Friends of PV Library's Winter Meeting

The Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library held their regular winter planning meeting on Monday, January 24.  The primary purposes of the meeting were to elect officers for the next two-year terms, to plan for the February book sale and the annual Book Fair, and to allocate spending for the next several months. The meeting was very well attended, including two new members of the Friends and the newly appointed liaison between the Trustees and the Friends, Sally Harding. Although I am no longer a Trustee of the Library, I have been a member of the Friends since its founded about seven years ago and was glad to be among those at the meeting.

The officers for the forthcoming term will be Barbara Shapley, President; Sue McNish, Vice-President, Suzanne Nolan, Treasurer; and Daniela Pulice, Secretary.

The February sale will be called the Winter Warmth Sale--especially appealing after it reached 14 degrees below zero at the Dutchess Airport the previous night.  Media other than books will be especially featured, although there will be a selection of better lightly used books for sale as well. The event begins on February 12 (true Lincoln's birthday) and will end on February 28.  Volunteers are needed to bring books, tapes, and DVDs up from storage in the basement to the Library's Reading Room, where the sale will take place.  There will be a bag sale of media and books at a very attractive price on the last day of the sale.

The annual Book Fair is set for April 29 to May 1. Once again it will be at Town Hall and feature, in addition to books and media, a plant sale and a bake sale. I will write more about this as we get closer to the date.

The Friends support the Library in many ways, but one of the most important is using the proceeds of books sales and other events to finance activities or materials that the Library has not budgeted for out of its regular expense budget.  Over the next few months, the Friends will pay for the following materials or events:

• An e-Reader (specifically a B&N Nook) loaded with five best-selling books for use in demonstrating to patrons how to download and enjoy the books available from the Mid-Hudson e-Reader collection (as well as to purchase books or download free books that are out of copyright).
• A collection of activities for the Wii such as yoga, pilates, and suitably active games to be available for loan to patrons.
• An amnesty-for-fines month in which those owing money to the Library for past fines can have them forgiven for suitable donations to the food pantry (I will report more on this as we get closer--it will be in April, National Library Month).
• Two summer reading programs, one for teens and another for adults, with prizes to be awarded by the Friends for completion of the programs.
• Books for competition by students in grades 6 to 9 in the system-wide Battle of the Books, a challenge similar to the College Bowl that used to be on television, with questions based on a specific list of books.

The total expense for these programs, materials, and events will come to $2,900 funded by the Friends, although the Library and other sources--perhaps Pleasant Valley Rotary or Lions clubs--will also help fund some of the more expensive items. 

In addition to the regular business, above, the Friends also discussed using online resources to deal with donated books.  An organization called Better World Books is willing to take boxes of donated books that we have failed to sell and try to sell them themselves, with most of the proceeds going to a charity such as Books for Africa, or to sell rare or antique books that we select from the donated books and let them sell.

My role with the Friends includes helping to vet books to determine which ones might be valuable enough to sell separately from the tables of used books at the annual Book Fair. I have been experimenting with the Better World Books program, but it appears that me might do better trying to sell rare or antique books directly, which I can do as Bryan Bunch Books through an online resource called http://www.biblio.com/  (clicking on that link will take you to the site).  The Friends have agreed to try using this method to sell books.  Biblio.com will take a 15% commission, but we think we can do better this way than at the Book Fair.  If this plan is not working by April 29, however, we can still try to sell those rare and antique books at the Book Fair in the "Collectors Corner" as we have done in the past.

Join the Friends

When I was president of the Pleasant Valley Free Library Board of Trustees, now more than a decade ago, one of my fervent desires was to re-start a Friends group.  I was told that the Library had once had an active Friends group, but because of some disagreements over how to allocate money raised, the Friends had been disbanded and the Trustees had taken over all fundraising. I thought that while the Trustees might do some fundraising, it ought to be in the hands of volunteers who had that as their main function, not a sideline--which is what the function of a library Friends organization is.

It did not happen immediately, but the new Library Director I hired agreed with me on the need for a Friends organization, which was formed finally by a Trustee who had used up all her available terms and retired from the Board. The original organization was somewhat shaky, but improved greatly with a second president--but she moved away because of a change in her husband's job.  The current Friends president has been doing a terrific job (she is another retired Library Trustee).  She is aided most of the year by a very few volunteers who help plan and some other volunteers who sort donated books, fetch and carry boxes, paint signs, and generally help out.  The Friends run several book sales each year (the next one scheduled for late February) and raise several thousand dollars--primarily from sales of donated books--that they dedicate to making the Pleasant Valley Library better in ways great and small.

But it would help if there were more volunteers, especially on the planning end.  The same four or five persons have been keeping things afloat for several years now.  If you would like to help the Library without making the kind of weekly commitment volunteers who help the staff need to make, consider joining the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library.  A good way to start would be to attend the next planning meeting, which will be at the Library at 7:15 p.m. on Monday, January 24.  If you cannot attend that meeting, just email me at bryanhbunch@gmail.com (note the address at the top of the blue border) and I will get your name to the current Friends president. Also, you can leave a comment on the comment line below.  Just remember that any blog reader can also read the comments.

Friend's Holiday Sale Starts Tuesday, Nov. 30

The best books and other items that have been donated to the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library are collected in special boxes throughout the year. Also, kept separate from other donated items, are books, tables, CDs, and DVDs that directly relate to the holidays of Christmas or Hanukkah.  This Monday the boxes will be carried up from their storage in the basement of the Library, sorted, displayed, and made available for purchase in the annual Holiday Sale starting Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.  The materials are in top-notch shape, usually like new, and the prices are right, so start your holiday shopping in the reading room (turn right as you enter the front door) of the Pleasant Valley Free Library.  Not only will you get great bargains, but all of the money will go directly to helping the Library make special purchases outside the regular budget.  Here is the price list:

BOOK PRICES       (UNLESS OTHERWISE MARKED)

OVERSIZE                                                                    $4.00

HARDCOVER                                                                $3.00

PAPERBACKS                                                    

          QUALITY                                    $1.00

          PULP                                          $ .50

CHILDREN’S

          HARDCOVER                              $1.00

          PAPERBACKS                             $ .25

YOUNG ADULT

          HARDCOVER                               $1.00

          PAPERBACKS                              $ .50

Videos                                                     $ .50                                          

Cassettes                                                $ .50

CD’s and DVD’s                                       $1.00

Books on Tape                                         $ 3.00

Books on CD                                      $1.00/CD  

                                                 (maximum of $5.00)

Every Vote Counts in Library Referendums

Although it was close, the Pleasant Valley Free Library succeeded for the third time in getting voter approval of an increase in Town funding, despite the clear opposition of the Town Supervisor.  The vote was 1,344 to 1,203, a difference of only 141 votes.  If just 71 voters had failed to support the referendum, the funding would have failed and the Library would have been forced to cut services. Although the new level of funding, $360,000 per year, is expected to last for three or four years before needing a review, service cuts would have been required starting in 2011 at the old funding level, largely because both the State and County have reduced their support, taking $30,000 off the annual budget (partly in higher fees to Mid-Hudson caused by revenue loss at that level).

Our voters were more supportive of the Pleasant Valley Library, than our neighbors in LaGrange and Beekman, but again not by very much.  If only 147 more voters in LaGrange had voted "yes," that Chapter 414 proposition would have passed--more than twice as many voters in all made a choice on the LaGrange issue as in Pleasant Valley, so the margin as a percentage was about the same, just in the other direction. In Beekman, the vote went "no" by even a smaller margin.  If only 44 more voters had filled in the oval for "yes," their funding would have passed.  Certainly every vote counts.

The success of the Pleasant Valley Free Library is largely due to the efforts of the Board, with some excellent help from the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library and a few other citizens of the Town. By law, the Library staff cannot work on getting out the vote, but a major factor was the statistical background from Mid-Hudson that Library Director Daniela Pulice provided for the Board to use.  As in the two earlier Chapter 414 efforts, the leader was Library Trustee Steve MacNish.  But our real thanks have to go to the citizens of Pleasant Valley who continue to support the Library through what everyone knows are tough times.

Have Fun and Help the PV Library

The Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library will hold an interesting and unusual fundraiser on November 13 at the Pleasant Valley Town Hall.  It is Mah Jong Tournament, which will also include prizes for the winners, a light lunch, and beverages.  The entrance fee, to benefit the Library, is $30.  The tournament will take place from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.  As the Friends say this will be "a great opportunity to meet other players and enjoy a day of mah jong. Bring your friends or come alone."


For the uninitiated, Mah jong is played with a set of 152 tiles based on Chinese characters and symbols. Each player begins by receiving thirteen tiles. In turn players draw and discard tiles until they complete a legal hand using the fourteenth drawn tile to form four groups (melds) and a pair (head). There are fairly standard rules about how a piece is drawn, stolen from another player (melded), the use of basic (numbered tiles) and honors (winds and dragons), the kinds of melds, and the order of dealing and play. Mah Jong is a game of skill, strategy, and calculation and involves a certain degree of chance. It was very popular in the 20th century in the United States and continues to have a devoted group of followers today.


You must make a reservation to participate in the tournament.  Entry forms are available at the Library or at the Pleasant Valley Town Hall.  You can also email Friends President Barbara Shapley at bshapley22@yahoo.com or phone either 845-635-2703 or 845-635-1206 for further information. 

Big Paperback Sale at Library This Weekend

Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library present

 PV Weekend Paperback Sale

Saturday, September 18^th

10am – 4 pm

The sale will be held outside in front of the library.  In case of rain, it will be inside in the front room. The sale will continue in the front room Sept. 20 - 25.

Gently Used Paperbacks On Sale

Quality                                         $1

Pulp                                              50 cents

Romance                                       5 for $1

Children and Young Adult            25 cents

Call (845)635-8460 for information and directions

Friends New Book Sales Starts Thursday!

Pleasant Valley Library Friends’

Love your “Couch Potato” Media Sale

February 4 - 17

Bag sale starts Feb 15

Used Videos, CD’s, DVD’s, cassettes and Romance novels

Hours: Friday 1 – 6

Saturday 10 – 4

Monday – Thursday 10 – 8:30

Settle into that comfy couch on a cold winter day and watch a great movie or read a good book.

Tapes and CD’s have not been previewed.

We are not responsible for non-working items.

Library Year in Review

The Mid-Hudson Library System released a year-end review today, which included the information that 92% of library votes had positive results for the libraries involved, that State funding for libraries was cut twice and likely to be cut more, and that there was a huge increase in the number of library cards issued and materials borrowed.

This inspired me to look back on how the Pleasant Valley Free Library fared during 2009.

The Library: Growth continued at a fast pace, with circulation up every month of 2009 over the corresponding month in 2008—sometimes more than 20% higher than the year before.

New York State informed the Board that its bylaws that allowed up to fifteen Trustees needed to be replaced by a fixed number of Trustees. The Board decided that twelve would be more manageable than fifteen. Filling out the dozen members were two new Trustees, Kimberly Brennan and Leigh Toth.

The Building: The biggest change for this year was that we finally were able to repair the deteriorated soffits; these are the understructure for the part of the roof that extends beyond the building walls. From the top to the bottom of the building--crumbling cement in part of the foundation was discovered, which needed evaluation for safety and repair, both of which were accomplished by Kirchhoff Construction.

Another project that had long been planned was replacing the uneven flagstone path between the side of the building and the parking lot. The old path, when used, was a hazard, saved only because its location too close to ancient lilacs kept many from using it. The new concrete path extends to the base of the handicapped ramp and is easy to use (in part because we had to remove the overgrown lilac bushes). It is thought that a state grant obtained by Marc Molinaro will pay for part of this project, although the state has been in such bad financial condition that not all of the original grant is likely to be forthcoming.

An unexpected repair that required immediate attention was the lining of the chimney, which had come loose, making it impossible to use the furnace. This project was funded entirely by a grant from the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library.

Fundraising: The Fundraising Building Expansion Committee (FREB) had an active year that began with tours of the library for Trustees, Friends, and Town Board Directors. A fundraising letter to all the families in Pleasant Valley brought in about $3,500. In the fall there were a series of monthly fundraising events—Pleasant Valley Library Weekend at Barnes and Noble in September (arranged by Daniela Pulice, the Library Director), Pleasant Valley Library night at Pizzeria Uno in October (thanks to Kathy Morris), the terrific Helen Avakian and Terry Champlin concert in November (produced by Sue MacNish), and the Chili’s pancake breakfast in December (Kathy Morris again). All told, these events raised well over $2,500 for the building fund—and we have Pleasant Valley night at Chili’s coming up January 12 from 5 pm to 11 pm.

Friends: The annual Book Fair was a big success, raising about $4,200 (more than in recent years). The Friends also held a successful book sale in February, called “Warm Your Heart,” as it featured romances and was built around Valentine’s day; a paperback book sale for Pleasant Valley Days in September; and the traditional holiday sale of books suitable for gifts in December. Not only did the Friends pay for the chimney lining, more than the proceeds from the Book Fair, but they also bought some new shelving for the stacks. And those who attended the November concert were treated to cookies and other goodies prepared by the Friends.

Did You Get the Blast?

Several of the innovations of the past year or two at your Pleasant Valley Free Library concern communications. These range from the automated phone calls for overdue books to an improved--and soon to be improved further--Website and, of course, this blog. We are trying also to use old forms of communication better, such as more frequent announcements of events in the local newspapers and calendars. And how about the Friend's sandwich signs announcing book sales!

If we have your email address, we now use a sophisticated system to send you an email newsletter each month, designed and assembled by Trustee Kathy Morris and Director Daniela Pulice. The same system can be used for sending out individual notices of coming events. The colorful, one-page announcements are called "blasts."

If you are on the email list, you just got the latest blast, announcing the details on the all-you-can-eat breakfast at Chile's. For $5 per person--all proceeds going to the Building Expansion Fund--you get pancakes, bacon, sausages, and drinks. The event is from 8 to 10 on December 5, this coming Saturday. Tickets are available at the library.

The food and location are both donated by Chile's, the restaurant on Route 9 across from the Galleria. Join your fellow patrons, have a great time, and support the Building Expansion.

Holiday Book Sale and Other Events

The Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library began their annual holiday book sale this week (starting November 19. The sale, which features gift-quality hardcover books for the most part, as well as CDs and DVDs and other items, will run until December 26, fittingly known as Boxing Day, since the Friends will on that day box up the remaining books and return them to storage until the Book Fair (April 30 to May 2 in 2010).

Speaking of Dates, there are a couple more fundraisers for Building Expansion coming up. As you may recall, we had successful fundraisers in September (Barnes & Noble's Pleasant Valley Library Weekend), in October (Pleasant Valley Library Night at Pizzeria Uno), and in November (the Helen Avakian, Terry Champlin concert). These raised nearly $2,000 after expenses. The next fundraiser is the pancake breakfast at Chile's on December 5, which will be followed by a Pleasant Valley Library Night at Chile's on January 11 or January 12--date to be finalized soon. The details of these two events will be sent out to our email list (to be a part of it, email Daniela at danielapulice@hotmail.com and she will gladly add you), but I will also provide blog posts with more details as they come to me.

The Helen Avakian and Terry Champlin concert was an amazing success artistically as well as in every other way. The Building Expansion Fundraising Committee owes a big debt of gratitude to Sue MacNish, who organized the event, even providing the flowers that decorated the stage at the Pleasant Valley Presbyterian Church. The Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library brought forth wonderful cookies, brownies, and other snacks, while Adams Fairacre Farms provided cheese and crackers, washed down with wonderful fresh apple cider, a gift from Terhune Orchards. The music was simply wonderful. You have never heard Rhapsody in Blue completely until you have heard Helen's steel guitar version. Everyone there seemed to me to have a wonderful evening.

We are hoping to have the next concert in the series in February or March. Many details are to be worked out, but it appears that the next one might be jazz instead of folk, although Irish music is also in the picture. I will keep you informed as it develops.

PVFL Weekend at B&N

Just want to remind you that September 26 and 27 constitute the Pleasant Valley Free Library weekend at Barnes and Nobel on Route 9 on the south side of the Town of Poughkeepsie. For this weekend only, the bookstore will take 10% of every purchase (even in the coffee shop) and donate it to the Building Expansion Fund--all you have to do is to inform the person at B&N who takes your money or credit card that you are making this purchase to help the Pleasant Valley Library.

There are several events at B&N this weekend also. Local author Susanna Hill will read from her book Not Yet Rose, a charming tale of an expectant mother and her expecting daughter. Also, there will be TWO other story hours featuring Julie Popless, Children's Librarian in Pleasant Valley. A detailed program will be emailed to patrons before the event.

This coming weekend (September 19-20) is the annual Pleasant Valley Days celebration, missed last year because of the flood. Come to the lawn in front of the Library from 10 to 3 each day for sales of paperback books, Halloween books, and tickets to the Helen Avakian Fundraiser on November 7,

Thanks for Help with Building Improvements

You may have noticed that the lilacs have been removed from the parking-lot side of the Manse. Soon--probably before you read this--the walk along that side will be completely rebuilt, making the Library more accessible from that side of the building and also providing a much safer walkway. You may recall the old walk (pictured above). The new walk will be paid for by a member item from our State Representative Marc Molinaro. Many thanks.

Assemblyman Molinaro is not the only person or company or organization we need to thank. Several others have contributed time or money in the past few months.

Recently some problems with the building foundation were corrected by Kirchhoff Construction. We appreciate their help, especially since they apparently donated their time, so the work was done at cost.

About that time, we discovered that the chimney liner had developed a problem, so we could not use the furnace until it was repaired. This time the Malcarne Construction came to our rescue with a very low cost (we had other much higher bids). Also, since this was a safety issue, the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library paid the entire bill, which was several thousand dollars even at the low fee from Malcarne.

While on the subject of improvement to the Manse, I hope you all have noticed the new soffits (up around the roof). While this major repair was actually paid for by the Library from reserve funds, we are most appreciative of the excellent work by Conrad Firgado.

SAVE THESE DATES

The Building Expansion fundraising effort is shifting into a higher gear for fall. The photo above represents just one of several opportunities to enjoy yourself while also contributing to the funds for adding 5,000 square feet to the Library, which has been recognized as needed for nearly ten years. Here are some of the events you should keep in mind (but not all of them, since some dates are still being firmed up):

September 19-20: Pleasant Valley Days will include a paperback book sale by the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library. (Remember that if you click on text that is in color and underlined, you will link to an appropriate Website.) The fundraising opportunity at this event for the Building Expansion is that this is when tickets will go on sale for the first of the Library concert series. Sales of donated paperback books will benefit the Friends.

September 26-27: Pleasant Valley Library weekend at Barnes and Noble (Route 9, south of Poughkeepsie). A percentage of your purchases will be donated by B&N to the Building Expansion fund. Among other planned events, you can take in a book reading by well-known children's book author Susanna Hill.

November 7: The kick-off concert in our series. All the proceeds of this concert, which features Helen Avakian and Terry Champlin (see photo above), will go toward the Building Expansion fund. The folk and classical-guitar concert is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Pleasant Valley Presbyterian Church. Light refreshments will follow the music.

December 5: An all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at Chile's (near Bed, Bath, and Beyond across from the Galleria on Route 9). Ticket prices have not been set yet, but they will be low compared to what one might normally pay. All the proceeds, not just a percentage, go to the Building Expansion fund. Maximum number admitted is only 200, so be sure to get your tickets early.

Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library Meet

Yesterday (August 10) the Library Friends met with Daniela Pulice, the Library Director, to discuss spending money that the Friends have been raising to improve the Library; to plan for several upcoming events; to discuss ideas for future fundraisers; and to develop ways to recruit more members. We were joined also by Sue MacNish from the Building Expansion Fundraising Committee, who brought exciting plans for a November concert, which the Friends are happy to aid in promoting.

As currently planned, the concert will feature well-known folksinger Helen Avakian and her husband (also a folksinger) and possibly some additional acts. It is currently scheduled for November 7. There will be considerable publicity announcing the details as they become finalized. Donations by the attendees will go to support the Building Fund. This concert is expected to be the first of a series, all in support of the Building Fund.

The money that the Friends raised in the past year has been allocated to safety improvements for the Manse. Recently it was discovered that a flaw in the heating system had arisen since last winter. The Friends' funds will in part be used to correct that before the Library once again needs heat--I write this on a day that had a high of 88 so there is plenty of time for the repairs. Another problem, cracks in the foundation, was discovered this spring and has been fixed by Kirchhoff Construction. That bill will also be paid by the Friends when it arrives. The work was done at cost by Kirchhoff, so the bill needs to be prepared by hand. Originally the Friends also expected to pay for reconstructing the sidewalk on the driveway side of the Manse, but a member item from Marc Molinaro will cover that safety improvement.

Expect the Friends to have a terrific paperback sale during Pleasant Valley Days in September, as well as the sale of better donated books during the holiday season.

Always Keep Your Books DRY!

Hello after a few weeks' absence. Readers of this blog probably already know that I underwent an aortic valve replacement and triple bypass on June 9. I am happy to report that my recovery is proceeding on schedule, and I expect to be better than before by the end of July, if not sooner.

Meanwhile, thanks to email and the occasional phone call or visit, I have kept up with Pleasant Valley Free Library affairs to some degree. So I can report on the newest improvements, even though I was not directly involved or present.

On June 26, Maryelen Brown, trustee and Treasurer, reported that the dehumidifier in the basement had given its last gasp and was declared dead. Although our library basement seldom has a significant amount of water on the floor, and a sump pump and keeping materials that could be damaged by water off the floor handles that problem, the basement is not only cold (from leaky air-conditioning ducts) but also very humid when left to its own devices. This humidity is very bad for the thousands of books that are sorted and stored there between book sales. Hence, a working dehumidifier is a necessity.

Maryelen noted that we did not have money budgeted for this particular emergency, so her first thought was that we might find a friend of the Library who would donate an unused unit. But the basement is quite large and humid, so it appeared that a simple home unit would not suffice. Barb Shapley and the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library immediately came to the rescue. They recognized that this was an important issue for the Friends because sales of the donated books are the backbone of the Friends' finances.

With the Friends' financial backing, Board President Steve MacNish was able to swing into action immediately. One day after the death of the old dehumidifier, Steve purchased and installed a new Energy-Star-rated dehumidifier rated at 65 pints a day. I guess that means it removes 65 pints, or a bit more than 8 gallons, of water from the air. It was the forth highest rated unit by Consumer Reports, and on sale to boot. As an additional bonus, Steve notes that it produces a lot of heat in the process, so perhaps the basement will be less chilling for the future as well as dry.

Library Challenges for Safety and Handicapped Access

The Library Board met in a rare Tuesday session today, part of a reduced summer schedule. In addition to welcoming new member Kim Brennan, reviewing finances, and discussing how to obtain a fair assessment on adding property to the site, we all moved outside at the end of the meeting to contemplate the problems and promises of resolving the issues on the parking-lot side of the Manse.  Look at the two photos above.  

In the top photo you see the flagstone walk that no one uses, which is just as well since it is uneven and could cause a user to trip. With financing from the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library, we hope to see this fixed.  Also, we would remove the ancient lilacs and other planting so that the walk could be farther from the driveway, since many modern automobiles are built in such a way that they project over the walk when parked.

Now consider the second photo. We realized that the walk issue is closely connected to the improvement of handicapped access to the Library via the ramp. The iron fire escape in the photo is no longer considered safe, and needs to be removed if we widen the ramp and reduce the slope to make it conform to modern standards for wheelchair access. Fortunately, State Assemblyman Marc Molinaro has arranged for a grant to help  resolve these problems--and also to install a door that can be opened by a button as is also needed for true handicapped access. It is not clear, however, that we should remove the fire escape when we have no other second escape from the Children's Section on the second floor--although not officially safe, it clearly could be used in an emergency. 

The ramp and the walk both terminate in what is often taken for part of the parking lot.  Although it is part of the blacktop, cars are not supposed to park up close to the building. There is nothing there to stop them, however, so they frequently are parked very close to the side of the ramp.

When the Board gathered outside and saw how the problems of the unsafe and unused walk are closely connected to the problems of the inadequate handicapped ramp, we asked Greg Galarza, head of the Building and Grounds committee, to seek a solution that would resolve all the problems at once.  Stay tuned. 

Some Recent Events (and Coming Attractions)

The annual Book Fair is over, and it was perhaps the most successful ever, raising over $4,000 from the book, plant, and bake sales that will go to Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library.  At this point they still expect to spend most of that money on safety issues for the Manse. The Building Expansion Fundraising Committee, nicknamed FREB, sold 50-50 raffle tickets. The prize was won by bake-sale operator Betty Lorentzen.  Each share was $69.50, an amount that directly went to the Building Expansion Fund.

FREB also produced a second appeal for funds that was snail-mailed to each family in Pleasant Valley, including Salt Point. The reason for a new letter was that the previous one, about six months ago, did not identify the Library on the outside of the flyer, so many potential donors failed even to open it.  The new one featured the new logo on the front and back, so we expect that more will take the time to read our message. The easy way to donate is online, but checks and cash are accepted as well. 

On May 2, FREB conducted its second Library tour, with this one directed to members of the Town Board and the trustees of the Presbyterian Church.  Daniela Pulice and Steve MacNish did a great job of leading the tour and the explanation of the building plans. The tour concluded with a free interchange of ideas over wine and cheese (and cranberry juice for the nondrinkers). 

The next event coming up will be phase two of the plant sale. This will mainly feature disease-resistant, unusual, and cherry tomato plants, although there are expected to be some perennials on sale as well. All plants are just $1.  The sale starts on May 18 in the Reading Room, although we hope to bring it outside on the front lawn if the weather cooperates.

The 

Good News from Marc Molinaro

Last summer when we completed the renovation of the Children's Room, made possible by a grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation and Charles Pierce, we invited New York State Assembly representative Marc Molinaro to visit the library and see the improvements.  He visited the Library for the tour, and along the way he suggested that if we need further improvements in the Library building, we should approach him directly with a list of specific projects.  It took some time for Ardith Orr to gather the bids on our various needs, but when she had the necessary information a letter went out from our Board President, Steve MacNish, to Mr. Molinaro along with a similar letter to State Senator Saland. 

We soon got a reply from Mr. Molinaro.  Grants, known as "member items" would not be allocated until after the State budget for the year was approved.  The budget this year was approved early in April.

Today we received a letter from Mr. Molinaro awarding us a grant of $6,700 to pay for safety improvement for the handicapped.  We had identified several safety improvements and ways to improve handicapped access, so the Board will need to decide which specific projects this grant will fund.  The Library is also getting grants from the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library for safety improvements, so these monies may be combined to make major changes.

Unrelated to these improvements, work is due to start any day on the repair of the soffits. In another unrelated development, on May 2 the Library is offering a tour to Town leaders. Perhaps some good will come from that tour as well. 

Catching Up

Library friends and supporters: I am back from vacation and catching up on my mail and email, which provides the bulk of information in today's post.

• Congratulations to the Friends of the Poughkeepsie Public Library district.  They pledged $250,000 over five years in support of Adriance's capital campaign, and have already donated $150,000 of the pledge.  In 2008, principally with its annual book sale, the Poughkeepsie Friends raised $80,000 in all. 
• The New York State budget problems have lead to the suspension of grants for literacy programs, although it is promised that the grants will eventually be available.
• After a quarter-century decline in reading, studies show that reading fiction is on the increase--whether or not this is fallout from a poor economy is not known. The biggest increase in readership comes from young adults aged 18 through 24.  Although reading fiction is on the rise, reading poetry or drama continues a long slide downward.  It has been a long time since the latest bestseller was the new book-length poem by Lord Byron.
• The Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library are meeting on March 16 at 7:15 pm at the Library to plan details of the Annual Book Fair, scheduled for April 24-26.  Even if you are not now a Friend of the Library, this would be an excellent meeting to attend to see how you can help your Library.  The recent Warm Your Heart sale is now over, having made several hundred dollars that are expected to be used for improving the safety of the Pleasant Valley Free Library for its patrons. 

Avalanche of Donated Books

Those who have been working with the Pleasant Valley Free Library annual Book Fair for years say they have never seen anything like it.  More books have been donated every month all year than anyone can recall.  As a result, the basement storage area and a furnace-room storage area never previously used for storing sorted books are both jammed to capacity. There will be some books and other media moved out for the "Warm Your Heart" sale coming February 12-28, but probably not enough to make room for the large numbers of donated books left at the Library nearly every day.  Consequently, Barbara Shapley, the new president of the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library, has sent in the following notice for the blog:

The Pleasant Valley library is running out of space to store donated books.  We appreciate the generosity of the people who have given us their unwanted books, but we may have to cut off donations until after the April Book Fair because there is no room left in the Library basement.  We are looking for a clean, dry, easily accessible space in Pleasant Valley or Salt Point where we could store books and possible set up a permanent book sale.  We are hoping to find someone willing to donate some space to help us out.  If you have a suitable space and would be willing to let us use it, please call the library at (845) 635-8460.  Thanks!