May 2011 - Guilderland Public Library

TH
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GUILDERLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
BU
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NEWS
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Volume 18 Issue 3
www.guilpl.org May 2011
E
Your Library: Guilderland’s Gathering Place
Maintaining Services and
Moving Forward
T
he Guilderland Public Library is in its 19th year in the present
building. The current building, opened in 1992, was expected to
have the room necessary to serve our community for 25 years. Two
things have happened in the intervening years:
• The character of the Guilderland community has transformed from
a largely rural suburb of the City of Albany to one of the fastest
growing residential communities in the Capital District.
• In the last decade, the Library has seen ever-increasing use by the
community; doubling the circulation of materials, the use of meeting
rooms and the weekly number of library visits.
This coming fiscal year’s proposed budget of $3.38 million is 2 percent
less than the current budget. We achieved this reduction in cost through
an emphasis on fundraising activities and rigorous monitoring of
spending. We will continue to deliver services at current levels while
maintaining the Library’s physical plant.
Spending is down, but so are revenues. Low interest rates and the
decrease in New York State funding have reduced the amount of revenue
we can expect in the coming year. This means the amount to be raised by
local property taxes will need to increase by about 2 percent.
Two areas where we need to invest more are Technology/Communications
and Capital Improvements. The increase in Technology/Communications
is necessitated by the need for a new phone system. The current system
dates from 1992, and is at maximum capacity and prone to frequent
failure. Further, the system is so outdated that repair parts are scarce.
Expenses for properties would increase by $11,900, specifically for
Capital Improvements. This past year, the chiller for the air-conditioning
cost $47,000 to replace reducing the Capital Improvements fund to $0.
Some years ago, the Library Trustees recognized that the library building
was approaching capacity. With an eye on the future, the Trustees
purchased three adjacent properties as they came up for sale. As a result
(continued on page 2)
The Guilderland Public Library’s smoke-free campus
was recognized in March as a “TobaccoFree Champion.” by the Capital District Tobacco Free
Coalition, the Center for Smoking Cessation at Seton
Health, Reality Check, and Healthy Schools NY.
The Butt Stops Here!
Quit smoking with the help of
a six-week workshop
June 7, 14, 21, 23 & 28, July 5 & 12
@ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Are you committed to quit smoking, but
haven’t been able to do it cold turkey? We
can help! We’re partnering once again with
Seton Health to host their program “The Butt
Stops Here,” a six-week class (seven sessions
in all) we’ll hold right here at the Library,
which became a smoke-free campus in 2007.
The class is led by professional cessation
counselors and costs $40 per person. It
includes a free workbook and relaxation CD,
Carbon Monoxide and Lung Age screenings,
giveaways and incentives. Best of all, you’ll get
a free 2 - 4 week supply of nicotine patches
or gum – valued around $120.
Space is limited so call Debbie Keefe
at 459-2550 today to register. For
more information on Seton
Health’s smoking
cessation program, go
to www.quitsolutions.org
Page 2
Guilderland Public Library News :: May 2011
Budget Message
(continued from page 1)
of this forward-thinking approach, the
Library now has the ability to expand
its physical plant and add parking.
The Trustees also approved applying
for a $138,300 New York State
Construction grant to move a sewer
main from its current location to
one that would facilitate expansion
of the Library building. Part of this
grant will be devoted to repaving the
Library parking lot, a job that has
been necessary for some years.
In 2010 the Library received a
grant from NYSERDA to add solar
panels to the exiting building. This
was the first part of our quest for
energy independence. Our hope is
to replace our heating system with
a geothermal system which will
bring us closer to a green building
while also saving taxpayer dollars.
We are staging the sewer work and
geothermal drilling concurrently so
as to minimize construction costs
and patron inconvenience.
Every day we see over one thousand
members of our community
gathering at the Library. From Baby
Storytimes to Senior Defensive Driving
instruction, the community gathers
and learns, and enjoys time together.
We hope you agree with us that we
need to continue to keep our Library a
strong and vital asset of Guilderland.
Sincerely,
Board of Trustees
Douglas A. Morrissey, President
Vishnu Chaturvedi,Vice President
Diane Rosenbaum, Secretary
Carroll Valachovic, Treasurer
Christopher Aldrich
Brian Hartson
Robert H. Feller
Michael Fox
Barbara Fraterrigo
Robert E. Ganz
Steve Wacksman
Barbara Nichols Randall, Library Director
Candidate for Library Board of Trustees
Robert Ganz
Robert Ganz has served on the Board of Trustees since
2001, including three years as president. He has resided
in Guilderland for 20 years, and is a partner in the firm
of Ganz, Wolkenbreit & Siegfeld specializing in business
law and litigation. Mr. Ganz has a BA from the University
of Rochester, and a JD from the Columbus School of
Law of Catholic University. He has numerous community
affiliations, including the Regional Food Bank, Daughters
of Sarah Nursing Home, Congregation Ohav Shalom and Northeast Association
for the Blind.
Mr. Ganz’s statement: “During my ten years of service on the Board I have
become deeply committed to the role of public libraries in our community.
I chaired the Strategic Long Range Plan, started the Guilderland Library
Foundation, lobbied the County and State legislatures for funding, and have
worked to implement many of the program initiatives at the library. I now serve
as the chair of the Long Range Planning/Building Committee which is charged
with the responsibility of planning for our potential expansion.
“The Guilderland Public Library is poised to do great things in the future for our
residents, and I want to be a part of that process. It has been an honor to serve as
a Board member for the past decade and I look forward to future service.”
Thank You!
to our
2010 Giving Tree Donors
Barbara Alston
Adam & Claire Amiot
Robert Beamish
Jane Bonavita
Michael & Joanne Esposito
Toby Feller
Robert Ganz
Merlyn Gilchrest
Aldene Hoghe
Herbert Jones, Jr.
Susan Klug
Dr. Barry Nelson
Diane Rosenbaum
Dorothy Scott
Kelly Stang
Samuel Yachup
Page 3
Guilderland Public Library News :: May 2011
The 2011/2012 Library Budget
FISCAL YEAR BUDGET
CURRENT PROPOSED
2010/2011 2011/20112
Library Materials $360,500 $367,530 1.95% increase COLA
Programming & Planning $144,775
$69,775 Salaries & Benefits $2,474,285 $2,426,875 Human Resources $15,500
$15,300 Equipment $46,567
$37,000 Library Business Operations $94,000
$93,000 Professional Services
$73,385
$78,020 Technology/Communications $42,885
$90,995 Phone system replacement
Physical Plant $178,000
$169,500 Properties $20,100
$32,000 Capital improvements $20,000
TOTAL
$3,449,997
CURRENT PROPOSED
2010/2011 2011/2012
Unexpended Funds $21,484 $0 State Aid $8,000 $7,800 Non-Resident Fees $15,500 $15,500
Gifts and Grants $10,000 $10,000
Investments $30,000
$20,000 Fines and Lost Materials Fees $75,000
$75,000
Miscellaneous (copiers, etc.) $27,000
$27,000
Reserve Funds $100,000 $0
TOTAL LEVY: $286,984 May 17, 2010
7 am – 9 pm
Local Elementary Schools
Estimated Increase
$0.02 per $1,000
$3,379,995
REVENUE ESTIMATES
EXPENDABLE REVENUES Budget Vote
$155,300 $3,163,013 $3,225,195
Estimated Tax Rates
Per $1,000 Value
Within the Library District
Town of Guilderland
2010/11 actual: $1.06
2011/12 estimated: $1.08
Town of Bethlehem
2010/11 actual: $0.93
2011/12 estimated: $0.95
Town of New Scotland
2010/11 actual: $0.96
2011/12 estimated: $0.98
Town of Knox
2010/11 actual: $1.58
2011/12 estimated: $1.61
Page 4
Guilderland Public Library News :: May 2011
Latest Developments
New WiFi Printing!
Next Month at the Guilderland Public Library ...
You’re in the Library, using your laptop
online via our free WiFi network.You’ve
finished all your research, written your
document and edited it to within an inch
of its life. Now it’s time to print...
By now you’ve noticed these “Next month” cards arriving in your mailbox. This is part
of our effort to keep you fully informed about the events and programs you will want
to take advantage of at Guilderland’s Gathering Place. Given the depth and pace of
events at GPL, we thought it better to keep you up to date with these monthly mailings
than our five-issues-a-year newsletter.
Soon that will no longer be a problem.
GPL WiFi will offer you the opportunity
to print files from your laptop to one of
our laser printers right here at the Library.
Color and black-and-white will be available,
at the same cost as making a copy: blackand-white are just 20¢ each, and color 50¢
a piece.
You’ll continue receiving your GPL Newsletter, but it will be more educational, focusing
on the many benefits and services offered at GPL. As always, you can get more
information on every program and service by visiting our website at www.guilpl.org.
For details on this new feature, come to
the Library (with your laptop or tablet, of
course), and logon to our WiFi network.
It’s simple. It’s safe. It’s secure.
Does your not-for-profit organization need
a meeting space? The Guilderland Public
Library now offers three venues in which
larger groups can hold public meetings.
Next month at the
GUILDERLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
Guilderland’s Gathering Place
2228 Western Avenue • Guilderland, NY 12084
Community Sing-Along
Sunday 5/15 @ 2pm
and then...
’50s acapella, al fresco
Sunday 5/22 @ 2pm
You can choose from the reconfigured
Guilderland Room, the Helderberg Room,
or the Normanskill Room. Guilderland
accommodates groups up to 12,
Normanskill is ideal for up to 50 people,
and the Helderberg comfortably seats 120.
Important: The person reserving the room
must reside in the Guilderland School District
and hold a current Guilderland Public Library
card. Additionally, meetings must be free and
open to the public. Commercial activities are
NOT permitted.
The full Meeting Room Policy and the
Agreement Form are available under the
“Reserve a Room” link on guilpl.org. To
ensure that the room is available, and
that you qualify to use the facility, please
call the Library’s Administrative Aide at
456-2400 x10 prior to filling out the
agreement form.
Non Profit Org
U.S. Postage
PAID
Albany, NY
Permit No. 730
Friend us on Facebook
Guilderland.Library
MAY 2011at
2 Drop-in Knitting
Drop-in Preschool Storyhour
3 Drop-in Knitting
Snoops in the Stacks BDG:
Off Track
4 Crossgates Drop-In Preschool
Storyhour
Knit One, Read Too BDG: The
Calligrapher’s Daughter
5 Drop-in Preschool Storyhour
Great Books BDG: My Antonia
6 Drop-in Preschool Storyhour
Drop-In Chess Club
Family Movie Friday: Shreck
7 Fort Orange Gamers: Battle
Strategy Gaming
9 Drop-in Knitting
Baby Bounce (6 – 18 months)
Drop-In Baby Playtime (Birth –
36 months)
Drop-in Preschool Storyhour
Night Owls Discussion BDG:
Rabbit at Rest
10 Registered Preschool Storyhour
Drop-in Knitting
11 Crossgates Drop-In Preschool
Storyhour
Sensory Storyhour
12 Drop-in Preschool Storyhour
Paying for College
Tweens Reading Together:
A Parent/Child Book
Discussion (Grades 5 – 7)
Board of Trustees Meeting
13 Drop-in Preschool Storyhour
Drop-in Chess Club
Family Movie Friday: Happy Feet
14 Better Books Sale
Shred Day at GPL, Noon – 4 pm
15 Community Sing-Along, featuring
Mary Lou Bartolotta Connelly
16 Drop-in Knitting
Drop-In Baby Playtime (Birth –
36 months)
17 Library Budget Vote and Trustee
Elections at Local Schools
Drop-in Knitting
18 Living Healthy Community
Workshop
International Women Writers
DG: Last Life
Open Mic Tonight!
19 Beautiful, Sustainable Perennial
Gardens
Life Adventures BDG: Moon Shell
Beach
GPL Digital Photo Forum
20 Family Movie Friday: The Secret
of Kells
21 Sowing Seeds of Summer Fun
22 The Jean Marie Cole Concert
Premiere, starring The GTO’s
23 Drop-in Knitting
Drop-In Baby Playtime (Birth –
36 months)
24 Drop-in Knitting
Vitamin D and Your Health
25 Living Healthy Workshop
26 Understanding Medicare
Researching Your Irish Ancestry
How to Exhibit Your Creativity at
the Altamont Fair
27 Family Movie Friday: Ratatouille
30 Drop-in Knitting
31 Drop-in Knitting
Snoops in the Stacks BDG:
The Lost Witness
Get detailed information on these programs at
Follow us on Twitter
@GuilderlandLib
www.guilpl.org or call 456.2400
Circles indicate registered programs. Call 456-2400
for Adult programs, and
Guilderland’s Gathering Place
New Meeting Room
Between this newsletter, these monthly event-driven postcards, and our electronic
channels – eNews, www.facebook.com/Guilderland.Library, and our Twitter feed at
@GuilderlandLib – you have a wealth of ways of staying on top of what’s happening at
your Library.
for Youth Programs.
Page 5
Guilderland Public Library News :: May 2011
Who Do You Think You Are? Take Advantage of Ancestry.com
A
n extraordinary amount of free online research information awaits
you at www.guilpl.org/research. Our electronic databases offer
resources that cover everything from Books and Literature to the Social
Sciences.
If you’re interested in genealogy, click on “Genealogical Databases and
Resources” and try the Ancestry.com Library Edition. It features U.S.
Census images and indexes from 1790 to 1930, historical maps, the
American Genealogical Biographical Index, Daughters of the American
Revolution Lineage, Social Security Death Index, WWI Draft Registration
Cards, Federal Slave Narratives, a strong Civil War collection, and more.
Other genealogical resources include:
• The Berne Historical Project is an amazing compilation of information on
the history and genealogy of the people of Berne, NY.
• Heritage Quest Online provides research materials for tracing family
history and American culture, and includes original page images for all
documents and journals, with many articles in full text. The database
includes access to the U.S. Federal Census Records from 1790-1930.
• FamilySearch is one of the largest genealogical databases in the world.
• Jewish Data is a professionally compiled Jewish genealogical resource,
with more than 100,000 records including images of tombstones from
Jewish cemeteries in the Capital District, school yearbook pages, and
Citizen Declaration documents.
Freegal Music Information and Download Service
Download music info -- and tunes! It’s free and it’s legal
What music have you downloaded lately? More importantly ... what did it cost?
If you’ve used freegal, you know it’s an outstanding source for information on all kinds
of music ... and a money-saving way of downloading your
favorite tunes. If you have not freegal’d, then this is an
outstanding opportunity for you.
Freegal is accessible with your GPL Library Card number
and PIN. Log in, view, and listen to the recordings by
the many popular labels owned by Sony Music such as Arista, Columbia, Epic, Jive,
Masterworks, RCA Recordings, and others.
You’re limited to three downloads each week, but your counter resets to zero every
Monday morning.
Go online and try it now!
* Where the login page asks for your “Card No,” enter your GPL Library Card number.
* Where it asks for your “Pin,” enter your GPL Library Card PIN. (Your PIN is the last
four digits of your home phone number. If you have changed your PIN, and forgotten it,
please come to the Library for assistance.)
Please check your
Library Card for this
important number
“28119”
To take full advantage of services
available to you as a GPL card
holder, please ensure that your
account is in good standing,
and that your card number
begins with “28119.” (This is
the identifying prefix for the
Guilderland Public Library.) If it
does not begin with this series,
please come to the Library’s
Circulation Desk to obtain a
new card.
Page 6
Guilderland Public Library News :: May 2011
Annual Report 2010
O
ver the past year, the Guilderland Public Library
emphasized growing its genealogy and local history
collections and surveyed the community to gauge residents’
support of a building expansion. The survey’s generally favorable
results lead to some changes in the expansion design, and the
Library’s Board of Trustees’ authorization of the inclusion of
monies in the 2010/2011 budget to begin schematic design
Library Use Continues to Increase
The continuing recession resulted in increased use of the
Library. While the door count remained stable at 328,475 visits,
materials circulation increased slightly. Program attendance,
though, increased by 23 percent! GPL loaned 95,528 books,
DVDs, and other items to other UHLS libraries, becoming
leading net lender in the consortium.
Health & Wellness collaborations included partnerships with
the Guilderland YMCA, New York State Office for the Aging,
Bellevue Woman’s Care Center, Price Chopper, and the Albany
County Department of Health.
A very successful Baby Palooza was held with support from
the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and
Foundations’ “Babies Need Books” grant and the Friends of
the Guilderland Library. Additionally, Older Adult Outreach
programming and partnerships with assisted living facilities,
nursing homes and Guilderland Senior Services continued.
Customer use of GPL WiFi with their own laptops increased
32 percent over the previous year, while the Library’s website
attracted a 14 percent traffic boost. Internet presence was
augmented with postings on various social networks, notably
Facebook (Guilderland.Library), Twitter (GuilderlandLib), and
YouTube (GuilderlandPublicLib).
Grant Support
Two grants helped move the Library’s physical plant toward
the future: the addition of roof-mounted solar panels, and the
reconfiguration of interior space to create an additional meeting
space, the Tawasentha Room. Further, installation of seasonally
adjustable shutters on the Reading Room skylight resolved the
long-standing solar glare problem.
A Special Legislative Grant funded installation of overhead
projection systems in both the Helderberg and Normanskill
rooms, as well as a speaker system in the Normanskill Room.
This yields a marked improvement in the usability of these
rooms for multimedia presentations.
Notable Programs
The Third Annual Family Fun Day was a rousing success with
record-setting attendance. The Second Sunday concerts
attracted sizable crowds, and the Library’s special multi-age
programming complementing the Hudson Quadricentennial
Celebration was well attended.
One very popular series was devoted to the preservation of
family history documents.
The Library’s commitment to Lifelong Learning was met with
programs of interest to all ages and literacy levels. The partnership
with Literacy New York, Greater Capital Region was enhanced
thanks to a $13,589 State Library Adult Literacy Education Grant.
Baby Palooza gave parents their own "Baby Information Fair.”
By teaming with the Small Business Development Center and
the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce, the second Small
Business Workshops was held; this series helps small businesses
thrive and aids business start-ups.
New Policies
To make up for anticipated New York State funding cuts, and to
minimize taxes paid by district residents, a new policy required
non-resident cardholders to pay a $25 annual fee. This met with
mixed reactions, but resulted in $11,740 in new revenue, more
than that received from the state.
Volunteer Activities
The Friends of the Library continued to stock the Book Nook
and began to hold monthly “Better Book” sales. The Friends
sponsored a spring semester intern from the University at
Albany’s Library Information Sciences graduate program.
The Foundation sponsored a number of successful programs:
“Shred Days,” a Holiday Basket Raffle, the Annual Giving Tree,
and a Carol J. Hamblin Notable Author event featuring Robert
Mankoff, cartoon editor of the New Yorker magazine.
Page 7
Above: The crew from ETM Solar paused after
completing the installation of the Library’s
grant-funded solar panels.
Right: Library Director Barbara Nichols Randall
and a NYSERDA executive unveil the permanent
Solar Panel Energy Generation Display at the
Library’s solar panels ribbon cutting.
Guilderland Public Library News :: May 2011
A record crowd turned out in the Community Literary Garden
for Family Fun Day 2010. The day was graced by warm,
sunny skies. The younger patrons had fun while parents
took advantage of the time to sit and chat with friends and
Library staff.
The Book Nook, a retail kiosk just inside the Library’s
doors, raised money for the Library through the sale
of donated books and from those removed from the
Library’s collection.
Above: Carol J. Hamblin -- namesake of
the Library’s Notable Authors Speakers
Series -- was delighted to meet New
Yorker magazine cartoon editor Bob
Mankoff, speaker at the December 2010
author event.
Right: Mr. Mankoff explains why some
cartoons work, and some don’t.
This Family Fun Day snap was taken a
nanosecond before the seated Library
staffer was dunked by a patron’s wellaimed throw.
Learning baby massage at Baby Palooza.
Page 8
Guilderland Public Library News :: May 2011
news
GUILDERLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
2228 Western Avenue • Guilderland, New York 12084
518.456.2400 • www.guilpl.org
Facebook: Guilderland.Library • Twitter: @GuilderlandLib
Board of Trustees
Douglas A. Morrissey, President
Vishnu Chaturvedi, Vice President
Diane Rosenbaum, Secretary
Carroll Valachovic, Treasurer
Christopher Aldrich
Brian Hartson
Robert H. Feller
Michael Fox
Barbara Fraterrigo
Robert E. Ganz
Steve Wacksman
Barbara Nichols Randall, Director
Board meetings are scheduled for
June 19, 2011
July 7, 2011
September 8, 2011
The Tawasentha Room
Mark Curiale, Newsletter Editor
[email protected]
The Guilderland Public Library News
mailed to all residents of the
Guilderland Central School District.
REQUESTED IN-HOME MAY 12 - 14
Summer
Reading Club News
Ready June 1: www.guilpl.org/summerreading.php
How the Club Works
• There are two components to the club:
Reading and Programs.
• Children of all ages and abilities are welcome.
• Readers can participate by reading books
or listening to audio books, Playaways or by
having someone read to them.
• Record the books you have finished on your
paper reading record or online at guilpl.org
• Turn in your reading records on or before
Friday, August 12 and you will be eligible for
fun and exciting prizes!
• The Summer Reading Club Grand Finale will
take place Thursday, August 18 from 11 am to
7 pm in the Helderberg Room.
Reading certificates and prizes
donated by generous patrons
and local businesses will be
distributed. Watch a slide
show displaying the highlights
of this year’s summer reading program
carefully, you may be in it. If you can’t make
it that day, you can pick up your reading
certificate and prizes at a later date. Reader Registration
Beginning June 22 at 6 pm, Guilderland residents
can register for the Summer Reading Club.
Reading registration can be done at the library
OR online at www.guilpl.org.
If you don’t live in Guilderland you can register
for Reading online or in person beginning
Saturday, June 25, at 10 am.
Program Registration
ALL PROGRAM REGISTRATION MUST BE
DONE IN PERSON
Remember to vote on
Tuesday, May 17
Polls are open from 7 am to 9 pm
Local Elementary Schools
We offer a variety of programs for children of
all ages, abilities and interests.
Program registration for
Guilderland residents begins
Wednesday, June 22 at 6 pm. Bring your library card with you
to the library to register.
If you don’t live in Guilderland, come to the
library beginning Saturday, June 25 to register in
person for programs.
Friend us on Facebook
Guilderland.Library
Follow us on Twitter
@GuilderlandLib