2012 Highlights

Ramapo Catskill Library System 2012 Highlights 619 Route 17M Middletown, NY 10940-4395 845-243-3747 FAX 845-243-3739 http://www.rcls.org Serving Public Libraries in Orange, Rockland, Sullivan and southern Ulster Counties since 1959 RCLS 2012 Highlights STAFF RAMAPO CATSKILL Year Hired Anthony J. Castaldo ..................... 1996 LIBRARY SYSTEM Executive Director: Robert Hubsher Bill Butler ..................................... 1998 Address: Ramapo Catskill Library System *Bill Hagadorn ............................. 2008 619 Route 17M Bill Pagano ................................... 2007 Middletown, NY 10940-4395 Brenda Adams .............................. 1989 Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Carol Martin ................................ 1974 Telephone: 845.243.3747 866.364.4329 (outside Middletown area) Chuck Conklin ............................. 2001 FAX: 845.243.3739 Daniel B. Hulse ............................ 1981 URL: http://www.rcls.org David Krawczyk ........................... 2005 E-mail: See website for individual staff Diane Biondi ................................ 1986 e-mail addresses *Domnick Raimondo .................... 2011 Established: 1959 Eileen Kieva ................................. 2011 Counties : Orange, Rockland, Sullivan and Southern Ulster Grace Riario ................................. 2012 Member Libraries: 47 Jerry Kuntz .................................. 1995 Population Served: 750,795 (2010 Census) John McClain .............................. 2002 Land Area Served: 2,467 square miles John Schneider ............................ 2003 Karen Haeger ............................... 1995 Keith C. Scott ............................... 1988 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Kelly Colby ................................... 2012 Martha Anderson *Ken Kile ...................................... 2005 Carl S. Berkowitz Leonard M. George ..................... 2009 Norman R. Gallagher Leslie S. W. Riley ........................ 1992 Ira Simon, President Linda Hendon ............................. 1989 Samuel L. Simon Nina Benvenuto ........................... 1997 Lynn Skolnick Alfred Smiley Patty Velez ................................... 2007 Patricia Soto, Vice President Randall Enos ................................ 1982 Mark Specthrie, Secretary Robert Hubsher ........................... 2000 Melvin Wesenberg, Treasurer Rose Marie Reilly ......................... 1992 David Zuckerberg Ruth K. Daubenspeck ................... 1979 Marilyn McIntosh *Part-Time (Non-voting Directors Association Representative) Italics indicates retired during 2012 Desktp Publishing by2 Ramapo Catskill Library System RCLS 2012 Highlights MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR In 2012 the Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS) experienced the fifth consecutive year of State Aid cuts. The final New York State Budget included a modest restoration of funds for libraries and library sys- tems. However, even with the restoration, our funding was about 20% below the levels outlined in Educa- tion Law. The total revenue shortfall was $281,093. The RCLS Board of Trustees passed a resolution in 2010 to implement a member library service fee in 2012 to help offset any revenue shortfall, if required, for the cost of all services except Automated Network Services (ANSER). Along with the implementation of the service fee, the Board in- Staff troduced a budget process which requires the member libraries Robert Hubsher to approve the RCLS Operating Budget. If members defeat the Executive Director proposed Budget, RCLS would be required to operate with the funds approved in the previous year. In the case of the first year Ruth K. Daubenspeck of the service fee (2012), a defeat would require that RCLS op- Administrative Assistant erate with State Aid funds only. Eileen Kieva The size of the shortfall we faced in 2012 necessitated the in- Communications Assistant troduction of the service fee. In order to mitigate the impact of Daniel B. Hulse the service fee the Board approved a resolution to levy a service Development Officer fee that would be equal to 25% of the shortfall ($70,273), with the balance ($210,820) coming from the RCLS unallocated fund balance. The Budget was approved as proposed by a large majority with only three (3) no votes and two (2) abstentions. The total amount of the service fee represented 0.13% of the total budgets of all member libraries. The highest percentage of a library’s budget represented by the fee has 1.65% and the lowest was 0.06%. As a means of helping our member libraries stay current with new technologies, we introduced a mobile app to provide users access to the public access catalog and digital downloads of eBooks and audiobooks. RCLS Mobile can be used with all smartphones and most tablets. The app provides users access to social media such as Facebook and Twitter if the library offers those services, as well as, library hours and makes it very easy to contact the library via e-mail or telephone. For the seventh year the State made available the $14 million Construction Grant Program. Under this program RCLS received $591,714 to distribute to member libraries. The RCLS Board approved the distribu- tion of those funds to 10 libraries undertaking construction projects at a total value of $1,112,888. In 2012 we had two staff retirements, Nina Benvenuto, ILL/Technical Service Specialist, (15 years of service) and Leslie S. W. Riley, Public Services Consultant and Outreach Coordinator (20 years of service). We hired Kelly Colby to fill the ILL/Technical Service Specialist position and Grace Riario to fill the Public services Consultant and Outreach Coordinator position. We also celebrated several service milestones – Randall Enos, Youth Services Consultant (30 years), Rose Marie Reilly, (20 years), John McClain (10 years) and Bill Pagano (5 years) both Drivers for our delivery service. RCLS 2012 Highlights 3 NYLA Library Advocacy Day New York Library Association (NYLA) Library Advocacy Day, Tuesday, March 6, was a great success and our advocacy efforts were again very timely in the state budget negotiations process. Over 1,000 advocates attended Library Advocacy Day, including 146 trustees, staff, students and Library Champions representing the Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS), Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS) and Westchester Library System (WLS). That is a distinct increase from when RCLS began chartering buses for Advocacy Day in 1992 and only 29 people attended. In his Executive Budget, Governor Cuomo proposes a flatline of State Aid to libraries which translates into a cut of 23% in the current fiscal year and reduces State Aid to below 1994 levels. The advocates that travelled to Albany on March 6 went to convince our local legislators and the Governor to restore Library Aid to the 2010 level of $84.78 million or provide parity with schools by giv- ing a 4% increase that they are proposed to receive. A big THANK YOU to our generous financial supporters for help in underwriting the cost of the three Li- brary Advocacy Day buses. RCLS Legislative Breakfast and Annual Meeting RCLS Board President Ira Simon welcomed 144 attendees, including eight legislators representing State and County offices to the 25th Legislative Breakfast on Friday, September 14 at the Wallkill Golf Club. Eight co-sponsors helped to underwrite the event: Gold Sponsors - Lightower Fiber Networks, Orange County Trust Company, OverDrive, SirsiDynix and the RCLS Board of Trustees Silver Sponsors – CDW-G, Friends of the Cornwall Public Library and Greg Townsend of Marshall & Sterling Insurance Robert Hubsher, RCLS Executive Director presented a document he developed – Return on Investment (ROI) for Services Provided by Ramapo Catskill Library System: Monetary Value of Services for Every Dollar Spent. The document graphically showed the cost of RCLS services of continuing education, consulting, cat- aloging, delivery and digital content compared to their value in services given to member libraries. The Auto- mated Network Services (ANSER) cost to value was also displayed in this document. Senators Bill Larkin and John J. Bonacic as well as Assemblywomen Nancy Calhoun, Aileen Gunther, El- len Jaffee and Marie Steets representing Annie Rabbitt voiced their support of public libraries. Five Library Champions addressed the group on what the library means to them. Florida Public Library patron Nicole Quattrocciochi told the audience she had looked up in the dictionary, the “real” one, the defi- nition of a champion. She stated the champion is the library. Author Linda Zimmer explained how the library helps her in her research for writing and providing her ideas for her books. Numerous member libraries’ displays, including those that won RCLS awards or honorable mention, add- ed to the success of the overall program. After the Legislative Breakfast many attendees stayed for the 53rd Annual Meeting. Upon approval of the 2011 Annual Meeting Minutes, Brenda Adams, RCLS Fiscal Officer and Assistant Treasurer, presented the 2013 RCLS Budget. The Budget required ratification by member library boards as a Service Fee of 50% of the shortfall of State Aid will be charged to member libraries. Two seats, one each from Orange and Rockland Counties on the RCLS Board of Trustees needed filling at this meeting. No nominations were received for the Orange County seat. Roslyn Applebaum Hurwitz, New City, NY, was elected to a full term ending December 31, 2017 to represent Rockland County. She will replace Samuel L. Simon, who is retiring from the Board after serving two terms.

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