The Board of Trustees for the Bancroft Public Library in Salem met on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 for their annual meeting, and their regular monthly meeting for January. At this meeting, officers were elected for the coming year. Ed Donoghue was elected Board President, Kim Erbe was elected to the Vice President position, and Rebecca Brown was voted in as Secretary and Financial Officer. Library Board Liaisons with the Salem Town Board are Kim Erbe and Rebecca Brown.
It’s been a busy year for the library. Many needed improvements were completed in 2020 and there are more improvements planned for this year. New heating and cooling for the library included installation of new boilers, air conditioning in the library, and brand new air conditioning in Proudfit Hall. Energy efficient LED lighting is another new addition to the library. Other good news is after a very long process, we have received our Certificate of Registration for the Bancroft Public Library. This is something that had to be done after the dissolution of the village. During the year we did our best to find ways to help our patrons interact with the library. In the fall we had our first ever Story Walk. Kids started at the library and walked throughout town and stopped at the windows of local businesses in town to read the book “Spookley the Square Pumpkin.” In December the library’s windows were filled with a great “I, Spy” activity where kids and adults could find different items in the windows of the library.
We have a lot to look forward to at the library this year. Through a library construction grant, plans are underway to update parts of the building to better our ADA compliance. Work on this should begin this spring. A committee has been formed to re-do our courtyard outside space behind the library. When completed, this will be a great space for our patrons to use during good weather. We will soon receive new computers for patron use in the library. Many thanks to the Friends of the Bancroft Library for purchasing the computers for the library.
Last year was a challenging year due to COVID and we truly appreciate the cooperation, patience and flexibility of our patrons and our community.
The library board meets the first Tuesday of the Monday at 6:30 p.m. in Proudfit Hall. Check the website before any meetings to see if there are any changes.