Library to Celebrate Five Year Anniversary

Mark your calendars for a 2006 anniversary party at the library!

Five years ago this week, the Tompkins County Public Library closed it doors at 312 N. Cayuga Street and moved into its new site, the renovated Woolworth building at 101 E. Green Street.

The new library not only doubled in physical space, but usage increased dramatically. Circulation of library materials has increased 15 % while public programming audiences have increased by 77%!

In recognition of this fifth anniversary the library is planning a celebration on Saturday, January 14, 2006 from 10:30 – 4:30 p.m. which coincides with the five year anniversary of the Grand Opening. The library will give away free books, CDs, paperbacks, prizes. New users may register for free library cards. There will be anniversary cake, children’s performers, music for all ages, the ever popular Antique Book Roadshow, a Book Repair demonstration, Book Laminating workshop, photographic displays and videos of our library’s history. All events are underwritten by private donations.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT SHELLEY GARVEY 272 4557 EXT 249

Library to Present Supplemental Funding Plan

The Tompkins County Public Library will hold a special meeting on Thursday, November 17th at 7 p.m. in the Borg Warner Community Room at the Library to present and discuss a revised and reduced funding appropriation to secure library services. Members of the public are invited to share their thoughts and questions.

"The library's funding is currently inadequate and, in many ways, dysfunctional for a public service agency," said Library Director Janet Steiner. "Our reserves are extremely thin and a significant portion of our revenues are based on year-to-year donations. We have to work together with our legislators and our community to map out near-term and long-range plans to ensure that critical services to our community won't have to be ended because of the lack of funding."

Details of the new proposal include:

• A significant reduction in the size of the appropriation (nearly half).
• Funding only the most critical needs of the library: service hours and books & materials.
• Removal of the Lansing community from the funding request, since Lansing residents will be asked to fund their own community library, like all of the other communities in the County with the exception of Ithaca.
• The average household within the Ithaca City School District would see an increase in library support of $22 a year for this funding.

Please join us on November 17th and help your Library Board of Trustees develop a plan that will meet the community's needs for these critical services.