The Friends of the Mendon Library are pleased to announce the completion of a very successful capital campaign raising over $458,000 in five years to benefit the new library at 22 N. Main St, Honeoye Falls, NY.
In 2008, Mendon residents voted 3:1 to support a new library building as the library on Monroe St. was not handicap accessible or large enough to house the library collection. A public/private funding plan aimed at providing a suitable building with the lowest impact to the taxpayers resulted. Funding sources included a voter-approved bond for $1.35 million, a $500,000+ New York State Construction Grant and a short-term bond approval note (BAN) for $550,000 which the Heart of our Town Capital Campaign vowed would come from private donations.
The new Mendon Public Library opened on June 27, 2011, to rave reviews in our community. For the first time in decades, the library was both ADA-compliant and suitably sized to shelve our entire collection. Community members have joined us enthusiastically in our new 7,340 sq. ft. space, and our visits and circulation have increased substantially each year we’ve been open at 22 N. Main St.
Capital Campaign Chairman Ron Knight is pleased to report that over the course of the campaign, the Friends of the Library have paid off over $458,000 of that $550,000 BAN with private donations. Additionally, the Capital Campaign has raised over $100,000 through in-kind donations and various grant awards. The library has created a Final Report of the Heart of our Town Capital Campaign. Copies of that report are available at the Library.
The funding for the Mendon Public Library’s Capital Campaign has come from four sources over the past five years totaling $543,818.52. Of these monies, 57% came from general donations, 29% came from pledge payments, 9% was money raised at various special events, and 5% from historic brick sales.
The Heart of our Town’s most recent and final appeal, “The Finish Line Appeal” took in more than $10,000 from nearly 200 generous supporters. Approximately 45 of those supporters received a special appreciation gift, a one-year subscription to the Sentinel.
To celebrate the success of the campaign and all the volunteers that have worked tirelessly to make our new library a reality, the Friends are inviting the community to a celebration event — Books and Boots in the Barn on Oct. 15, 2016. The Skycoasters will be the featured performers at the Avon Century Barn. Tickets for this event may be purchased at the Mendon Library.
A cornerstone of the Mendon community since 1936, Mendon Public Library offers patrons over 48,000 items in its own collection and access to over 1 million items in the Monroe County Library System. Non-print materials include audio books in multiple formats, including CDs and mp3s, and free downloadable books and audio books. Visit www.mendonlibrary.org or call 585.624.6067 for more information.
