Library Board Meets on June 17 and again June 21

The Pleasant Valley Free Library Board of Trustees met for its regular monthly meeting on Thursday,June 17.  There were several items of particular concern.  In no particular order

• Although it is important to win a 414 funding vote in November so that the Library will have sufficient funds for operating in 2011 and beyond, the funding issue will not be on the ballot unless sufficient signatures from Pleasant Valley voters are collected.  The petition drive is off to a very slow start--ideally we need about 500 more signatures by July 1 than we have now.  All the Trustees present at the meeting eligible to sign petitions took blank ones with them to gather signatures in their local neighborhoods.  We hope to have more of a petition presence at the Library in the next two weeks as well.
• The Library now has a new Young Adult section where the reference section used to be.  Because of the Internet, fewer students or other patrons actually use reference books to seek information. The most useful reference titles have been shelved among the nonfiction and for the first time are available for checking out by patrons (for one week at a time).
• The Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus has removed the payments that the County has in the past provided to individual libraries.  For Pleasant Valley, this means a loss of $6,000 during 2010 that will have to be somehow replaced in the remaining six months of the year.  The Finance Committee will meet soon to seek ways to solve this unexpected problem.  It should be noted that in the past the Children's Programs at all libraries were required to say "Funded by County Executive William Steinhaus" in all announcements.  This year the Library Directors have agreed to change this to "NOT Funded by County Executive William Steinhaus."
• The Building Committee requested a special meeting to consider major changes in direction for the Library Expansion program. The special meeting on this topic was set for Monday, June 21.  As with all Board of Trustees regular meetings, residents of Pleasant Valley may attend if they wish.
• The Library expects to participate in Pleasant Valley Days this September in various ways, perhaps including a Float as well as a table and a Friends book sale.  More details later.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees will skip July for a summer vacation and take place on August 5.  But don't forget the special meeting on June 21.