Press release:
The Board of Trustees of the Hollwedel Memorial Library has formally requested that the Pavilion Central School District hold a vote on creating a school district public library that would take place in May of 2021.
In a letter sent to the Board of Education, the Trustees expressed their desire to comply with the New York State Board of Regents policy urging libraries to shift tax support from general appropriations from municipalities to a direct public vote. Currently, the Hollwedel Memorial Library receives operating funds from the Town of Pavilion, and to a lesser degree from Genesee County, the towns of Bethany and Covington, plus donations and fundraising events.
As a school district public library, the library would have a service area that aligns with the boundaries of the Pavilion Central School District. The library’s budget and the board of trustees would be determined by a public vote. The library itself would remain housed in the same building and be staffed by the same professionals. The school district would collect tax money for the library and turn the funds over to the Library Board. The school district would have no direct control over the operations of the library.
The change to become a school district public library is being considered in order to provide enhanced library services to all residents of the area, to comply with the New York State Board of Regents policy, and to provide a secure and sustainable source of operating income for the library.
The Hollwedel Memorial Library has seen steady growth in the number of borrowers and use of services by local residents while experiencing flat and/or reduced funding revenue over the past several years. In addition, the mandatory New York State Minimum Wage Laws have had a significant impact on the library’s budget.
The Board of Trustees of the Hollwedel Memorial Library will communicate the details of the library budget vote to all residents of the Pavilion Central School District before the vote.
Communication plans include an informational mailing to district residents, an online presentation, small one-on-one sessions to be held at the library, newspaper articles and legal notices in print, as well as information that will be posted on the library’s website at www.HollwedelMemorialLibrary.org.
“This is the beginning of a process," says Board President Joan Gray. "The Hollwedel Memorial Library Board of Trustees is working to share information. It is important to us that school district residents are well informed about the future of the library. We know that many local residents use our Wi-Fi, computers, materials and services.
"Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are relying on the library for internet usage, materials, services and programs. With this type of community-based funding, our library would be able to continue to provide opportunities for lifelong learning and access to the latest technologies that we have laid out in our Strategic Plan. It would also make it possible for us to keep the library open for more days and times than our current funding allows.
“While much more information about this process will be announced soon, we invite residents to visit our website or the library to read our Strategic Plan. In addition, residents with questions can contact me directly at (585) 506-5642.”
Information about the library and its programs and services can be found on the library’s website at www.HollwedelLibrary.org.
Residents can also contact the library by phone at (585) 584-8843 or stop by 5 Woodrow Drive in Pavilion.
Current library hours are: Monday and Wednesday 2 to 7 p.m. / Friday 1 to 5 p.m. / Saturday 10 a.m. to noon / Closed Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
