Friends of the Library Planning for Millage Renewal and Halloween
The Manchester Friends of the Library group met Wednesday night with James Miller, the library director, and Matthew Cook, a library trustee, to begin planning for this fall’s library millage renewal. The millage renewal, which is not a tax increase, will determine whether the library stays open or closes permanently.
The millage renewal will be on the Nov. 4, 2014 ballot and will be asking voters to renewal the current millage of 1.05 mills for 10 years. This means that for every $1,000 of taxable property, the library will receive $1.05.
Miller explained that the millage is the sole source of funding for the library. The library receives no federal or state funding. The library’s total annual budget is $368,813, all of which comes from the millage. Without the millage the library will be unable to operate.
The Friends, a non-profit group which is not affiliated with the library but fundraises for and supports our library programs, will be integral in the upcoming campaign. As the library is solely funded by the tax payers, its money and staff cannot be used to encourage people to vote one way or the other.
Miller provided the Friends with a list of facts about the library and the renewal and asked that when the topic of the renewal comes up in conversation around town the Friends be ready to provide accurate information. Closer to the election the Friends plan to create handouts, speak to local organizations, and possibly make yard signs.
The Friends run the on-going book sale on the second floor of the library. They make about $50 per month. The largest project they fund for the library is the library’s summer reading program. The reading program helps students continue reading while on summer break in a fun, educational way, with weekly incentives, and a pizza party at the end for everyone who meets their goals.
In addition to discussing the millage renewal, the Friends began planning something new for next Halloween, which falls on a Friday this year. They will be opening up the library as a “Haunted Library” after trick-or-treating ends at 7pm. The library will be decorated for the holiday, there will be snacks, crafts, games, and volunteers reading stories of varying levels of spookiness in different corners of the library. It will be winding-down activity for trick-or-treaters of all ages who are full of energy and not ready to call it a night when the porch lights go off.
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