Fairview Public Library Receives $16,000 Grant

MARGARETVILLE, 09/19/14 – State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I-Oneonta) today announced $32,000 in state grants to assist  nine area libraries, including $16,000 to support capital improvements at the Fairview Public Library.   

“Our libraries are hubs for countless activities and are vital to our communities, especially in these tough economic times,” said Senator Seward.  “I am pleased to partner with all of the libraries in my district and with the Fairview Public Library, in particular, to advance a major improvement project that will help provide universal access.”

Fairview Public Library is in the midst of a renovation project to improve compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act that will: create a new exterior universal access ramp, create a new vestibule entryway, install a new sidewalk and ramp extension, repair exterior porch flooring and roofing, remodel several interior areas due to the entry changes, and install new fire safety doors.

Fairview Public Library Director Susan Carver said, “Senator Seward understands the important role a library plays in a small community. The assistance he is providing will help open our doors to more individuals and ensure Fairview Public Library will stand for generations to come.”

Earlier this year, the Fairview Public Library was the recipient of $110,292 in capital funds, part of the $14 million Public Library Construction Grant Program.  Senator Seward, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Libraries, helped usher that grant funding through the state budget process.

Senator Seward also announced $2,000 awards for Skene Memorial Library in Fleischmanns, Phoenicia Library, Andes Public Library, Bovina Library Association, Roxbury Library Association, Stamford Village Library, Olive Free Library Association, and Morton Memorial Library in Pine Hill.

“Libraries touch the lives of so many individuals and it is vital that we maintain and enhance these enduring connections to our past which also open a gateway to our future,” Seward concluded.  

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Photo attached, suggested caption:  Senator Seward reviews plans for capital improvements at the Fairview Public Library in Margaretville after announcing a $16,000 grant.  From left, Library Trustee President Jim Gohlke, Senator Seward, Library Director Susan Carver, Library Trustee Doris Warner.