The Desmond-Fish Public Library in Garrison is overseen by a 23-member board led by President Anita Prentice. It next meets on May 17.
Here are highlights from its 2024 and early 2025 meetings.
■ The library was scheduled to be closed for a week in February for mold remediation. Director Dede Farabaugh reported that the ducts in the children’s room had not been cleaned and a roof leak over the circulation desk caused bad mold there. The executive committee approved drawing up to $40,000 from the endowment. (January)
■ Farabaugh noted that the library does not have a facilities manager and that board and director transitions meant that some maintenance did not happen when it should. (January)
■ The downstairs bathrooms were repaired and painted. (January)
■ Farabaugh asked for $1,836 to purchase a two-microphone system for programming, which was approved. (January)
■ The library received a $10,000 donation for a planned nature play area, which will be designed by Grace Kennedy. (January)
■ Susan Landstreet and Jennifer Schmaltz left the board after 12 and 17 years, respectively. Rachel Levin and Paul Tomizawa joined the board. (March)
■ In 2023, there were 37,808 visits to the library, 2,443 cardholders and 5,159 attendees at programs. (March)
■ The library received a $300,000 bequest from the estate of Patricia Cloherty. (March)
■ Farabaugh raised the issue of charging non-residents $40 annually for cards. (March)
■ The year-end appeal brought in $70,362 from 52 donors. (March)
■ The library hired Lina Sharifi as a summer digital service intern. Lina, who grew up in Garrison, is majoring in computer science at Syracuse University. (June)
■ A driver destroyed the left column at the front entrance on Route 401. The library received two bids to replace it, for $6,400 and $9,500. The library’s insurer said the repairs should not cost more than the $5,000 deductible, so the library submitted a claim to the driver’s insurer. (July)
■ The library received a $22,000 state grant through Assembly Member Dana Levenberg for technology upgrades. (July)
■ Neal Zuckerman (2011) and Kyle Good (2019) left the board. (July)
■ The June cocktail party raised $73,723; it cost $32,093 for net of $41,630. (July)
■ The board discussed inviting historian Heather Cox Richardson, author of Democracy Awakening, to speak at the library. (July)
■ A contractor said the library roof is a major concern because the plywood underlay for the slates is too thin to hold them. The quotes for a replacement ranged from $185,000 for composite shingles with a 50-year life to $489,000 for a slate roof that could last a century. The treasurer, Derrick Hopkins, questioned replacing the roof with slate, given the costs of a plan to build a pavilion. The consensus was for a composite roof — will there even be roofers who work with slate in 100 years? (September)
■ The library received a $1,000 grant from the Mid-Hudson Library System to fund a Philipstown DEI (Diversity Equity Inclusion) newsletter. (September)
■ The library meadow was overrun with swallowwort and non-native grass. Grace Kennedy said that, rather than attempt to reclaim everything patch by patch, “ribbons” of meadow be created with the idea they will expand. She suggested killing the swallowwort by covering it with cardboard and mulch rather than applying herbicide. (September)
■ The annual book sale grossed $24,000. David Lilburne, an organizer, said some structural changes may take place in 2025. (September)
■ The library’s health insurance costs rose because two employees chose family coverage. (September)
■ Farabaugh said there have been no recent book challenges but patrons had suggested additions to the catalog. (September)
■ Sheena Raju joined the board. Three openings remained. (September)
■ The solar pavilion project was approved by the Philipstown Planning Board. The contractor required an $87,000 down payment, which would be the remainder of a $125,000 grant secured by then-Assembly Member Sandy Galef. The library will need to fundraise or draw on the Cloherty endowment. (September)
■ Because of uncertainty about the roof, the board held off accepting a $61,000 state library construction grant that included spending deadlines. (September)
■ Peter Bynum volunteered to help display art in the library that is more welcoming and represents more diverse artists and subjects. (September)
■ A resident, Del Karlen, distributed remarks about his concerns that the library was going beyond its basic mission with ideas such as a play area, rather than focusing on the collection and infrastructure such as the roof. (September)
■ The board discussed goals for 2025: construction of the solar pavilion, including repaving the parking lot and driveway, new lighting bollards and electric car charging stations; a roof replacement; and the play area. See desmondfishlibrary.org/library-grounds. (January)
■ The automatic front door needed to be replaced for $4,000. (January)
■ The library received a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley to improve access for Spanish-language speakers. (January)
■ Libby Anderson, who managed the library’s investments, left the board because she was moving to Portugal. She was succeeded by a new board member, Philip Kean. (January)
■ Griffin Dunne will be honored at the annual associates event on June 15 at Boscobel for his documentary, The Center Will Not Hold, about his aunt, Joan Didion, and his book, The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir. (January)
■ The board unanimously a Library Procedures for Disruptive Adults policy. Major offenses trigger a ban of up to 12 months at the discretion of the director. (January)
■ The library ran a deficit of $13,812 in 2024, which was covered by savings. (January)
■ Rich Syrek retired from the board after 24 years. (January)
■ The pavilion was proceeding but there was some questions about the solar panels and car chargers because of uncertainty in the industry. (January)
■ As of Feb. 25, the balance of the library’s endowment was $6.55 million. (March)
■ Following the installation of LED lighting fixtures throughout the library, its electric bill in February dropped by about $300. (March)
■ The board hired Eric Kater as a part-time communications coordinator and Jonathan Pitt-Townsend as a digital services intern.
■ The library raised $48,855 in 2024 from 89 donors and the Friends of the Desmond-Fish Library raised $4,665 from 61 donors. The play area committee raised $40,530, or $1,000 more than the expected cost. (March)
