SCHENECTADY — Children eagerly ran through a hand-drawn ceremonial ribbon and into a bright, welcoming new space to call their own.
#The Schenectady County Public Library on Monday, July 30, opened its new 6,700-square-foot Children’s Wing at the Central Library Branch in downtown Schenectady. The Schenectady County Legislature contributed $1.5 million in county funds for the expansion, with private grants and donations from the Library Board of Trustees matching the county’s contribution.
#The legislature also committed $2 million in county funds for upgrades to the building’s heating and cooling, electrical, fire safety and ventilation systems and for asbestos abatement. All of those upgrades are completed, too.
#“This has been a great example of a public-private partnership that works,” said Gary Hughes, chairman of the legislature’s Education and Libraries Committee. “It is exciting to have this new Children’s Wing, so that our children and families can enjoy their time together while learning.”
photo Photo by John Purcell Children explore educational games on new computers at the Schenectady County Public Library's new Children's Wing at the main branch on Monday, July 30.
#Library officials started making plans for the expansion about 10 years ago, but over the last four years the project moved forward steadily, with construction starting about 14 months ago.
#Library Board of Trustees Chairwoman Esther Swanker said “all kinds of ideas” were brought to the table. Swanker said she is “relieved” to have the project completed after working on it for 10 years.
#Earl Lesson, a Schenectady resident for 64 years, said the addition was “worth the wait.” Lesson, a former library employee, said the expansion modernizes the facility.
#“I feel like I’m in the capitol in Albany or Manhattan, not Schenectady,” Lesson said standing in the new Swanker Boardroom. “The design is really upscale and beautiful.”
#The second floor of the facility holds the new boardroom and two study rooms. A spiral staircase in front of the almost completed librarian desk leads visitors to the three rooms with glass walls.
The main focus of the addition is the new children’s space, which allows for more creative programming and an expansion of toddler and summer reading groups.
#“They were hampered with the other room that wasn’t big enough for all the programs that they wanted to do, so they had to send them to other libraries, but now it is all here,” Lesson said.
photo Photo by John Purcell Children explored the new area of the Schenectady County Public Library's main branch aimed at engaging young readers.
#Karen Johnson, vice chairwoman of the legislature’s Education and Libraries Committee, said she was “thrilled” at how the children were responding to the room.
#“They are quite excited about it and I think that is what we really want,” Johnson said. “We want kids to be excited about learning, books, media and computers. If we can help kids get to be good early readers that is a big plus.”
#The old children’s area will be used for additional computer terminals. County spokesman Joe McQueen said there is almost always a wait to use a computer.
#“For a lot of people this is a technology resource and I see that we will probably be doing more of that,” Johnson said. “The library has to change with the times and I think this library has been very successful. They are doing a lot more with media, a lot more with computers.”
#McQueen said upgrades and expansions at the library are tackled piece by piece, so there are some more upgrades down the line.
#“There still is a little more work to do at the main library branch,” he said.
#Even as times change, Lesson said the library would continue to be an important part of the community.
#“It is a center where people can go, everybody can go, and they can contribute to other people from their experiences,” Lesson said. “At least Schenectady is coming into its own with this.”
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Schenectady County Library readies for system upgrades Improvements to inconvenience patrons as little as possible Thursday, October 16, 2008 By Michael Lamendola Gazette Reporter Text Size: A | A
That large semi trailer parked next to the central branch of the Schenectady County Public Library these days isn’t filled with contending titles for the “One County, One Book” contest....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
SCHENECTADY COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING February 16, 2012 Niskayuna Branch Library Present: Andrew Kulmatiski, Esther M. Swanker, Marsha Mortimer, Cheryl Cufari, Simon Weinstein, Camille Siano Enders, Tina Chericoni Versaci, Edwin Reilly, Lisa McHugh, Anthony Gaddy Absent and Excused: Rory Fluman, M. Joe Landry, Julie McDonnell, Sharon Jordan, Jean Wildgrube, Clifford Tepper Friends Board: William Leitch Guests: Karen Bradley, John Karl, Serena Butch (recorder) MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 26, 2012 MEETING The minutes were approved unanimously, with one abstention by Camille Siano Enders.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT No report. DIRECTOR’S REPORT Mr. Kulmatiski reported that work on the addition has been delayed until the steel beams can be painted with flame retardant paint. As a result of this, the donor reception and grand opening festivities are also delayed until a more firm date can be determined. On a more positive note, the bids for shelving have been awarded to an excellent company and will result in a $25,000 savings. Mr. Leitch asked how donors will be recognized in the new addition. Mr. Kulmatiski explained that major donors will have their names displayed in specific areas. For instance, The Wright Family Children’s Center. There will be some recognition of all donors, but that has not been specifically determined. The Rotterdam Branch is still without use of their meeting room, due to the car accident back in December. It is hoped that the work will be completed by summer to accommodate the busy program schedule. Over 2,000 e‐books are now available to patrons. Instructional classes are being held at Central and the three large branches. The Friends of SCPL have donated funds to purchase Kindles and Nooks for patron use. That program will now expand to Glenville, Niskayuna and Rotterdam branches with additional purchases of Kindle Fire’s. The Central Library recently got an upgraded wireless network, with 15 times more bandwidth. In early March, the CASSIE system of computer registration will be upgraded and the computer lab will receive all new computers.
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY Mr. Leitch reports that the Friends are hosting a trip to Amherst, Massachusetts on Saturday, June 9. They will tour the Emily Dickenson Museum and the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, as well as have lunch at the Lord Jeffrey Inn. Tickets are $70 for members and $80 for non‐members. There will be a $1.00 non‐fiction book sale in the Central Library lobby on February 25‐27. Large print books will be on sale atthe Whitney Book Cornerthe same weekend. Discount tickets to Memphis, a show at Proctors on Wednesday, April 18 are still available and can be obtained from Rita Moore at rmoore@mvls.info. The deadline is March 8. The Friends annual dinner will be on Tuesday, April 10 at 5:00pm at SCCC. It is being coordinated by Simon Weinstein and Bill Ward. Speakers will be Mary Ann Warner and Serena Butch from the library.
COMMITTEE REPORTS Mr. Gaddy reports that the Donor Reception Committee is working through questions about invitation style and quantity, size of architecture sketches and other matters related to the reception.
Tina Chericoni Versaci reports that she is still getting a plan in place for the committee working on the Bornt donation for the branches and hopes to proceed with a meeting with interested Trustees in the near future. Marsha Mortimore passed out a handout detailing the Black History of the city and county of Schenectady, which she presented to the County Legislators in recognition of Black History Month. She would be interested in doing some related programming next year on this topic.
PRIVILGE OF THE FLOOR John Karl pointed out that the minutes from the previous meeting did not reflect the fact that the Friends are donating $50,000 for technology items in addition to the $100,000 already earmarked for programs and staff development. Linda Witkowski is stepping down as Coordinator of Books Sandwiched In. Six people are now doing the work she previously did. The Whitney Book Corner is planning to celebrate its tenth anniversary. Over 30 volunteers will be recognized at the annual dinner. On Thursday, May 3, there will be an open house at 4:00, with prize drawings, refreshments and giveaways The Friends annual picnic will be held on Friday, June 8. Let John know if you are willing to help out. Mr. Karl expressed concerns over the delays in construction and specifically the McChesney Room bathrooms. He hoped this issue could be addressed by management. Karen Bradley urged the Trustees to hold off any donor reception until all the work in the new addition has been completed and donor recognition is prominently in place.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:25pm.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 7:00pm at the Ni
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Construction zone: Schenectady County library expansion headed for spring completion (slideshow) The VMJR Cos. in Glens Falls is the general contractor for the Schenectady County Public Library expansion. Other members of the construction team are Re4orm Architecture in Schenectady, AKW Consulting in Schenectady, CHA in Colonie, DiGesare Mechanical i View Photos The VMJR Cos. in Glens Falls is the general contractor for the Schenectady County Public Library expansion. Other members of the construction team are Re4orm Architecture in Schenectady, AKW Consulting in Schenectady, CHA in Colonie, DiGesare Mechanical in Rotterdam, and Schenectady Hardware & Electric Co.
Michael DeMasi Reporter- Albany Business Review Email | Google+ | Twitter | LinkedIn The latest investment in downtown Schenectady, New York — an expansion of the public library headquarters — has been a long time coming. Library supporters and local officials started talking about the need to expand and renovate the main branch more than a decade ago. A master plan unveiled in late 1999 envisioned $8.3 million in improvements to the 1970s-era building. Fast forward through many debates — and two recessions later — and a scaled-down version of the project is on its way to being finished. Completion is expected in late spring. The 6,700-square-foot expansion will feature a new children’s area, and allow for more computer terminals for patrons. The first floor, lobby and restrooms are also being upgraded. To pay for the project, the Schenectady County Legislature approved $1.5 million, to be matched by private grants and donations secured by the Library Board of Trustees. Click the photo at right to see a slideshow and learn more about the project. (Photos by Donna Abbott Vlahos)
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury published in 1953. It is regarded as one of his best works.[3] The novel presents a future American society where books are outlawed and "firemen" burn any that are found.[4] The title refers to the temperature that Bradbury understood to be the autoignition point of paper.[5][6]
The novel has been the subject of interpretations primarily focusing on the historical role of book burning in suppressing dissenting ideas. In a 1956 radio interview,[7] Bradbury stated that he wrote Fahrenheit 451 because of his concerns at the time (during the McCarthy era) the threat of book burning in the United States. In later years, he stated his motivation for writing the book in more general terms.
The novel has won multiple awards. In 1954, it won the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature and the Commonwealth Club of California Gold Medal.[8][9][10] It has since won the Prometheus "Hall of Fame" Award in 1984[11] and a 1954 "Retro" Hugo Award, one of only three Best Novel Retro Hugos ever given, in 2004.[12] Bradbury was honored with a Spoken Word Grammy nomination for his 1976 audiobook version.[13]
The novel has been adapted several times. François Truffaut wrote and directed a film adaptation of the novel in 1966, and a BBC Radio dramatization was produced in 1982. Bradbury published a stage play version in 1979[14] and helped develop a 1984 interactive fiction computer game titled Fahrenheit 451. A companion piece titled A Pleasure To Burn, consisting of a selection of Bradbury's short stories, was released in 2010, less than two years before the author's death.
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Scanning all the existing books and going to a completely electronic system for the world's knowledge would be a bad thing --- very dangerous as pointed out by the previous post. The invention of the printing press and with it modern books and newspapers was the beginning of the political, economic and social revolutions that brought us modern democracy, capitalism and ended the feudal class system. It became possible for even the poorest in society to become educated and rise to the top. Personally, I believe that the county library is THE most important of the services provided at the county level.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
Scanning all the existing books and going to a completely electronic system for the world's knowledge would be a bad thing --- very dangerous as pointed out by the previous post. The invention of the printing press and with it modern books and newspapers was the beginning of the political, economic and social revolutions that brought us modern democracy, capitalism and ended the feudal class system. It became possible for even the poorest in society to become educated and rise to the top. Personally, I believe that the county library is THE most important of the services provided at the county level.
But the print is now largely outdated. Remembe YOUR fellow DEM socialist are handing out free cell phones, free computers and internet, etc. etc. They can read books on their government kindles and nooks, etc.
Save the money from the bloated overpaid emploiyees, lavish benefis, and bloated pensions, plus buildings, insurance, liabilities, heat and electricity, etc.
Just sayin'
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Scanning all the existing books and going to a completely electronic system for the world's knowledge would be a bad thing --- very dangerous as pointed out by the previous post. The invention of the printing press and with it modern books and newspapers was the beginning of the political, economic and social revolutions that brought us modern democracy, capitalism and ended the feudal class system. It became possible for even the poorest in society to become educated and rise to the top. Personally, I believe that the county library is THE most important of the services provided at the county level.
THIS you and I agree on...as for a county run library, I think neighbor to neighbor lending/using works better....
those who control the knowledge control the masses those who control the $$ control the masses etc etc
you see, centralized ANYTHING that has to do with human liberty can/is dangerous.......
bartering is always without strings trade is controlled
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
THIS you and I agree on...as for a county run library, I think neighbor to neighbor lending/using works better....
those who control the knowledge control the masses those who control the $$ control the masses etc etc
you see, centralized ANYTHING that has to do with human liberty can/is dangerous.......
bartering is always without strings trade is controlled
Private library associations are certainly preferable to a government one. We happen to have a county run library. My point was that of all the county services, the library was the most important. Yet, unfortunately, the library is usually the first place hit when cut backs are made. (Not saying that it isn't possible to find savings in the library budget.)
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
Personally, I believe that the county library is THE most important of the services provided at the county level.
Yes but your opinion is not shared by DEM County leaders. The funny thing about the leaflet was that Friends is protesting to the very same DEMS that created the crisis. Instead of dumping money Downtown the long promised Duanesburg addition should have been completed. They are not 5 minutes from another branch. The original Downtown addition "plans" called for the removal of the McChesney Room and creation of a coffee house. A huge public outcry stopped the madness. The priorities of our County are all screwed up. This will not change by re-electing the same old timepieces.
Private library associations are certainly preferable to a government one. We happen to have a county run library. My point was that of all the county services, the library was the most important. Yet, unfortunately, the library is usually the first place hit when cut backs are made. (Not saying that it isn't possible to find savings in the library budget.)
Library is the most important service in a county????? You really think reading books is more important than services following a tornado, hurricane,, flood or ice storm?
Oh my god, you really have something wrong with you! You really think being able to borrow books is more important than some hazmat crew responding to some major train derailment?
You REALLY think that that having a library is more important than having the county plow the county roads following a snowstorm in order that people who need to get to the hospital can get there?
What the HELL is wrong with your brain DV?????????
Having a library is LEAST important, next least important is the government nursing home.
DV really needs to have his head examined if he really thinks the library is the most important of all county services.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
All of the books in the library should be scanned into the computer and freely available to all county residents online.
You sound more like a George Orwell STATIST than a libertarian to me. But then again, I never met a libertarian who actually made any sense.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
Logged
Yes but your opinion is not shared by DEM County leaders. The funny thing about the leaflet was that Friends is protesting to the very same DEMS that created the crisis. 
