Question of the day: If the cybermobile is reinstated by the Library Board --and if the cybermobile would make stops in Edgemont (near Cotswold Park/Crane Pond) --would the library be able to develop additional relationships with some people who do not use the library at the current time but who have financial resources to make significant donations to the library? If people are pleased with the fact that 1) the library is providing service to their immediate neighborhood...2) the staff is excellent 3) the service is great then is it possible that the library could raise additional funds for programs/services when the new library opens?
Do you think that re-starting the cybermobile could generate major donations for the library in the future?
DID YOU KNOW that one person donated $2 million dollars to the Dobbs Ferry library before the Dobbs Ferry library was built a few years back? How can we motivate additional people to donate significant dollars to the library? In return the town could name the building, rooms, etc..) in their honor
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27 comments:
The library has gotten more than enough money from the taxpayers whether they live in Edgemont or surrounding areas.
We do not need the bookmobile.How much trouble is the library in that they have to raise funds.
Leave the public alone we have enough taxes to pay without looking to help the library because they did not do their homework.
Do you think the monies that we were taxed for the library will be enough to finish the building I do not think so.
We cannot be taxed much more,and we cannot give any more.
If someone has money you can be assured that they will not donate it to the library.
What's happening that made you change you mind about the library.
You were told that they mislead the public as far as their demands in their budget and now you are asking to help them to get money for programs.
Something is starting to smell with this plan.
You're doing something wrong in asking for the public to aid the library.
Paul you are not thinking straight.
If someone in DOBBS Ferry donated two million dollars to their library,maybe you should contact the donor to assist you in making the library staff happy.
If you can get a donor of that magnatitude more power to you.
Just don't knock at my door or send out letters asking for donations.
The town/library need to think of additional ways to generate revenue for programs. Donations from foundations/individual contributors can help us maintain programs without additional taxes. I would rather see funds come from citizens voluntarily than from overtaxed residents.
LOLOLOLOLOLOL!
This is by far one of the most ridiculous questions posted on this blog. It so outrageous, it could be genius!
Yes, by all means, park the cyber mobile at the pond. Its mere presence will surely spur someone of means will take pity on the poor slobs of Hartsdale and Fairview and donate millions so that we can get out of our debacle.
Better yet, let’s put someone in a Santa suit with a bell and a pot outside of it. The fine people of Edgemont can toss coins into it on their way to the Scarsdale library.
A good blog suggestion. Cybermobile patrons will get exposure to the Greenburgh library. Those who have means might be inclined to donate big dollars to the library in honor or in memory of family members. Happens all the time. The library plans to name rooms in honor of big contributors.
why not park the cyberlibrary next to the hideous wall feiner and juettner erected in front of presser park. maybe it would avert our eyes from this eyesore. perhaps the cybermobile would also have some books on term limits, earmarks and how career politicians like feiner and juettner use tragedies like 9-11 to promote themselves at taxpayer expense.
now we learn nita lowey arranged for $97,000 in federal funds to beautify this gash on central avenue.
shame on all of you. samis please run for office!
Dear 6:27
Happens all of the time when an organized fund raiser or a concerted effort to solicit donations has taken place. Not by parking a vehicle at a site.
Maybe Paul believes this would be effective because he thinks his vehicle, complete with self promotion, has won him elections?
Taxes are high. Many people love the library. Some of the big supporters of the library might be interested in contributing significant dollars to the library if we reached out to them. The town will have a big, new library later this year. If some of the library costs could be paid for privately - we will be able to keep taxes down. The cybermobile could be used to help the library reach out to people who might be inclined to make contributions.
Taxes are high. Many people love the library. Some of the big supporters of the library might be interested in contributing significant dollars to the library if we reached out to them. The town will have a big, new library later this year. If some of the library costs could be paid for privately - we will be able to keep taxes down. The cybermobile could be used to help the library reach out to people who might be inclined to make contributions.
Taxes are high. Many people love the library. Some of the big supporters of the library might be interested in contributing significant dollars to the library if we reached out to them. The town will have a big, new library later this year. If some of the library costs could be paid for privately - we will be able to keep taxes down. The cybermobile could be used to help the library reach out to people who might be inclined to make contributions.
Clarification: I am suggesting a permanent outreach effort be made to raise funds for library operations.
The expansion and the operations should have been thought out before the people voted in the bond for the new library.
We cannot understand how such a plan could have been passed with so called intelligent people on the so called board.
Not one of you did your homework and now you are looking for fund raising to support the library.
You have got to be kidding.
this the same crowd that brought you that wall and taxter ridge.
feiner and juettner have to go and meet barnes and bass asap.
Unless something changes in the State laws, a Library is supposed to be independent of municipal government, except as to "basic" funding. Let the Library Board do its "independent" thinking and solve its own problems. This is not a path to go down. Doesn't the Town Board have enough on its list, facing the possibility of another high tax increase next year? Please focus on that which you have direct control over, no matter how unfortunate the actions of the current Library Board have been.
I will admit that at first it seemed like what was proposed was to send the cybermobile just to presumed "wealthy" parts of town so that it might somehow interest those residents to realize income tax deductions by making contributions to the Library.
And it seemed like the cybermobile return to service was more of a fund raising vehicle rather than one of providing the basic functions as were promised by the Library Trustees, who then broke that promise by eliminating cybermobile service.
What Feiner has done is not upstage the Library Trustees, because they never leave their lair at the multi-purpose center, but seek a means to reduce the burdensome, increasing OPERATING expenses of the Library -- by taking the lead -- indeed he is the only runner in the race -- in attempting to seek outside funding to supplement the Library's operational needs in coming years. There should be no surprise forthcoming that when the Library opens in a facility over 2x the size of its old building and almost 10x the size of the Library in 2007 and 2008, that operating budget REQUESTS are going to greater and be fearsome. Yet, what have the Library Trustees done to prepare the public for this?
The answer is the same as they did when seeking to expand the old building. They played the public relations game for all it was worth and "won" the Referendum. But they didn't bother to obtain any outside money for this expansion; they held no bake sales, no raffles, no car washes, no thermometer display to show a fund-raising goal.
Our Library Board are "executives" not the "get down and get dirty", sleeves rolled up types who look for ways, creative or not, time tested or not, to raise money.
Lately, led by Town Hall, there is belated interested in seeking funding and grants -- but what have the Library Trustees secured on their own since this expansion dream was revived in 2004? And, if you paid attention to their backstory, the expansion was on their wantlist for many years prior.
Indeed, the only "interest" the Library Board of Trustees has regarding raising money (as opposed to holding one hand out come budget time to the Town Board -- this past year with a gun in the other) is to beseech a revived Greenburgh Library Foundation to raise money so that the Library can open with items that haven't survived intact the $19.8 million funding. Items like furniture and technology even though the Library Trustees have yet to make a public announcement that there is no longer enough money left to make these purchases.
So what Feiner has done is get a lap or two up on the Trustees who apparently don't seem to anticipate that they will need ever higher amounts of money to keep the new Library running. The Trustees did, to a small degree, signal the problem when they used their 2008 funds to buy greater quantities of books, cds and dvds than were necessary or likely for use in 2008; having made that choice, they put the cybermobile out to pasture in lacking the funds to do both. Perhaps this is the unwelcome harbinger of 2009: that the Library will be back with a vengeance as it realizes what it should already know -- that an expanded Library is going to cost taxpayers more to operate than their former size -- even after geothermal considerations.
Although I expect he could have explained it a little clearer, Feiner is both thinking ahead and aloud; something we have yet, or ever, to witness from the Librry Trustees.
anon 6:43-
Are you still around and still harping on the 9/11 wall? I cannot imagine anyone else in town who would waste their time on such a banal issue. What the hell do you care? I can understand almost anything else but your bleating on that issue takes the cake.
i will keep bleating and harping till this monstrosity comes down and feiner and juettner are held accountable for destroying open space in greenburgh.
term limits now!
Good job, pablo! I like the fact that you are always proactive, thinking of creative ways to provide service to the people.That's why we keep electing you. Wish the Library Board would listen.
Answer: Unlikely since there aren't many people who need a bookmobile. Plus, there's no need for Edgemont residents to use a library up on 119 when Scarsdale's and Yonkers' libraries are closer and very good.
Has the Library Board of Trustees ever responded that cybermobile was unpopular, wasn't used/needed and that they would not want to continue the service if they could "afford" it?
Whereas I'm sure that Edgemont does indeed use the Scarsdale Library and not the Yonkers Library because it is not closer as well as, it is, Yonkers, your attempt to discredit the cybermobile gets a failing grade.
This must be a trick question. If there is anyone out there who thinks the cybermobile will be an incentive for high, medium or low rollers to contribute money to the library, especially after voting for a $19.8 million referendum...I have a Richard Nixon used car for you.
The situation with this "on time, on budget" needing more money is perplexing, at best. When Ardsley needed a library structure ( they were in a small store front for many many years, the Friends of the Library and Village residents worked at raising money through cake sales, car washes and the like... for many many years. No $million referendums. And after all the years they raised enough money to satisfy an anonymous donor they were worthy, he matched dollar for dollar raised...and Ardsley had a library. Taxes were not affected by the construction. Thereafter, of course, the village set aside a library budget.
As an aside, both of my inlaws worked, and my mother-in-law always said "dad worked to put the entre on the table, while I worked for the dessert." Similarly, it seems to me, if the library board would like "dessert" they should roll up their sleeves, like the Friends did in Ardsley, and raise the necessary funds. However, if the funds are for necessities, allegedly covered by the nearly $20 million referendum, they should stop saying the project is "on time and on budget," because obviosly "some of the funds set aside and earmarked for necessities" were eaten up by the "off budget gobblins."
No, Mr. Supervisor, parading the cybermobile around Greenburgh, Scarsdale, Purchase, Rye, Chappaqua or 42ST & Fifth Ave(north west corner) won't raise enough to cover book marks.
Mr. Samis' personal snobbery against Yonkers is noted. Yes, Scarsdale's library is overall better, but Yonkers' library is a popular choice for those of us living in southern unincorporated Greenburgh because it's convenient to get to (Central Ave at Tuckahoe Rd), and it has good materials and resources.
The first thing the library did was to hold the town hostage with the cybermobile what's next.
Paul we were given a raise in taxes for this fiasco,please leave us alone .
The library knew what they were doing when they laid out the plans. We cannot contribute more money to them when we have so many other libraries that we could use.
WHO NEEDS THEM
This is really interesting. Many bloggers gripe about the fact that nonresidents of unincotporated Greenburgh use our library while we pay for it, yet many residents on unincorporated Greenburgh routinely use the Scarsdale and Yonkers libraries without paying for them.
I bet those who use Scarsdale and Yonkers libraries are the same people who are always attacking the villages for using unincorporated facilities.
Since we use libraries other than Greenburgh, goes to show you that we didn't need the renovation to get a state of the arts building that has only put us into more trouble since they need more money for its completion ,furniture and books.
How much more money will it cost the tax payers?
A survey should have been taken as to how many people use the libraries outside of Greenburgh,but this was never done so now we have to pay for a job that was not well planned from the beginning.
Isn't it funny stats were listed as to how many people used the Greenburgh library but no one took the time to ask the other question
"how many use other libraries"
Whoever missed it, re-read Hal Samis 2/05/2008 1:10 PM: he's right to the extent that Feiner's foresight should be applauded not derided, especially when the Library board seems to have abdicated their planning responsibilities. BUT, cybermobile should continue if and only if it is a useful and necessary service. Fundraising is a separate thing, and cybermobile cannot be justified by some wishy-washy impression that its presence might somehow stimulate donations.
By the way, I think it's perfectly OK to solicit donors for naming opportunities at the library. Give one person a vanity stroke and relieve the burden on the rest of us -- absolutely. Let it be the Feiner periodical rack...
But operating costs must be budgeted. You can't just stick a finger in the wind (or a cybermobile in the park) and hope that money will miraculously materialize.
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