Community libraries awarded state grants
James Meddleton, N.Y. Point out Senator O’Mara’s workplace
Spot lawmakers praise community libraries for community outreach and information through COVID-19 reaction
FINGER LAKES – State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I-Significant Flats) and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning) introduced that the Southern Tier Library System and particular person public libraries in Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, and Yates counties have been awarded condition library development grants.
O’Mara and Palmesano stated the grants are awarded by way of the state’s Library Construction Grant Program, which is distributing $14 million in funds funds from the 2020-21 condition budget for this year’s awards.
“A public library is a basic useful resource for region people, seniors, and a great number of other group residents,” said O’Mara and Palmesano in a joint assertion. “That position has been driven home like under no circumstances before about the earlier eighteen months when in the course of this COVID-19 response our general public libraries have been facilities of community outreach and information. We are often hopeful that these grants will help regional libraries better afford to pay for and handle their renovation demands. Public libraries, particularly in a lot of rural, upstate communities and locations, are New York’s foremost digital literacy educators, just 1 of quite a few very important community roles our libraries satisfy. This function is possible to increase in future years. These ongoing investments will support additional and additional of our community libraries remain ahead of the curve to go on conference the rising demand. It is an investment in education, economic progress, and good quality communities.”
In accordance to the New York State Library, which administers the grants, surveys have estimated that the value of general public library construction and renovation demands statewide totals much more than $1.5 billion. More than 50% of the over 1,000 general public library structures throughout New York are above 60 several years previous. An additional 33% are extra than 3 a long time aged. Many of the state’s nearby community libraries are not able to accommodate buyers with disabilities, and can not present World-wide-web, computer, and other digital technologies to people because of outdated and insufficient electrical wiring. They also do not have sufficient place to residence the library’s assortment and deficiency adequate house for community accessibility personal computers.
The design grants aid libraries and library techniques make renovations and updates, update electrical wiring to accommodate computer technologies, renovate amenities to provide wheelchair obtainable entrances and become totally accessible to people with disabilities, and supply local community meeting rooms.
Grants to area libraries:
• Southern Tier Library System (serving Branchport’s Modeste Bedient Memorial Library, Dundee Library, the Middlesex Looking at Centre, Penn Yan Public Library and Rushville’s Mabel D. Blodgett Memorial Library, Hammondsport’s Fred & Harriett Taylor Memorial Library, Prattsburg Library, and Pulteney Absolutely free Library), $184,566 to install a delivery and library material sorting spot, breakout operate area and conference place installations, lights updates, and an IT business growth.
• Dundee Library (Yates County), $30,425 to take out and present and install a new ADA-compliant vertical wheelchair elevate to improve accessibility.
• Watkins Glen University District Absolutely free Public Library (Schuyler County), $17,325 for Phase 2 of a two-period development task to restore protection and accessibility to the constructing with new ADA-compliant sidewalk entryways.
• Chemung County Library District-Steele Memorial Library (Chemung County), $87,000 to install and stripe the library’s parking lot to increase basic safety and accessibility.
• Tompkins County Community Library (Tompkins County), $15,092 to swap the inside primary foyer one heart opening automatic door with two individual entrance and exit doors.
In 2015, O’Mara and Palmesano sponsored a new regulation (Chapter 480 of the Laws of 2015) that, for the 1st time, included “installation and infrastructure of broadband services” as a specific undertaking classification eligible to obtain funding via the Library Development Grant Method. Prior to the law’s enactment, libraries were being unable to access funding by the well-known grant system specially for broadband uses which include cable, wiring and modems, and network terminals and entry factors.
O’Mara is a earlier receiver of the “Outstanding Advocate for Libraries Award” from the New York Library Affiliation (NYLA).