The June 1, Town meeting is coming up! It is time to vote for the Town Budget. Please vote in favor of the Vassalboro Public Library. The Library Trustees and I (Library Director) know there are a lot of feelings and controversy around various aspects of the overall budget. We know there are some residents of Vassalboro that may challenge an increase to the library, but we also know there is lots of support for the library.
This year we are asking for a small increase of $4,000, from $71,000 to $75,000. This increase was unanimously approved by the Town Manager, Select board, and the Budget Committee. $75,000 is a relatively small portion of the overall Town Budget but is absolutely essential to the services and open hours the library provides. The library organizes fundraisers throughout the year, writes grants, and seeks donations from the community to cover the rest of our yearly budget which always exceeds $100,000.
Here are several reasons on why you should support an increase:
- Last year Vassalboro residents, and some non-residents, saved an estimated $275,000 by utilizing the free services of the Vassalboro Library. Each time a community member checks out a book, uses a computer or the library WIFI or printer, attends a program, or uses an online service, they save that cost by utilizing our free services. The services the library provides the town far outweigh the town contribution to the library.
- The library is available to people of all ages, 0-100+, and is accessible to people with disabilities, for remote work, study, education and entertainment. The whole spectrum of the town is reflected in our patron usage and services.
- According to FY 2024 service numbers, we had 9,668 library visits, people who step through our doors to utilize the library in a variety of ways. 14,448 items were checked out and 2,474 people attended free library programs. The library was used 42 times as a social gathering / meeting space by a community group. Public computers were used 323 times with an estimated 1/10 of these instances requiring extensive technology assistance. This involves library staff instructing a resident step by step through a process and includes: basic internet search, email set-up, data transfer, employment assistance, social service access, smart phone setup, and account setup. Remote rooms and services were used over 200 times by workers and students to work or study away from home, and use our WIFI and printers.
- The library has ties with various town groups including the Vassalboro Community school, Historical Society, Grange, Recreation Department, VBA, VCS PTO, 4H group, Masonic Lodge and various independent homeschool groups. For four years the library has coordinated with the VCS admin and VCS PTO to provide dozens of school-wide enrichment programs.
- In recent years the library joined the MILS library consortium which provides our patrons with access to over 3 million library materials all over the state. We also provide access to online books and audio through the state Cloud-library service.
The positive growth of the library would not have happened without town contributions. Incremental increases to the library this year and in the future will help the library maintain its core services and current open hours of 38 hours over 6 days per week. This year the trustees and library director are requesting a modest increase because of the high costs of doing business as a non-profit/COLA, and necessary increases to our insurance coverage. In 2022 and 2023 the library’s town contribution doubled after over 20 years of remaining flat at $35,000. Before that time the library was only open 3 days per week and was limited in its programming and services. Since that time, programs and service numbers have continued to grow thanks to the towns generous support.
Throughout the year trustees help organize multiple fundraisers and help find donations, raising a substantial portion of the library budget. The role of the trustees, who are residents of Vassalboro, is to assist the Town of Vassalboro by maintaining a free public library, its building, contents and grounds, hire qualified staff, support its library director, and maintain core library services of book collection, yearly programs, and weekly service hours.
The trustees and director need continuing town support to maintain library services and programs. Please show your support and consider voting in favor of library services.
A strong library helps build a strong community and we believe our library is fulfilling its role. Please visit us soon!
Brian Stanley – Library Director
Vassalboro Library Board of Trustees: Elizabeth McMahon, Therese Young, Val Sugden, Vickie and Dean Limberger, Sylvia Michaud, Sarah Phillips, Denise Fournier Behr, and Hope Shorey.
