The Library’s budget is up for vote on Tuesday, November 4th. It is Proposition #2 on the back of your ballot.
WHAT IS YOUR LIBRARY WORTH TO YOU?
There is an easy way to figure out exactly how much your Library benefits you every year! You can use the Library Value Calculator to determine the average cost of the items and services the Library offers if you were to pay for them yourself. You might be amazed at the cost of every day things – it wouldn’t be unheard of to spend $27 to $35 on a hardcover book at a retail store, or pay $20 to attend a yoga class.
So what do you need to know? Here’s an FAQ:
How much of an increase is the library asking for?
The library is asking for an increase of $12,000 for a total of $537,000.
How much does that mean for me?
This amount works out to an increase of $1.20 per person or $3 per household in an average assessed house.
When was the last time the library asked for money?
The library asked for an increase 2 years ago.
Why are you asking for this increase?
Every year for the last few years minimum wage has gone up by almost $1/hour. In addition, it is projected to go up by another $.50/hour for the next few years. Given that half the staff make minimum wage or close to it, every increase impacts our budget deeply. We already rely heavily on volunteers. The staff to volunteer ratio is 1:2. In addition, utility costs have skyrocketed over the last few years, regardless of how energy efficient our new space is. The cost of a hardcover went up by $2 in 2025 and so did the cost of processing of materials. We can all agree that the cost for all goods and services has increased tremendously in the post-pandemic world.
Can’t you get the money from somewhere else?
There are no grants for operating budgets. Grants are only available for special projects. The library fundraises over $20,000 a year through soliciting private donations and organizing special fundraisers. Our Library Friends group consists of over 20 volunteers who raise over $25,000 every year and we use it to supplement all the special programming and ebooks that we provide the community. More financial information about the library is provided on our Library Documents page.
How much do people use the library anyway?
Our library is the most utilized service in town. Last year the library was visited over 75,000 times by people checking out over 100,000 items and attending over 800 programs. Given how few staff we have (3 full time and 6 part time) this makes us one of the busiest and most efficient libraries in the entire Mid Hudson Library System, a claim we are very proud of.
This sounds great! I’d love to help the library, what can I do?
In addition to voting on the library’s budget (the question will be on the back of the ballot) the library loves volunteers! If you do not live in Pleasant Valley you cannot vote on the library’s budget as your property taxes go to support other libraries. But, you can fill out an application on our website and then bring it in anytime we’re open. We have a need for shelvers, hold pullers, and our Friends group needs assistance with fundraising. If you’d like to contribute monetarily there is a Donate button on the Support PVL tab of our website. Positive word of mouth always helps the library, so make sure you tell friends and neighbors how much the library means to you.