fbpx
  • Subscribe & Support
  • Print Edition
    • Get Home Delivery
    • Read ePaper Online
    • Newsstand Locations
  • HV1 Magazines
  • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Submit Your Event
    • Customer Support
    • Submit A News Tip
    • Send Letter to the Editor
    • Where’s My Paper?
  • Our Newsletters
  • Manage HV1 Account
  • Free HV1 Trial
Hudson Valley One
  • News
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Crime
    • Politics & Government
  • What’s UP
    • Calendar Of Events
    • Subscribe to the What’s UP newsletter
  • Opinion
    • Letters
    • Columns
  • Local
    • Special Sections
    • Local History
  • Marketplace
    • All Classified Ads
    • Post a Classified Ad
  • Obituaries
  • Log Out
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Crime
    • Politics & Government
  • What’s UP
    • Calendar Of Events
    • Subscribe to the What’s UP newsletter
  • Opinion
    • Letters
    • Columns
  • Local
    • Special Sections
    • Local History
  • Marketplace
    • All Classified Ads
    • Post a Classified Ad
  • Obituaries
  • Log Out
No Result
View All Result
Hudson Valley One
No Result
View All Result

Lloyd residents debate future of Highland Public Library

by Erin Quinn
April 14, 2016
in Politics & Government
0
The Highland Library. (photo by Julie O'Connor)
The Highland Library. (photo by Julie O’Connor)

The Highland Public Library Board held its first of three public forums last Thursday night to help determine the future of its building: a 2,900-square-foot former residential house in the center of the hamlet that is bursting at the seams with books, programs and services that its staff would like to provide but does not have the room to do so.

This quest to expand and relocate, began in the 1980s, when the board realized that the house that the library was in could no longer accommodate the growing volume of books, CDs, movies and programs for children and adult that its patrons required. After years of looking at various sites and bringing in engineers, architects, community members and those with library expertise, the board settled on a plan to purchase a building at 10-12 Commercial Avenue. That plan was put to a public vote in 2010, when it was voted down by 91 votes out of approximately 1,500 ballots cast.

Joanne Loewenthal, the board president, gave a presentation to the public on the history of the library, unofficially formed in 1905 as an offshoot of the women’s suffrage movement for local female residents to have a place to gather and read and talk about the issues of the day. It became a chartered library officially in 1915, cost $2 a year to be a member and had approximately 650 books to serve 1,600 residents.

Almost a century later, it is now a public library, whose boundaries are in sync with the Highland School District. It has approximately 28,000 books and 6,000 CDs and videos, services 12,514 residents with approximately 55,000 visits to its humble home per year, with an annual budget raised by taxes of $386,094.

Loewenthal said that a study commissioned in 1989, when the board first began the search for ways to expand or relocate the library, estimated that the number of patrons served and the amount of resources circulated required 10,000 square feet, as opposed to the 2,900 square feet in which it was — and still is — operating.

She went through the list of properties that the board had considered and studied, particularly 10-12 Commercial Avenue, where it had entered into an agreement with the owner, Matt Smith, in 2010. That building had approximately 14,000 square feet of space, which would have provided the library with room to grow and/or utilize a portion of the building for a municipal service or another entity.

The president said that, given the small percentage of votes that ended up putting a kibosh on the 2010 plan, the board wanted to hear from members of the public as to their thoughts, concerns and suggestions on how to move forward. She talked about the fundraising that the library has been doing, its continued quest to find a location, discussions with various landlords and property-owners, as well as the disrepair that the circa-1890 library building is in.

Page 1 of 2
12Next
Tags: highlandHighland Public LibraryLloyd Government
Join the family! Grab a free month of HV1 from the folks who have brought you substantive local news since 1972. We made it 50 years thanks to support from readers like you. Help us keep real journalism alive.
- Geddy Sveikauskas, Publisher

Erin Quinn

Related Posts

Ulster County breaks ground for new resilient emergency communications center in New Paltz
Politics & Government

Ulster County breaks ground for new resilient emergency communications center in New Paltz

June 1, 2025
Woodstock tussles with local immigrant protection policy
Community

Local communities targeted for sanctuary policies

May 31, 2025
Woodstock police reform group likely to present recommendations in March
Politics & Government

Sinagra lawsuit continues

May 31, 2025
Woodstock achieves carbon-neutral status
Community

Woodstock Democratic candidates to discuss development, housing and zoning at May 31 forum

May 30, 2025
Landfill off the table for Ulster County
Environment

Landfill off the table for Ulster County

May 27, 2025
Town of New Paltz considers building a solar field at the site of former landfill
Politics & Government

Hurley explores promising new method of leachate treatment

May 26, 2025
Next Post

Dick Cavett to headline Woodstock Comedy Festival

Weather

Kingston, NY
46°
Partly Cloudy
5:20 am8:27 pm EDT
Feels like: 46°F
Wind: 2mph S
Humidity: 90%
Pressure: 29.93"Hg
UV index: 0
TueWedThu
81°F / 54°F
88°F / 63°F
90°F / 66°F
powered by Weather Atlas

Subscribe

Independent. Local. Substantive. Subscribe now.

  • Subscribe & Support
  • Print Edition
  • HV1 Magazines
  • Contact
  • Our Newsletters
  • Manage HV1 Account
  • Free HV1 Trial

© 2022 Ulster Publishing

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Crime
    • Politics & Government
  • What’s Happening
    • Calendar Of Events
    • Art
    • Books
    • Kids
    • Lifestyle & Wellness
    • Food & Drink
    • Music
    • Nature
    • Stage & Screen
  • Opinions
    • Letters
    • Columns
  • Local
    • Special Sections
    • Local History
  • Marketplace
    • All Classified Ads
    • Post a Classified Ad
  • Obituaries
  • Subscribe & Support
  • Contact Us
    • Customer Support
    • Advertise
    • Submit A News Tip
  • Print Edition
    • Read ePaper Online
    • Newsstand Locations
    • Where’s My Paper
  • HV1 Magazines
  • Manage HV1 Account
  • Log In
  • Free HV1 Trial
  • Subscribe to Our Newsletters
    • Hey Kingston
    • New Paltz Times
    • Woodstock Times
    • Week in Review

© 2022 Ulster Publishing