{"id":104552,"date":"2019-08-08T10:10:17","date_gmt":"2019-08-08T14:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=104552"},"modified":"2019-08-15T12:02:19","modified_gmt":"2019-08-15T16:02:19","slug":"senator-rachel-may-announces-more-than-780000-in-library-funding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=104552","title":{"rendered":"Senator Rachel May announces more than $780,000 in library funding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Senator Rachel May<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Senator Rachel May (D-Onondaga, Madison, Oneida) announced\nthat the Mid York Library System, which covers Madison and Oneida counties, has\nbeen allocated $436,734, and Onondaga County Public Library has been allocated\n$326,996 in state aid for library construction funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The money will enable our local libraries to complete\nvarious construction projects which will improve accessibility and safety – new\nHVAC systems, ADA-accessible entrances and parking lots, and new community\nrooms. The funding is going to 14 different libraries across the 53rd Senate\nDistrict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The funds are from $34 million in capital funds for public\nlibrary construction and broadband infrastructure projects provided in the\nFY2018-2019 State Budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, Senator May announced $80,000 in bullet aid for\nlibraries in the 53rd Senate District from the FY2019-2020 State Budget. Each\nof the 29 libraries will receive $2,750 in funding to use at their discretion.\nBeauchamp Library received an additional $250 to support their summer education\nprograms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is incredibly important that we provide state funding to\nhelp our public libraries improve their ability to serve residents,\u201d said\nSenator May. \u201cLibraries are critical community resources which allow our\nchildren and residents of all ages to have access not only to a plethora of\nreading materials, but also to the technology and broadband services that many\nlack at home. We rely so heavily on internet and computer access for daily life\nthat we often forget the digital divide that hinders so many people\u2019s ability\nto fully participate in society. By investing in ADA-accessibility, better\nindoor lighting and air quality, and up-to-date computer and broadband\ntechnology, we are ensuring that our residents have full access to the\nresources we all need in a safe and welcoming environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New York\u2019s public libraries are in urgent need of renovation\nand upgrading. There is a documented need for public library construction and\nrenovation projects totaling more than $1.7 billion. More than 52% of the over\n1,000 public library buildings in communities across New York are over 60 years\nold. Another 31% are more than three decades old. Many of New York\u2019s local\npublic libraries are unable to accommodate users with disabilities, are energy\ninefficient, cannot provide Internet and computer and other electronic\ntechnologies to users because of outdated and inadequate electrical wiring.\nMany do not have sufficient space to house the library\u2019s expanding collection,\naddress the need for adequate meeting room, or provide for public access\ncomputers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project activities and expenditures eligible for funding\nfrom the State Aid for Library Construction Program include financing\nconstruction of new library buildings, construction of additions to existing\nbuildings, and the renovation and\/or rehabilitation of existing space. Projects\nmay include roof replacement, purchase and installation of alternative energy\nresources, new HVAC systems, windows, doors, lighting systems, electrical\nupgrades, and construction of new or replacement of old walkways and parking\nlots. Broadband infrastructure projects are also eligible. New furniture,\nshelving and equipment, including computer equipment, may be purchased for new\nor newly reconfigured or renovated space. Renovations designed to provide\naccessibility for patrons with disabilities are a high priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the FY2019-20 state budget, the Legislature provided $34\nmillion for projects that will be announced in summer 2020.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Senator Rachel May (D-Onondaga, Madison, Oneida) announced that the Mid York Library System, which covers Madison and Oneida counties, has been allocated $436,734, and Onondaga County Public Library has been allocated $326,996 in state aid for library construction funds. The money will enable our local libraries to complete various construction projects which will improve accessibility […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":97264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[65,23814,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-libraries","category-state","category-top-story"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p43meu-rck","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/madisoncountycourier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Rachel-May-for-State-Senate.jpg?fit=400%2C500&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=104552"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104552\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/97264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=104552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=104552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=104552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}