RED HOOK PUBLIC LIBRARY GETS BOOST FROM SERINO

RED HOOK, NY—Senator Sue Serino (R, C, I—Hyde Park) was at the Red Hook Public Library on Friday, October 15, 2016 for the grand opening of their new program and meeting space made possible in part by grant funding Serino was able to secure.

“Our libraries play a critical role in our community and I have made it my mission since taking office to provide them with additional and much-needed resources to help them better serve our local area,” Serino said. “I loved having the opportunity to see community members putting the final product to good use, and I am proud to be able to help our local libraries deliver important services to so many in our community.”

The library’s director, Erica Freudenberger, said,  "We are grateful for Senator Sue Serino's support of Red Hook Public Library. The funds she secured allow us to age gracefully in our mid-nineteenth century building while we build for the future. We can remain in the heart of the Village of Red Hook, where seniors and children can walk to the library. Her dedication to lifelong learning, passion for libraries, and tireless advocacy on behalf of New York State provides a better quality of life and access to a wide range of services for all New Yorkers."

Since taking office, Senator Serino has been able to deliver critical state aid to each and every library in the Senate District. The Red Hook Public Library received $4,000 in state education grants in 2015, which helped move the renovation along, and an additional $8,000 this year.

On the same day, the Senator had the honor of addressing the Mid-Hudson Library System’s Annual Membership Meeting at the Wallace Center in Hyde Park where she had the opportunity to highlight the importance of our area libraries and where she discussed fighting to increase funding significantly to New York’s libraries. Since taking office, the Legislature has added an additional $14 million to the NYS budget in library construction aid to help libraries increase access, improve energy efficiency and transform unused space.

“As countless families and individuals work to keep their budgets balanced, our libraries are taking on even bigger roles in our community as they work to fill gaps in services and provide resources many would not otherwise have access to,” Serino continued. “From providing internet to those searching for jobs, to professional training or programing for our students and our seniors, investing in our libraries helps them play a direct role in improving life here in our community, and I will continue to do all that I can to support their efforts.”

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