The Rochester Hills Public Library (RHPL) recently received two hundred and fifty shares of Exxon Mobil stock valued at $61 per share from a local resident who wishes to remain anonymous. The total value of the gift was $15,250. The shares will be liquidated and used to cover general operations at the Library.
“This gift was a wonderful surprise and came at a great time as the library is struggling with declining tax revenues”, said library director Christine Lind Hage. Libraries and other municipal corporations are cutting back hours and services. Some libraries, like the Troy Public Library are even scheduled to close next year. “Here at RHPL we will be cutting back staff hours, but the library will retain the current service hours through 2011,” said Hage. “2012 might be a different story.” The library will lose $538,000 in revenue for 2011 and expects a similar hit in 2012.
In order to maintain the current hours, the library will prohibit non-resident access to programs, interlibrary loan and holds services. “We hate to restrict any access to the library, but our obligation is to the residents of Rochester Hills, Rochester and Oakland Township,” said board president Madge Lawson. Other cuts include: the amount of money spent on books, DVDs and periodicals, continuing education for staff and the employee wages, which have not increased for the last three years.
The Library has an active fund-raising campaign, but those gifts are more important now than ever before. Gifts to the library are eligible for a Michigan tax credit and a Federal tax deduction. The library can provide more detailed information on forming a trust or making a bequest to the library. Library director Christine Lind Hage would be thrilled to talk to anyone interested in contributing to the library regardless of the size of that donation. “The generosity of our residents is heartwarming and we are pleased to offer all of our residents the best service possible,” said Hage. Hage can be reached at 248/650-7122.Author:
The Rochester Hills Public Library is located at 500 Olde Towne Road in downtown Rochester. The library is open Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Sundays (during the school year) from
1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
About Tom and Ann Gendich