Friday, February 4, 2011
Grove Library Birthday Bash
Please join me tomorrow for Grove Family Library's 5th birthday celebration. Festivities begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue through 1:00. Enjoy children's authors and outstanding music from celebrated PA songwriter and musician Steven Courtney. He is a longstanding favorite of Franklin County and Pennsylvania children, and had his own television show for awhile. This event is proceeding as scheduled despite the possibility of some wintry mix tomorrow, so come and join in the fun! Refreshments include birthday cake!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Weather Alert/Early Closing
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.
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.
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.
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