NARROWSBURG, NY — Tracy Schwarz, director of the Wayne County Public Library (WCPL) in Honesdale, PA, met with members of the Upper Delaware Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (UDUUF) in the Narrowsburg Union on June 2.
She discussed about growing up “a feral child” who loved books, and how that led her to a career in library science.
Schwarz talked about a library’s policy, which is aimed at freedom of expression and association and the need to protect libraries from those seeking to ban certain books. She described the broad support the WCPL receives from public and private sectors.
Funding streams devoted to public libraries are larger in New York than in Pennsylvania, and WCPL operates on donations and help from local government.
The largest library in a seven-member library system, the WCPL houses the Wayne Library Authority administrative offices and acts as the hub for library services in the county.
Earlier this year, the UDUUF donated $5,000 to the library’s restoration fund. Schwartz stopped by to introduce herself in person and describe the library. She thanked the UDUUF for the gift.
“Your recent donation of $5,000 helped secure our outdoor ramp with new railing making it easier for those using wheelchairs, walkers or strollers to enter the building more comfortably. Gifts like yours make the library more accessible to everyone,” she told the group. “They also keep its doors open. Our library received about 20 percent of its funding from a state allocation [and] 30 percent from our county budget at the pleasure of our county commissioners who luckily value what we do for the community. The other 50 percent needs to be raised locally, yearly from events, fundraisers and donations. Imagine trying to plan your year with only the guarantee of half your budget. It can be very nerve-wracking.”
Residents of both sides of the Upper Delaware River have access to the physical and online collections of the WCPL, Schwarz said.
Visit waynelibraries.org for more information, including book catalogs and extensive free online multimedia options and resources.
Though more people attend in person each Sunday at the Narrowsburg Union than do on Zoom, the UDUUF continues to stream its meetings (see link below) to make it possible for those who love to attend, eliminating barriers to doing so. Meetings are held every Sunday at 10:15 a.m. in Room 102 of the Narrowsburg Union.
UDUUF services often include representatives of various community organizations, who explain how they serve the community.
Founded in 1987, the UDUUF remains committed to social justice and to supporting other helpers in the community. Since 1993, the UDUUF has named its social justice fund in memory of one of its early founders, Bud Rue, and continues to give financial support to a number of local groups through collections and donations.
For more information about this or upcoming weekly programs, visit uduuf.com or email uduuf2022@gmail.com. Excerpts of fellowship past Sunday services are archived on the web at youtube.com/@Upper-Delaware-UU.
Come in person if you can, stream at https://bit.ly/3Sg7csU.
Meeting ID: 993 5913 5643
Passcode: 885087