Butterfield Library

2022 Annual Appeal

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Julia L. Butterfield’s many gifts to our local community included a generous allocation in her will to establish the beautiful Georgian-style brick building that houses the library named in her honor. But the vibrant community hub that Julia’s dream brought to life a century ago could not exist today—or tomorrow—without the continued support of friends like you.

THANK YOU for including the Butterfield Library in your giving plans this year. Your generous end-of-year gift—in any amount—sustains services, programming, materials, and indoor and outdoor spaces designed to improve the lives of every member of our community.

After two years of shut-downs and isolation, we have loved seeing your friendly faces at the library this year—whether you’ve come in to browse the latest best sellers; research our rich Hudson Valley history collection; participate in one of our Book Clubs; use the Maker Space or 3D-Printer; borrow Pickleball equipment, cake pans, or a power washer from our ever-growing Library of Things; shave points off your license in a Defensive Driving Class; or apply for your U.S. Passport. (And coming soon: Notary Services!)

So far this year, we have circulated more than 50,000 items from our lending library! We’ve continued parking-lot pick-up for your convenience. We’ve also expanded our digital collections to ensure you immediate access to the resources you request most—including audio books, video streaming, academic papers, genealogy databases, test prep, language lessons, and more than 600 online courses in topics ranging from Coptic Book Binding to Concussions 101, many of which offer career-enhancing CEUs.

We welcomed a new generation of Bouncing Babies to the Jean Marzollo Children’s Room (named in memory of the beloved children’s book author and longtime supporter of Butterfield Library) for story hours and singalongs, and we issued another class of Haldane elementary-school students their first library cards. Our Middle School Battle of the Books team captured second place in this year’s competition! And community members of all ages came to enjoy free concerts, creative writing classes, silent movies, and rag-tag sales that kept waste out of landfills.

Nearing completion, our community Conference Room is already well-used by local not-for-profits, hosting New York–Presbyterian wellness educators and the new Philipstown Aging at Home group. Our Reading Garden remains a favorite destination for casual meetings of groups ranging from the Haldane Debate Club to the Learning Differences Committee. And we’re excited that our two new pesticide-free learning gardens—planted and maintained by local volunteers—have earned Butterfield Library a spot on the Philipstown Pollinator Pathway. (Ask us about our Seed Library.)

All this—and so much more—is made possible by your contributions and community spirit. Thank you for supporting our mission to make Butterfield Library a place for everyone.

[Your donation to Butterfield Library, a 501 (c) (3) organization, is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.]

Sincerely,

Judy B. Meyer, President                                               Marjorie E. Gage, Secretary
Dennis P. Gagnon, Vice President                              Catherine Rossi Platt, Treasurer