Library budget increases by 1.1 percent

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When Freeporters head to the polls on May 21, not only will they vote on the Freeport Public Schools budget and two new Board of Education trustees. One of the three propositions on the ballot also includes a vote on the Freeport Memorial Library’s annual budget.

The library’s 2019-20 tentative budget of $6.3 million includes a modest increase of 1.1 percent in comparison to the current year budget. The library also received $11,500 of New York State aid, the exact amount as the current year.

The proposed budget will allow the library to continue to provide books, magazines, e-books, audio books, DVDs, CDs, Nooks, Roku streaming sticks, concerts, lectures, tutoring, workshops, computers, children’s workshops, mobile hot spots and more.

“The library belongs to you,” said, George Boulukis, president of the library’s Board of Trustees, in a letter to the community. “The library exists to serve each and every patron. We are always offering new and exciting services and seeking to respond to community needs through our outreach programs.”

In the last year, the library has held a number of community events, including its annual Fall Festival, summer reading programs for adults and children, access to the Business Resource Information Center, (BRIC) and more.