Beekman Library

BEEKMAN LIBRARY SEEKS FIRST FUNDING INCREASE IN SIX YEARS
An effort has begun by the residents of the Town of Beekman to increase funding for the Beekman Library. Operating on the same budget since 2004, the library struggles to serve its community. Recent community forums and surveys confirm that our library is a vital part of the Beekman community. In the last five years, the library has increased circulation by 133% and visits by 141%. Those increases, combined with a decrease in county and state funding, necessitate additional town funding. As allowed by state law, we will place a new budget before the voters in November.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LIBRARY'S BUDGET VOTE
How will this budget affect my taxes?
On average you will pay $2.41 more per month. Currently the average household pays $74 a year or $ 6.17 a month. The average, if the increase is approved, will be $103 a year or $ 8.58 a month for complete library services for your family. The exact amount you will pay depends on the assessed value of your home. For each $100,000 of assessed value you will pay $28 per year. With voter approval of this modest increase, Beekman Library will be able to sustain the same quality of programs and services we have provided your family until now, with the hope of expanding both in the future.

Why do you need this increase?
The library has been operating with the same town funding for the past 6 years. In that same period we have seen our state and county funding decrease, while the Library’s expenses, circulation and visits have all increased. Residents have asked us for expanded hours, more materials, and programs. We cannot provide the same level of service or accommodate the requested changes without this increase.

Why doesn’t the library seek more grant money or donations instead of increasing my taxes?
Grants and donations are not a predictable source of income on which to base an operating budget. They are better forms of supplemental income. Grants in particular are given to meet a specific need and are usually not available for the unrestricted funding of a library’s operating budget. The staff and trustees of the library are always seeking grant opportunities and have received grants in the past few years that were restricted to specific uses. We have increased fundraising efforts in the past year through our fundraising dinner and additional book sales through our Friends of the Beekman Library group. These have been welcome forms of supplemental income, but they cannot sustain the library.

Why doesn’t the library charge for its services to cover its cost?
Free public libraries are a benefit to American democracy. A library does not charge directly, but relies on local taxes, contributions, and grants. The library building, staff and resources all cost money, but library services are too important to restrict to just those that can afford them.

I don’t even use the library, why should I pay for it?
Sorry to hear that. If you are not using the library you are missing out on a wonderful source of information, recreation and education. Come and visit the library soon and you might be surprised to find you can borrow a movie, check your email, enjoy a concert, play chess, or browse the Internet. If you are unable to visit the library in person, with your library card you can still use many resources on our website at www.beekmanlibrary.org. We also offer home delivery for home bound patrons.

The above statements assume the average cost of an item is $22 (average of book, DVD, CD and book on CD prices) and the average cost of entertainment is $8 (cost of a movie ticket) per person.

We are happy to announce the return of Downloadable Audio Books. To access this service click on the "Find Books and More" tab or the icon on the right. You will be required to enter your library card and pin. You will also need to download the Overdrive software to your computer the first time you access this service. These audio books can be enjoyed from your computer, MP3 player ipod and most mobile devices. Please call if you have any questions.

E-Book Questions
Many of our patrons have asked whether we will be purchasing e-books through Overdrive, our downloadable audio book vendor. We do not have the funds at this time. This is a service we will offer as funding allows, and as the technology becomes less proprietary. In the meantime we recommend that you look into the following free e-book sites.

Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
eBooks@Adelaide: http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/
Bartleby.com Ebook Store: http://www.bartleby.com/ebook/
Online Books Page at Penn: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/
Manybooks.net: http://manybooks.net/
Feedbooks: http://www.feedbooks.com/
Free-ebooks.net: http://www.free-ebooks.net/