One of the ways that the library director and board assess how we’re doing is to ask you. To that end, would you please take a few minutes of your time to answer a short survey? It’s 11 questions long (and one text box to write about anything we forgot to ask) and should only take a few minutes of your time. Just follow the link below.

East Fishkill Community Library Patron Survey

If you’ve never used this library and/or don’t have a library card, we have an even shorter survey for you!

East Fishkill Community Library Non-Patron Survey

All information gathered is completely anonymous.  We encourage you to take a survey and let us know what you think!

The director, Gloria Goverman, makes the decision to close based on a combination of weather forecasts and and visual observation when possible.  The decision not to open, or to delay opening, is made as early in the day as possible – usually by 7 a.m.  She contacts all employees via email and then posts the information in a variety of places listed below.  If it starts to snow when the library is already open, she tries to make the decision to close early enough to allow people to get home before the roads become too hazardous.

She tries to keep closings to a minimum, however, when in doubt she chooses safety over everything else.  If you have any thoughts about how the library makes this decision, please contact Gloria – she’s happy to hear from you.  Be aware that when the library has an unscheduled closing, fines are not accrued.  We feel very strongly that we’re here to enhance your life, not give you more problems!

In the event that we have no power, the only notification that we’ll be able to post will be to WHUD Storm Center because that’s the only one we can do via a phone call.  And, with no power, you won’t get a message when you call the library – the phone will ring with no answer.

We post unscheduled library closings in a number of places:

• Cancellations.com (you can sign up to be notified by email when we post a closing)
• Twitter
• The library web page
• The library facebook page (Have you liked us yet?  Please do!)
• The online calendar
• WHUD Storm Center
• Cumulus Media
• The answering machine will give you a “the library is closed” message

In case you were wondering what the beach chair has to do with snowy wintry weather, the answer is absolutely nothing.  But what a refreshing change to look at a photo that doesn’t have any snow in it!  And spring is on it’s way even as we prepare for the next round of snow!

East Fishkill Community Library

Press Release

East Fishkill to vote on library budget and trustees October 14

Public forum September 27 to preview budget, introduce candidates

Hopewell Junction - The annual budget vote and election of the Town of East Fishkill District Library is scheduled for 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. October 14 at the library.  A public forum September 27 at 7 p.m. will offer residents the opportunity to discuss the budget and to meet trustee candidates.

The proposed 2011 budget would levy a tax of $743,742, which is $46,048 or 6.6% more than the 2010 tax.  A resident owning a home assessed at $368,000 (the town’s average) would pay $68.50 in library tax in 2011, compared to $64.26 for 2010, an increase to the average homeowner of $4.24 next year.
“The board of trustees is keenly aware of the pressure on the families it serves and has been diligent in keeping the East Fishkill Library one of the most fiscally efficient in the entire Mid-Hudson Library System,” said Rocco Martino, library district treasurer. “The proposed 2011 budget is actually $10,000 less than the 2010 budget.  However, the state’s reduction in support has resulted in a funding gap that we’re asking the residents of East Fishkill to help us close, to prevent further cuts to library services.”

“Demand for our services continues to rise across the board in this difficult economy,” Library Director Gloria Goverman said.  “More people are looking to the library for more support, whether it’s employment research, children’s programs or borrowed books and DVD’s… and many times it’s all of the above.”

Running for the three seats on the library board are incumbents Susan D. Blodgett, Samuel K. Patton and Seth A. Jacobs.  Trustees serve a three year term.  For those who are homebound, or who will be unable to vote in person due to school, business, or vacation, absentee ballots are available at the library.  Absentee ballots must be returned to the library by 9 p.m. the day of the vote.

Information is available by calling the library at 845-221-9943 or emailing director Gloria Goverman at goverman@eflibrary.org.

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Just bring your discs in and we’ll send them for a spin.