Recent News
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
START YOUR OWN SMALL BUSINESS
FOR THE SERIOUS ENTREPRENEUR
4 Mondays, February 6-27, 6-9pm
This class will address the fundamentals of starting and running a small business.
Participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course
and will have completed their own business plan. Taught by Associate Business
Professor Steve Lindner, formerly of the Parsons School of Design. You must
pre-register, and attend all 4 sessions. Co-Sponsored by the EllenvilleWawarsing
Chamber of Commerce. Call (845)647-5530 for information and to register.
SUNDAY CONCERT SERIES
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2PM– VALENTINE’S DAY CONCERT
featuring The Newburgh Chamber Ensemble
SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2PM– St. Patrick's Day Concert
featuring 3 Time All Ireland Fiddle Champion Dylan Foley, Traditional Irish Music
SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 2PM– SPRING CONCERT
featuring Margo Marusek, Music for the Classical Harp
AARP Tax Aid
Trained and certified AARP Tax Aides will be at EPL&M to help you prepare and file
your income tax return on the following Saturdays between 10am—2pm:
February 4, 11, 18 & 25
March 10 & 24
You must make an appointment: (845) 647-5530
FINES for FOOD
Pay your overdue fines during the week of FEBRUARY 13-18
and EPL&M will donate all monies collected to the Shiloh Baptist Church Soup
Kitchen. Pay your overdue fines this Valentine’s, and help feed a neighbor !
CINCO de MAYO!
Our second annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration was a great success, with wonderful performances by the Mid-Hudson Mexican Folkloric Dance Group, a beautiful parade and authentic Mexican folk music by Sondel Monton. Special thanks to Earl Thornton for helping erect the tent, and to our Co-Sponsors, Gaby’s Café and the Ellenville Wawarsing Chamber of Commerce. This event was funded in part by a grant from the Dutchess County Arts Council. Thanks for coming!! See you next year!
Cragsmoor Craftsmen ~ Nature Under Glass
Special thanks to the Cragsmoor Historical Society for the exhibit in our Canal Street foyer of beautiful paperweights and items made by Cragsmoor Craftsmen, Nature
Under Glass, a small local business in Cragsmoor in the mid-late 1900s.
Budget News! 2012 Proposed Budget
2012 LIBRARY BUDGET REFLECTS COMMUNITY NEED
The Board of Trustees of Ellenville Public Library & Museum has approved the proposed budget for 2012. In creating the 2012 budget, the Board weighed the greater usage of Ellenville Public Library & Museum, the increases in overall operating expenses for the library, and our current economic climate. Their objective was to continue to meet our community’s growing need for services, while keeping the increase in the tax levy to the smallest percentage possible. This resulted in a 5% increase in the amount to be raised through taxes in the 2012 proposed budget.
To help facilitate this objective, the Board determined that beginning in 2012, EPL&M will have only three late closing nights at 8:00pm. Closing hours on Thursdays and Fridays will be 6:00pm, with Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays remaining open until 8:00pm. Reducing hours on Thursday evenings by two hours will help the library save funds without drastically reducing overall hours of accessibility. Copies of the 2012 proposed budget are available for review at the library and at www.eplm.org.
Patrons can vote on the proposed budget on Tuesday, April 26, 2011, from 10am to 8pm at the library. You must be a resident of the Ellenville Central School District in order to vote. If you are a resident of the Ellenville School District and are not yet registered to vote, you can do so at the library on Saturday, April 2nd, from 10am-3pm. If you are already a registered voter, you don’t need to re-register. Absentee ballots are available at the library. All ballots must in by 8 p.m. on April 26.
In addition to approving the budget, patrons will also be voting for a Board Trustee; 2011 will mark the end of Dr. Arthur Lukoff’s five year term on our Board, and we thank him for his years of dedicated service to our library and community. Ellenville resident Ms. Kathryn Burke, Coordinator of Speech Language Pathology Clinical Services at SUNY New Paltz, is running for election to the library’s Board.
The Board of Trustees of EPL&M’s goal continues to be providing each member of our community with the high quality resources and services they need, ensuring that all patrons receive excellent value for their support.
Adult Literacy Tutor Training
Ellenville Public Library & Museum is pleased to welcome 6 new ESL Volunteer Tutors to our literacy program. The new volunteers completed a 12 hour training workshop last May in using the Laubach way to English method. Congratulations on a job well done!
Volunteer Tutors must be 18 or older, and have their High School Diploma or GED.
The “Laubach Way to English” is the program taught, and all materials will be provided.
You don’t need to speak a foreign language to be a tutor! You just need to offer one hour a week, and have a desire to help a neighbor. This is a very rewarding experience for both tutors and their students. Please register by May 4. For more information and to register call Catherine Tatunczak at 647-5530. Next training: Sept 2010.
Currently, we have 25 Volunteer Literacy Tutors in
our program, as well as 35 active students, with many more on our wait list.
Picture: Mary Coniker and Joan Gahn, two of our Volunteer Literacy Tutors, with Literacy Program Coordinator Catherine Tatunczak.
Tree Planting Workshop
Library patrons learned how to chose and plant a tree when Ryan Trapani from the Catskill Forest Association was at Ellenville Public Library on April 15. Ryan taught us about location, climate, and which fruit and flower trees do best in this region. Tips on preparing soil, planting and nurturing new trees were shared, and participants were able to get some hands on experience as we planted a native "Pagoda Dogwood" from Catskill Native Nursery outside Deyo/Terwilliger House Museum. Pictured here are Ryan Trapani, Asha Golliher, Board Member Debbie Stack, Former Board Member Laurie Friedman and patron John Nodar.
Pruning and Pest Control
Patrons thoroughly enjoyed Charlie Blume's presentation on Pruning and Pest Control, the second workshop in the IN OUR OWN BACKYARDS series. Charlie is a Certified Arborist from Lucky Dog Farm, located near the Rondout Reservoir. Look for more workshops with Charlie at Ellenville Public Library & Museum this Fall when he returns to talk about Heirloom Apples and cider making!
Journal Making
Jillian Koehnken of Minnewaska State Park taught a group of all ages how to hand make a simple journal or scrapbook out of paper, recycled cardboard, magazines and our imaginations in celebration of Earth Day in April. Everyone took home their unique book at the end of the evening. Look for more Journal Making workshops at EPL&M with Jillian this summer!
Myrna Jargowsky
Showing beaders of all ages how to make
a daisy bead stitch for a bracelet or ring at Saturday's workshop. Watch for more workshops with Myrna at the library this coming Summer.
Basic Beading Workshop
Patrons make bracelets at the Basic Beading workshop. A good time was had by all, and everyone went home with new jewelry to wear!
Times Are Tough, and Libraries Are Thriving
People are flocking to libraries after forsaking Barnes & Noble or ditching their HBO service and subscriptions to Netflix.
Times Are Tough, Libraries Are Thriving
The bad news about the economy is good news for libraries as people flock to libraries and forsake Barnes & Noble, HBO and Netflix to save money.
Times Are Tough, Libraries Are Thriving
Though feeling the economic pinch, too, local libraries offer books, films, music, lectures and live entertainment.
