Sen. Skoufis announces $140K in library funding

State Sen. James Skoufis (D-42) joined members of the Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS) and local officials at Washingtonville’s Moffat Library late last month, announcing $140,000 in new funding for the system’s Orange County libraries to encourage youth literacy and digital connectivity.

Skoufis made the announcement in tandem with the closing of the RCLS Summer Road Trip, a program that encouraged community members to visit the system’s 47 libraries to experience the diverse resources and services available. Individuals from Inspire (Orange County Cerebral Palsy Association) who completed the road trip this summer also joined for the announcement.

“It’s no secret that I’ve always been a supporter of our community libraries,” said Skoufis, who announced additional funding for RCLS member libraries around this time last year. “Our libraries provide invaluable opportunities for neighbors of all ages to gather, learn, explore and connect with the world around them. I’ll always stand with our RCLS partners, fighting to secure the resources needed to nurture Orange County’s readers, writers and creators and I applaud all who participated in the Road Trip!”

Just shy of 3,500 individuals participated in the RCLS Summer Road Trip this year, resulting in over 12,000 total library visits. An impressive 114 readers achieved the remarkable feat of visiting all 47 RCLS libraries, gathering every single milestone prize during their journey.

Each of the 14 RCLS member libraries within the senator’s district, including Moffat, will receive $7,500 to enable the expansion of their youth programming, and RCLS itself will receive $35,000 to fund its Digital Navigators program. Navigators are trained, trusted guides who help deal with a variety of technology needs, assisting library visitors as they use digital devices and the internet.

”Our family has had so much fun participating in the RCLS Road Trip and exploring all of the towns along the way,” said Matt S., a Road Trip participant from Warwick. “Each library has something special to offer – from artwork to new books to local history to state-of-the-art facilities. We’ve been greeted by staff who were friendly, welcoming and excited to share their knowledge of both local lore and library services at every location. I’d highly recommend getting out and exploring public libraries. The experiences you’ll have are a prize unto themselves!”