Get ready because it’s coming soon! Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 30th. The rules are:

• Everything visible MUST be edible.
• Gingerbread or graham crackers MUST be the majority of the structure. 
• You can use a pre-made kit or it can be made from scratch. 
• Entries cannot exceed a base of 18” X 18”. 
• Only one gingerbread house per person, no multiple entries please. 
• Individuals, families, groups, organizations and businesses are all welcome to participate.
• We’ll be offering a kids-only division for ages 12 and under.  
• Entries will be accepted November 29 (1:00 – 4:00 pm) and November 30 (9:00 – 10:00 am). 
• Voting takes place on November 30, from 10:00 – 2:00.
• Voting will take place via donations of non-perishable food items and spare change – all of which will go to the Salem Food Pantry. 
• Winners will be announced during the Salem Area Christmas Parade.
• The winning entries will remain on display in the library for the month of December.  
• Entries must be picked up by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 2. Unclaimed entries will be discarded.

Won’t you join us for this event? Battenkill Valley Creamery dairy products will be served, and there will be at least three local farmers for the panel discussion.

We are very pleased to welcome you to our redesigned website. If you have feedback to share, please email slm-director@sals.edu.

Our next regular Library Board meeting is on Tuesday, November 5th at 6:30 PM. Meetings are held in the Reading Room and are open to all.

Previous meeting minutes and agendas are available by clicking the Board of Trustees link under the “About Us” category in the menu bar at the top of this page.

Bancroft Public Library is seeking written proposals for projects to be performed at Bancroft Public Library/Proudfit Hall, 181 South Main Street, Salem, NY. Please click –> HERE <– for the legal notice and specifications.

Bancroft Public Library’s Board of Trustees would like to sincerely thank the voters in the Salem Central School district who supported the library in the vote on May 21.

Since our budget increase was approved,

Starting June 3rd the new library hours will be:

• Monday 1 – 6 PM
• Tuesday 1 – 8 PM
• Wednesday 10 AM – 6 PM
• Thursday 1 – 8 PM
• Friday 1 – 6 PM
• Saturday 10 AM – 2 PM

Next regular Library Board meeting:

Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at 6:30 PM. 

Meeting is open to all. 

Our last available meeting notes are under the “About Us” tab on the top bar and Board of Trustees.

2019 Bancroft Public Library School District Budget Proposition: 

At Bancroft Library, we are hoping to expand our services to the community. As requested by patrons, our goal is to extend our library hours and make available increased internet bandwidth. We are also planning to provide information and referral services for the mental health/social services needs of the community. The Library Director has a Master of Social Work degree and, in cooperation with other community agencies, would be offering these services.

The Salem Central School District budget vote is coming up on May 21st. In order to fund these changes, you will be seeing an increase in the amount of money requested in the Bancroft Public Library Proposition. The requested increase is $7,600.00, for a total appropriation of $28,619.00 annually. The appropriation we are presenting to voters is the least amount we feel would be necessary to cover these new expenditures along with the resources and programs that patrons currently enjoy. For the average property owner in the Salem Central School District, this increase represents a total library tax of around $22/year, or about a $5-6 increase over last year’s tax. This means that for less than the cost of a hardcover book, we would be able to provide the proposed change in hours and additional services to our community!

See our latest newsletter for some additional information.