To the Editor:

The board of trustees and staff of the Hepburn Library of Madrid would like to publicly extend our appreciation to Sen. Patty Ritchie and the State Senate Select Committee on Libraries for the Special Funding secured for our Library and others throughout the region.

Like many local libraries in St. Lawrence County, we are housed in a beautiful and historic building; ours was constructed in 1917.

We love our home, but it is costly to maintain it in good repair, and to meet all updated requirements for accessibility and safety.

The $3,000 grant awarded to the Madrid Hepburn Library will be used for much needed repairs.

Our library is located at the heart of the village of Madrid. Patrons come to the library to borrow books and journals, use our computers or bring their own devices to access the internet free of charge.

We offer story hour and activities for children and teens. We have a large community room with a full kitchen, which is used by community members almost daily for meetings, classes, parties and library functions. We are very pleased to be able to offer a week-long summer reading program for children and youth, as well as an additional presentation for families.

The funds secured for us by Senator Ritchie will help us to continue to provide excellent service to our community in a friendly, attractive, safe and functional facility.

The Board of Trustees and staff of the Hepburn Library of Madrid