FAQs
How is the Howland Public Library funded?
The library is primarily funded by the taxpayers of the Beacon City School District through an annual budget vote. Additional funding comes from grants and donations.
Why does the library need to hold a vote?
Libraries are free to use but not free to operate. The cost of ebooks and digital materials is higher for libraries than for regular customers. Rising costs of medical insurance, retirement, and New York State’s mandated minimum wage increases have significantly impacted our operating budget.
Didn’t you just go out for a vote?
Yes, the library holds an annual operating budget vote each spring, which includes a Trustee election. Trustees are elected by the Beacon City School District. For more information, please contact Gillian Murphy.
I don’t use the library, why should I support it?
Libraries offer more than just books! Our library provides streaming movies, downloadable audiobooks, ebooks, digital magazines, museum passes, and more. We are applying to become a U.S. Passport Acceptance Facility and have a robust Library of Things, where you can borrow items like a power washer, rake, or sewing machine.
What happens if the vote passes?
The Howland Public Library will continue to provide quality services to our residents. Our digital collection is growing rapidly, and we offer numerous educational programs and helpful services.
What happens if the vote fails?
Increasing costs of materials, wages, and library usage make it difficult to maintain the same level of service. The Board will have to make tough decisions about which services to cut if the vote fails.
Where does the money go?
The money is reinvested in our community through services and resources. Our staff, who help users connect with what they need, are our most valuable resource.
Where and when do I vote?
The vote will be held on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at the Howland Public Library from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
MEET THE CANDIDATES
-
Jason Cohen, Trustee Candidate
I'm a relative newcomer to this community, but eager to be more involved. My wife and I moved to the Beacon area in 2022 in order to find a more spacious and affordable life to raise our twin boys.
One of our mainstays here in town has been the Howland Public Library. If you spend any time in the children's library on the weekend, chances are you've seen my kids. They love it here, so I'm taking this as an opportunity to teach them the importance of community spaces.
I have a background in literature and cover technology as an editor for an online tech publication, giving me a balanced perspective between modernizing for the future and maintaining the beautiful traditions of the literary world.
As a seasoned union leader at work, I'm also a skilled community organizer. My hope is to help turn the library into the cultural center of town by improving the library's offerings to the public (especially for families of small children).
-
Ruth Danon, Trustee Candidate
I moved to Beacon in 2017, after teaching at NYU full time for 23 years. The first teaching I did in Beacon was at the Howland Library. In 2018 I founded Live Writing: A Project for the Reading, Writing and Performance of Poetry. The Live Writing project offers writing workshops in person and on zoom. I’ve curated multiple events in Beacon and on zoom, and have worked to create a vibrant poetry community in Beacon. I was one of the founding curators of the Beacon Litfest. My work has been published widely in the United States and abroad and I have been named Poet Laureate of Beacon and Dutchess County.
I am running for Library trustee because I believe political and cultural change begins at the local level. I would like to help the library succeed in its mission to be a “hub of knowledge and a center of learning…” I have extensive experience in designing programs for adult students. There is need for extra- academic learning for adults that the Library can provide. Additionally, there is much talk of a loneliness epidemic. The library can be an antidote for that. I would like to work towards that end.
-
Sarah From, Trustee Candidate
Sarah From is an active Beacon community member, a parent of school-aged children in BCSD, and a dedicated patron of the Howland Public Library for a decade.
Sarah is a leadership coach and organizational consultant who works with nonprofits and social change organizations in the Hudson Valley and nationally.
She is committed to supporting the library's initiatives to expand services and community engagement, aligning with its mission to provide free and equal access to information and promote social responsibility.
Sarah believes deeply in the role of public libraries as vital pillars of community, democracy, and lifelong learning.
-
Kathy Furfey, Trustee Candidate
I have had the honor of serving as a trustee on the board of the Howland Public Library from 2019 to 2024. I would like to use that experience to further the role of the library as a center of the Beacon community.
During my five-year tenure:
Policy Committee: Led the review of all policies with the purpose of revision and updating; Board Development Committee: Conducted orientation sessions for new board members; attended Mid-Hudson Library System-sponsored webinars as well as state advocacy days; Building Committee: Involved in maintaining a sustainable facility and atmosphere for all patrons; after my trustee term, I remained on the committee for preparation and research to facilitate the long-range plan. Executive Committee: Researched, interviewed, and selected the current library director. Prior Professionalism: Certified special education teacher.
Prior Volunteer Roles: Ex-Pat reading club organizer. Tutoring children with special needs, assisting at homes for the elderly, assorted roles in hospitals and parishes.
As a nominee, I offer my experience, love, and commitment to the Howland Public Library. It would be a privilege to serve once again. -
David Lemon, Trustee Candidate
A Beacon resident since 1979, I managed the editorial dept. of a major New York City investment bank before retiring in 2015.
As board president, in 1997 I guided HPL's successful transition into a tax-funded school district library. In my second tenure on the board, in 2010 I helped lead renovation of the Library's facade.
Elected again to the board last year, I seek reelection because I want to continue working on the critical issue facing HPL's future--how to maintain a 75-year-old building and provide the library services that meet our citizens' needs amid looming State and Federal cutbacks.
It is more important than ever that the Howland Public Library remain a welcoming place of knowledge, inclusivity and community for all.