Heermance Memorial Library
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1 Ely Street
Coxsackie, New York 12051
Telephone at 518 731 8084
Fax at 518 731 8264
www.hml.lib.ny.us
director@hml.lib.ny.us
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Our Hours
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Mondays 3:00 to 6:00
Tuesdays 10:00 to 6:00
Wednesdays 10:00 to 8:00
Thursdays 10:00 to 6:00
Fridays 10:00 to 5:00
Saturdays 10:00 to 3:00
Closed on Sundays
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| Regular Programs |
Mother Goose Time
Tuesdays at 10:30 am
Preschool Story Hour
Thursdays at 10:30 am
Homework Helper
Monday through Thursday at 3:30 pm
Adult Knitting Club
Saturdays at 11:00 am
Lunch Bunch Book Group
Second Monday
of every month
Les Bas Bleus
Third Wednesday
of every month
Board of Trustees Meeting
Third Thursday
of every month
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Check Out Our Web Calendar!
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Toning It Down for November
This month in 1963, Bell Telephone Company introduced the first push button phone. It took five years for the star and pound sign to appear.
Who knew such 'modern' technology would start the telecommunications revolution? One wonders if the inventors were already imagining tiny phones that could fit in your pocket. Whether you have us on your speed dial or you still use an old rotary, you can always ring us at the Heermance with your questions, requests, and renewals.
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No Need to Troll for a Good Time
Although the Silly Witch's broom was out-of-order, pre-holiday festivities still went on at the Heermance Library on All-Hallow's Eve Eve. Shrek and his beloved, Fi ona, stopped by when they heard their wicked cousin could not make it. Fiona read a spooky story to all the attending hobgoblins, then helped them make crafts to take home. The Friends of the Library and Jeff Haas provided some devilishly good treats for participants, and everyone left ready for Saturday's revelries. | |
| The Votes Are In
The Library Board of Trustees and staff would like to thank everyone who came in to vote during the library election on October 20th. Regina McGrath, Catherine Tighe Benson and Claudine Serazio West were elected to three-year terms on the Board of Trustees. The special library distr ict tax was approved 99 to 9. This tax amounts to $43.81 on a house assessed at $100,000. The increase from 2009 to 2010 was minimal, up from $43.39 in 2009. If the proposed cut in state funding becomes a reality, however, the library would not be able to maintain the same level of service without a significant increase in the special district tax. For more information on how this cut in state funding would affect the Heermance Memorial Library read on.
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Help Stop the Chop
With the exception of a 4.5% cut in school aid, Governor Patterson has proposed a 10% cut across the board to resolve a mid-year state budget deficit. This means an additional $3.3 million cut in librar y aid on top of the three cuts received over the past eighteen months. If this latest cut goes through, it would bring library aid down to $88 million, a level not seen since 1998. Although this may seem like a lot of money, it is spread among 755 public libraries, 26 library systems, 261 academic libraries, 5378 school libraries, 200 institution libraries, and the New York State Library. The cumulative impact of these cuts would also result in a corresponding loss of almost $2 million in federal funds for library services by 2011.
While each public library gets a small cash amount directly through state funding the first impact from this cut would be to the Mid-Hudson Library System, a state funded agency that provides many "behind-the-scenes" services our community benefits from. The Heermance Memorial Library relies on many System services to meet community needs and to keep local costs down: the online catalog, Request-a-Title, delivery, group purchases for research databases, staff and trustee education. The Mid-Hudson Library
System calculations indicate it would cost a local library 33% more to run their library without system services.
While it is clear NYS is in fiscal crisis, it is also clear that our communities need library services now more than ever. As jobs disappear and household budgets shrink, public libraries are part of the safety net for the many people who rely on the library for Internet access, computers, family programming and low-cost entertainment in the form of books, movies and music. People in Coxsackie have been using our library more and more since the economic downturn. Circulation in 2009 is 10% higher than in 2008 and program attendance continues to increase.
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Hope You Are Fine
While we hope you are a-okay in the health department, what we are really talking about are Fine Free Days here at the library. If you know you have accumulated a few too many late charges, or if you have an embarrassingly overdue book that you are too afraid to return, these next few weeks are just what the doctor ordered to make yo u and your library account feel better. Between November 9th and November 28th, we will waive fines on all items checked out from the Heermance if you bring in new, unopened items for our troops. Stop by the front desk with your donations, let us know your name, and get ready for instant relief. Please note that we cannot overlook missing items that have been billed...those charges will remain! Some suggested contributions include bar soaps, chapstick, cough drops, deodorant, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, lip balm, skin lotion, body and foot powder, q-tips, sunscreen, toothbrushes, toothpaste, AA and AAA batteries, gloves, inner soles, socks, CDs, DVDs, current magazines, blank greeting cards, chewing gum, popcorn, non-dairy creamers, candy, and single-serve packets of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and potato chips. We also encourage you to take a moment and write a card or letter of support and gratitude. Liquids, pork products, chocolate, and glass items will not be accepted. And, please, no out-dated or used goods. Don't you feel better already?
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Hats Off to Our Vets
Our military has been there for us at the drop of a hat for over two hundred years. You might be surprised just how many locals have served our country...have you ever stopped to express your appreciation? Soldiers and civilians alike are invited to our Veterans Day Open House on Wednesday,  November 11th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. This annual event is our opportunity to show our gratitude to local veterans for their commitment to our security. We hope all the vets who have come in the past will return...reinforcements are welcome, too! The public is invited to hear their interesting stories and acknowledge their bravery. Take moment; a little thanks really means a lot. We often take for granted the things that deserve the most gratitude. Refreshments will be provided by the Friends, so don your cap and be sure to stop down.
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A Friend-ly Update
The Friends of the Heermance Library (the 'Friends') met October 14th. The Friends work to raise funds to support Library programs like the homework mentor and summer reading events. We also organize and host community outreach activities, such as the Plant Swap held in May, the Jazz Night in September, and our twice annual bus trips to New York City. This month, we will provide home-baked refreshments for the Veterans Day Open House held on November 11, 2009. These events help our neighbors discover what the Library has to offer. If you have interest, energy, ideas, or are just curious, please join us at the Library at 7pm on the second Wednesday of every month.
Next month, we will hold our annual Wreath Auction on Sunday, December 6, 2009, set to coincide with the Christmas by the River events. These unique works of art bedeck the Library walls and create a wondrous winter wonderland within the Heermance. Please stop in to see the decorations, say hello, or try for one of the wreaths. Bidding will begin on Saturday afternoon and will end on Sunday at 4 pm, when the winners will be determined. The typical starting price is $14.00. Whether your bid wins the prize or not, everyone has a great time. The funds raised from the auction will go toward programming and other Friends' contributions to the Library budget. Thank you to all the individuals and businesses that have supported this event in the past by donating wreaths. If you would like to make or buy a wreath for donation, please contact Cindy by e-mail at friendsofhml@gmail.com or stop at the check-out desk to get all the details.
Our membership drive continues! Thank you to all renewing and new members. One of the goals of this drive is to keep the 'on hold' library book sharing system free for patrons. Thanks to your donations, we are well on our way to achieving this goal.
Thank you all for supporting your local library and your Library's Friends. We hope to see you soon at an upcoming event.
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PLEASE NOTE
The Heermance Memorial Library will be closing at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, November 25th, and will be closed all day Thursday, November 26th. Regular hours will resume on Friday. Happy Thanksgiving!
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