Millerton library buys church property for expansion

MILLERTON — For Diane Price, it reads like a chapter from a fairy tale, almost too good to be true. But the indisputable reality is that the NorthEast-Millerton Library (NEML) has just acquired the First Church of Christ, Scientist property and edifice, making expansion a soon-to-be fact, not fiction.

“I’m walking on air,� said Price, president of the library’s board of trustees. “I have had many anxious moments and many sleepless nights, but it has come to fruition and we’re delighted. We’re doubling [in size]. We’re thrilled.�

The church, which began with roughly 50 members in the early 1900s, has seen a dwindling membership over the years; it now has eight members. That was the primary reason church representatives first approached the library about two years ago with the idea of it buying the building.

“It was a hard decision for the church; it took us a while to finally decide what to do,� said David Robertson, chairman of the church’s board of trustees. “But the members of the church very much wanted for the property to remain as a community asset, and concluded the library was the right way to continue its use as a community place.�

But the arrangement never materialized. The library was interested, but then the economy hit hard times.

“The economy took a nose dive so there was trepidation and fear as we went into this, but it would still be off the tax rolls so there wouldn’t be an added burden to the community,� said Price. “And we were pretty much land-locked, so where could we expand?�

The answer was clear — the church was indeed the best solution. So negotiations began. They were based on the long relationship between the church and the library, which began in 1974 when the church divided its property and built the current church on Century Boulevard facing the post office, and sold the front portion and building to the library. Since then the library has used the church’s auditorium for some of its programs. That bond will remain as part of the agreed upon arrangement, as the church will be allowed to use a section of the building for meetings for the next five years.

“We have a very good relationship with them,� Price said. “That was part of the deal to get this wonderful price.�

That price was $200,000 for the church building that sits on a .39-acre site. The two entities already share a driveway and parking area.

“It was in the right spot,� Price said. “We lucked out.�

“I’m thrilled,â€� said Library Director Midge Quick. “Because  in the future the library can now can stay in its present location. It’s inevitable: Our circulation and our collection have increased every single year  and we were going to outgrow this  building at some point, years in the future. I’ve seen other libraries not able to expand and then have to go to other locations that throw them often out of the center of town or village. A good example is Dover Plains, and I really did not want to see that happen here. So that’s what I’m most excited about.â€�

“I’m delighted for that,� Robertson said. “This is a marvelous use [for the church building]. We’ve really enjoyed our relationship with them over all these years. I think we’re very happy about the arrangement with the library.�

“We hope they’re as happy as we are,� said Price. “And I couldn’t be happier that the demand for the library has grown.�

According to Price, since 2000, the library has seen a 9-percent increase in cardholders, annual visits are up 25 percent, computer terminal use is up 133 percent, library holdings are up 43 percent, library circulation is up 71 percent, the number or interlibrary books borrowed is up 649 percent and the number of interlibrary books loaned is up 1,483 percent.

National statistics show more than 68 percent of Americans have library cards, with which they can access books, newspapers, magazines, computers, books on tape, movies, DVDs, etc. The NEML will also be able to provide meeting space at its new building, which Price said she’s “really excited about.� That space will provide for groups currently making use of the cramped quarters at 75 Main St., the library’s present address. Those groups in include the North East Historical Society and the Adopt-a-Family program, among others.

“Once the library expands there will  be meeting space and more computers. Plus, we’re going to purchase Skype, so servicemen can talk to their families in a private space via a computer,â€� Price said, adding that library board members have volunteered to come after hours to let community members enter the building and use the computers to sign on to the Skype program.

The library is reaching out to the community in other ways as well. It’s planning a Family Fun Day this summer. One event will include having children decorate tiles for the bathroom, which will be used for the backsplash.

“We want them to feel it’s their library, so they can take ownership and grow with it, and grow with us,� Price said. “If I had my way, I would have every child in there from the time they could walk. I wish I had a way to get more young children in there.�

And that open invitation extends to the whole community, Price said, with much  warmth and exuberance.

To donate to the library’s new building fund, send a tax-deductible check to the NorthEast-Millerton Library (write building fund in the memo line), PO Box 786, Millerton, NY 12546. For more information, call 518-789-6527.