July 30, 2009

Dear Patron of the Gloversville Public Library,

Since 2005, the Gloversville Public Library has operated as a school district public library with its chartered service area equal to that of the Gloversville Enlarged School District (GESD). Taxpayers of the GESD currently provide our library with a tax levy of $198,200 toward our annual operating budget. The Board of Trustees has not sought additional public funds from the taxpayers of the GESD.

We have, however, sought funds from the municipalities outside our chartered area because their residents do not have a public library of their own and use the services of the Gloversville Public Library. The requests for funding have been made because the use of our library by the residents of these municipalities is significant enough to pose a burden both to our library and to our taxpayers. Those requests have been turned down or ignored.

Therefore, as of September 8, 2009, the Gloversville Public Library will no longer provide full access to the residents living outside the chartered area of our library in municipalities that do not provide financial support to any public library in Fulton County.

Residents of the effected communities may still use the Gloversville Public Library, but their access to library programs and services will be limited. Limited access means patrons may borrow books from most of our library’s collection but may not use the public computers, borrow any books from the New and Popular collection, or borrow any audio-visual materials including CD’s, DVD’s, videos, or recorded books. Participation in programs will be limited. School visits are prohibited. This Frequently Asked Questions handout will further explain the policy changes.

There are a few of things you can do to obtain full access to all of the collections and services available at the Gloversville Public Library including advocating for the Library to your town board to provide financial support to the Gloversville Public Library. A budgetary allotment would constitute a contract between the municipality and the Gloversville Public Library to provide full access to residents. More information can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions handout.

It is our sincere hope that in the future, our library will be able to establish formal agreements with these effected municipalities in order to provide full library services to their residents.

Sincerely,

Christine Pesses
President, Board of Trustees

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