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Greene County libraries also feeling financial pinch

When finances are tight and a trip to the movies costs $10 a pop or more, you just can’t beat the price of a library card — absolutely free. And with the economy in a tailspin and discretionary income at a minimum these days, that’s the kind of entertainment many Greene County residents are soaking up.

Linda Deubert from the Greene County Libraries Association went before the Greene County Legislature recently to update officials on how local libraries are doing, where she explained that business is brisk — and they do it all on a shoestring budget.

“We think we do a great job with what money we have,” Deubert told the legislature, which provided just over 3 percent of the libraries’ total disbursement for last year.

There are nine libraries in the county, and in 2007, they loaned out more than a quarter of a million items, including books, videos, DVDs, books-on-tape, and so on. Those nine facilities also held 988 programs that year, with more than 15,000 attendees participating.

If you think that’s a lot, consider that local libraries also provide computer access and free Internet service for residents who can’t afford it at home — and they used it, more than 43,200 times in 2007. Many libraries are also adding to their computer capabilities, without having taxpayers pick up the tab — some have received grants through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and are purchasing new desktops and laptops, which will all be available to library patrons.

Summer is an especially busy time of the year for libraries, with kids out of school and looking for something to do. Many operate programs over the summer months that include everything from reading clubs to arts and crafts classes.

“This summer was a busy time for all our libraries,” Deubert said. “Almost all libraries in the county did summer reading programs, and during difficult economic times, library resources are used more than ever.”

Modern libraries offer much more than just the books you remember from the libraries of your childhood. These days, they offer movies on DVD and video, musical recordings, books-on-tape, and periodicals. And there’s the modern touch, too — databases you can access, like Chilton’s auto repair, the New York Times online, practice tests such as the SAT, GED, LSAT, MCAT and civil service exams, and genealogy databases to help trace family roots.

You don’t even need to travel to the library to access all this, you can just log on from your home computer, input your library card number, and research to your heart’s content.

If your local library doesn’t have a book or other item you want, don’t fret. You can order just about anything you could want from any one of the other libraries in the Mid-Hudson Library System, and have it delivered, free of charge, to your hometown library.

“There are lots of things going on in all our libraries,” Deubert told legislators. “If you haven’t visited your local library recently, you should.”

For many newcomers to the Hudson Valley, the library may be one of the first stops when moving into a new neighborhood. And many say they are glad it is.

“It’s always great to hear people who own summer homes here say that we have better and more friendly services than those in New York City,” Deubert added.

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