From the Director

All of the staff joins me in thanking you for your patience and understanding as we migrated to a new catalog system in December. The staff worked very hard to ensure that there were as few disruptions to our patrons as possible. 2011 was a busy year for us. In March new energy efficient lighting was installed, providing better lighting while lowering our electric usage. New carpeting was installed in May.

Our many programs have been well received. Every effort is made to provide a variety of programming so that there is something for everyone, from exercise and dance classes, to food preservation workshops, to hosting free job consultations, to our ESL literacy tutoring, to toddler story times, craft programs, LEGO Nights, and the teen Video Game Club, to mention just a few. In addition our Community Room is well used by numerous nonprofit organizations and agencies that serve the public.

We look forward to seeing and serving you in 2012.

Happy New Year from all of us to all of you!

Pam Stocking, Director

Budget 2010-2011 News!                             2012 Proposed Budget

In creating the 2011 budget for Ellenville Public Library & Museum, the Board of Trustees carefully considered higher costs in overall library operating expenses, increased library use, and the current economic climate. For the second consecutive year, The Board is pleased to inform our community that they were able to lower the annual budget percentage increase, resulting in only a 5.4% rise in the amount of funding to be raised through taxes.

In 2009, Ellenville Public Library & Museum had over 72,440 visits. Our circulation of books and other materials went up by 7%, for a total of 84,492 items borrowed, and our staff answered over 4,000 reference questions. Our public programs were attended by over 5,000 people from our community and neighboring towns, and the Community Room was used by dozens of non-profit and human service organizations. People continue to enjoy our library as a cultural and educational resource, attending book discussions, storytimes and workshops, visiting the Gallery Link and Deyo Terwilliger House museum, browsing the Internet or simply wandering the stacks in search of an idea or story. When our patrons ask us, “how do you do it all?”, we have to answer that we do it with your patronage and support. It is our working together with our patrons that continually inspires us; helping someone with a job search, a student with a homework assignment, watching our community’s children grow from storytime to the creators of their own life stories.

The Board of Trustees is committed to ensuring that our community receives excellent value for its support of Ellenville Public Library & Museum, and all of us at the library share their goal of providing our community with the materials and services it needs, wants and uses in these challenging economic times.