting public library funding by an additional 1.9%, immediately.
Even your spare change will make a difference. We figured out that if each person using each library through less than $1.00 into the donation jar on each visit to his/her favorite library over the following year, we could meet the budget this year and next year. Awesome thought! Maybe it is doable. Please pick up the "Change Matters" bookmarks at your library desk over the course of the next month our two and consider helping us meet a level 2011 budget.
As you have no doubt already heard, the state has cut public libraries again this fiscal year. We will be operating on about $16,000 in invested annual appeal funds in 2010 to keep the status quo in programs, operating schedules, staff and new materials. Over the 2-year period, Franklin County has lost a total of over $250,000 per year in state funding to local public libraries. This is one-eighth of our previous budget.
We just heard that to balance the cuts in federal dollars to PA, Governor Rendeel is cutting public library funding by an additional 1.9%, immediately.
Even your spare change will make a difference. We figured out that if each person using each library through less than $1.00 into the donation jar on each visit to his/her favorite library over the following year, we could meet the budget this year and next year. Awesome thought! Maybe it is doable. Please pick up the "Change Matters" bookmarks at your library desk over the course of the next month our two and consider helping us meet a level 2011 budget.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Senate Proposes Additional 9% Cut to PA Public Libraries
Save Your Library Services -- Contact your PA Representative Today
Today we have learned that the PA Senate passsed a state budget including another 9% cut in the public library subsidy (among other library funding cuts). Following the disproportionate cuts of 21% in last year's state budget, this is the straw that will break many of the library services and programs that you know and love. That would make the 2010-2011 cut about $61,000 on top of the almost $200,000 cut in state funds to Franklin County public libraries from 2009-2010, bring the total cut over a 2-year period to about $255,000. That is the value of 25 years of summer reading programs or more than 10 full-time staff members -- 350 per week, or approximately 175 hours of library operations, since we cannot open a library without 2 people on duty. Last year we cut about 35 hours of library operation per week across the county.
The irony is that while the Senate is voting to cut more money from public libraries they are also supporting large increases in "educational spending". Public libraries are an important part of the Department of Education, yet we continually get the crumbs that fall from the table of the rest of that Department.
Please contact your PA legistlators today, and let them know that this is unacceptable. Not only do public libraries serve as "everyone's college" for life, but they provide valuable information and literacy support to formal education in our schools and colleges. Indeed, library use continues to grow as the economy struggles. Urge your representatives to halt the disproportionate chopping of public library funding.
Today we have learned that the PA Senate passsed a state budget including another 9% cut in the public library subsidy (among other library funding cuts). Following the disproportionate cuts of 21% in last year's state budget, this is the straw that will break many of the library services and programs that you know and love. That would make the 2010-2011 cut about $61,000 on top of the almost $200,000 cut in state funds to Franklin County public libraries from 2009-2010, bring the total cut over a 2-year period to about $255,000. That is the value of 25 years of summer reading programs or more than 10 full-time staff members -- 350 per week, or approximately 175 hours of library operations, since we cannot open a library without 2 people on duty. Last year we cut about 35 hours of library operation per week across the county.
The irony is that while the Senate is voting to cut more money from public libraries they are also supporting large increases in "educational spending". Public libraries are an important part of the Department of Education, yet we continually get the crumbs that fall from the table of the rest of that Department.
Please contact your PA legistlators today, and let them know that this is unacceptable. Not only do public libraries serve as "everyone's college" for life, but they provide valuable information and literacy support to formal education in our schools and colleges. Indeed, library use continues to grow as the economy struggles. Urge your representatives to halt the disproportionate chopping of public library funding.
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