To the Editor:

Nearly 25 years ago, my husband and I settled in Voorheesville and began a family. It didn’t take us long to discover the Voorheesville Public Library, a treasure in our small community.

We found joy in bringing our babies/toddlers to the library, and spent many hours in the children’s section, while our little ones crawled and then toddled around, playing with toys and pulling picture books off the shelves. We often sat on the floor with them reading books to them, before filling our arms with books to take home.

As our boys grew, they participated in many wonderful children’s and teen programs at the library, and eventually both became volunteers.

Little would we have guessed that the carpet we were sitting on those many years ago would still be on those floors now! The carpet is 36 years old!

We’re grateful that our library is such a careful custodian of the taxpayer funds and donations that support the library and its programs. We’re also grateful that the library administration and trustees have committed a great deal of time and effort to secure grant funding to improve the building.

The library is undergoing beautiful renovations. Stop by and see for yourself!

The Friends of the Library want to help make these improvements even more spectacular by helping replace that 36-year-old carpet! The full carpet replacement is estimated at $40,000, an ambitious fundraising goal for a very small group of Friends.

Please consider helping to achieve this goal by “purchasing” carpet tiles!

How can you help? Donations to the Friends of the Library may be mailed (Post Office Box 79, Voorheesville, NY 12186), dropped off at the VPL circulation desk, or made online. See the webpage (https://voorheesvillelibrary.org/friends-of-the-library/ ) for more information.

Please also consider joining the Friends as a member, a volunteer, or an officer! Email to learn more.

Finally, come to the used book and media sheds, Encore! Books (open Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., weather permitting, through end of August), and to the Big Fall Book Sale on Sept. 7 and 8.

Let’s help ensure that new generations of children will soon be crawling, toddling, and sitting on a beautiful new carpet!

Julie Ruhren

Friends of the Library

Voorheesville