Library gets creative and mobile with $25k county grant

MILLERTON — The boundaries of the NorthEast-Millerton Library (NEML) are in the process of expanding geographically and creatively thanks to a huge chunk of change that was just dropped into its donation jar by Dutchess County in the form of a $25,000 grant. The funding is designed to make up for some of the deficits caused in childhood development by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The grant, which came from federal monies filtered through the state and eventually by the county, amounts to five times the library’s annual budget for children and teenagers, according to Youth Program Coordinator Kristin McClune.

McClune said a portion of the funds will be used to create a Makerspace, which, she explained, is as much a concept as it is a physical entity. It’s also an idea that has spread like wildfire throughout schools, libraries and other institutions across the country. 

The Makerspaces are super-sophisticated, elevated arts and crafts for the 21st Century. They provide users with technical equipment and materials they otherwise might not have access to in order to explore and bring ideas to life.     

McClune said the grant, which represents approximately 10% of the funds distributed by the county during this pandemic period, will be used in part to purchase two 3-D printers and other materials for the NEML. The items will help advance patrons’ understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) subjects by purchasing “robotics kits and other supplies for pop-up science events on-site and off-site,” said an enthusiastic McClune.

She noted  the investment — something the library could not have afforded on its own — is in part a follow-up to a recent and tremendously popular program sponsored by Bard College that was presented at the Millerton library.

McClune said she feels the Makerspace programs have risen in popularity because “people do like to create something physical” as they work through their ideas. Programs like Makerspace provide supplies that normally might not be available, with the materials reaching far beyond the paper plates and construction paper to which most novices are accustomed.  

In addition to the funding for Makerspace, the grant also allows for the purchase of a “book bike,” which will literally take the offerings of the library on the road. 

Library Director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson said that while the staff has yet to determine exactly what the new two-wheeled adventure will entail, she is certain that as the program progresses, “we’re going to have legs of steel.” That’s because staff members will likely be able to pedal to locations around the village such as the Millerton Farmers Market, the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, the Irondale Schoolhouse and the newly redesigned Eddie Collins Park.

Not wanting to promise something they might not be able to deliver, Leo-Jameson said plans will evolve over the course of the year once the book bike purchase is completed. 

Contents that can be borrowed through the book bike might include books, periodicals and even CDs, depending on what the community wants. 

Recalling childhood memories of vendors enticing customers up and down the streets with melodious music, Leo-Jameson, ever the dedicated librarian, playfully teased, “I dream of biking down the sidewalks and people streaming out to get books when they hear library music.” 

To learn more about the library, its offerings and exciting new programs, go to www.nemillertonlibrary.org.