At their annual meeting Tuesday night the non-profit New Rochelle Public Library Foundation voted to provide the library with $247,799 to help keep the city’s libraries vibrant, up-to-date, and able to serve the diverse New Rochelle community. The money will be used to support both the Huguenot Childrens’ Library and the Main Branch downtown, providing summer programs, workshops and STEAM programs for toddlers at the HCL and, at the Main Branch, technology upgrades, programs, and fixtures and furnishings for the newly-renovated second floor.
Among the upgrades the money will cover are technology enabling Interactive Learning, increased capacity and functionality for servers, and digital signage throughout the library to better inform patrons about programs and services. Special programs and projects supported by the grant will include a
Community Cookbook Project, “Let’s Go Legos” afterschool Lego Club for elementary school children, and the very popular Museum Pass Program, as well
as Teen Maker-Space equipment and other programs that expand creative options for the teen center’s Digital Media Lab. In addition, $114,224 will be
used to meet the community match requirements of a NY State Construction Grant that will completely renovate the Main Library’s third floor.
New Rochelle Public Library Foundation, NRPLF, President Chris Selin credited the Foundation’s successful year to “so many friends in the community
and our committed Board of Directors, all of whom give so much of their time and energy to support our Library.” She pointed out that among the programs supported by this year’s grant will be performances by The Sandbox Theater. “Both my granddaughters have participated over the years in plays at Sandbox,” she said, “and they have both gained, not only in confidence but many ways, because of their experience.”
Established in 1993, the NRPL Foundation has raised more than $3 million for the New Rochelle Public Library. In addition, stepping in as a matching
funder, the Foundation has been able to leverage its support to bring in an additional $1.5 million in New York State grants over the past 10 years.
To accomplish its mission the NRPLF depends on community volunteers who are passionate about libraries and who devote their energies and lend their
special talents to grow the NRPL and its network.
NRPLF President Chris Selin says “Each of our Board members bring special expertise, life experience, and talents that will enable the NRPL to remain
vibrant and relevant to today’s demands,” Selin said. To find out more about the NRPL Foundation go to www.nrplfoundation.org.
