Senator Helming: 10 Local Libraries Receive Funding for Capital Projects

GENEVA – Senator Pam Helming today announced that 10 public libraries in the Wayne-Finger Lakes region have received approval and funding for construction projects and capital improvements. The New York State Library and New York State Education Department approved the projects, which are supported by a capital fund appropriation in the state budget to renovate public libraries throughout the state.

“From senior citizens staying active in their golden years to adults applying for jobs and from high schoolers completing a class research project to young children reading a book for the first time, our local public libraries provide a tremendous variety of services and programs to people of all ages, abilities, and interest levels. Public libraries are truly the centerpieces of our communities, and it is important that they have the ability to upgrade their infrastructure and technology in order to continue serving the public in this capacity. I was proud to advocate for including this critical funding in this year’s state budget, and I am delighted to announce that local libraries in the Wayne-Finger Lakes region will benefit from it,” Senator Helming said.

The libraries and their respective funding and projects include:

• Edith B. Ford Memorial Library in Ovid - $335,877 for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and millwork for new library building.
• Lodi Whittier Library - $53,598 for exterior site work, parking lot, and sidewalk for a new library.
• Waterloo Library & Historical Society - $5,000 for interior renovations in lecture hall space.
• Clifton Springs Library - $17,910 to replace lighting fixtures with new LED fixtures.
• Geneva Public Library - $129,635 to upgrade elevator and construct new tutoring space.
• Phelps Library - $21,676 for exterior and interior renovations and to upgrade network infrastructure.
• Pioneer Library System in Canandaigua - $40,184 for technology and energy efficiency upgrades.
• Wood Library Association in Canandaigua - $34,941 for window replacement and refurbishment.
• Clyde-Savannah Public Library in Clyde - $63,818 for exterior and interior renovations and to replace outside sidewalk with a ramped sidewalk.
• Palmyra Community Library - $108,314 to remove a structure on an adjacent lot and construct a parking lot.

Senator Helming also seured a total $271,700 in bullet aid funding to 35 public libraries and library systems in the Wayne-Finger Lakes region. This money supports the services and programs at each of the libraries and library systems.