The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Libraries thankful to remain in budget
WAMPSVILLE, N.Y. » The directors of the Oneida and Cazenovia public library thanked the Madison County Board of Supervisors on the second day of Annual Session for keeping them in this year’s budget.
Director Michele Ryan of Oneida Public Library and Director Betsy Kennedy of the Cazenovia Public Library wanted to show their appreciation and the appreciation of the library’s patrons for making no changes to their funding for Madison County’s 2018 tentative budget.
To show how thankful patrons of the library were, Ryan presented two cards with signatures from over 100 people who use the library.
The Oneida Public Library has had three years of flat funding. The library has been keeping up with its expenses as they increase and make their budget go further, as nobody knows how to squeeze a dollar better than a librarian, Ryan said. If the county funding for the library had been decreased, the Oneida Public Library would have been affected.
Ryan thanked the Board of Supervisors for recognizing the importance of libraries on behalf of the Madison County libraries and said “We’re the educational center, the information center, we help with self-improvement and entertainment. And sometimes,
“We’re the educational center, the information center, we helpwith self-improvement and entertainment. And sometimes, we’re the only place to go to see another human.”
— Director Michele Ryan of Oneida
Public Library and Director Betsy
Kennedy of the Cazenovia Public
Library
we’re the only place to go to see another human. We have people who come in, just to read the paper and be around other people. We’re a place where you don’t have to buy anything or have a dime in their pocket, but they can walk in our door and socialize with others.”
The kids in particular wished to thank the board and had their own card, full of their signatures and drawings.
Ryan said that she put the card together in a day and that the 100 signatures were an afternoon of work.
“Libraries are a part of Madison County,” Kennedy said. “This is something that makes our county great and I just wanted to thank you for getting us on the road and to reflect on what we do for our community. Thank you.”