Edited at 9:05 a.m.

By MATT LINDSEY

POTSDAM -- The Potsdam Public Library, 2 Park St., will hold a referendum vote Wednesday, June 15, asking for support of increasing funding from $519,000 to $527,000.

The vote is scheduled from noon to 8 p.m. in the library basement.

On a home assessed at $100,000 the tax bill would rise by $1.48 from $95.94 to $97.43.

The funding will replace computers, keep the library open seven days a week and allow for the purchases of print, video and audio materials.

“We are replacing seven computers that are six to seven years old…we feel it is time to replace them,” said Interim Potsdam Library Director Paul Shaffer.

The computers being replaced are in the Fred W. Cleveland Resource Community Computer Center, he said.

“They will be used for various workshops and classes,” Shaffer said.

The Potsdam Public Library Board of Trustees will meet Wednesday, June 8, at 5:30 p.m. for its regular monthly meeting. It will be followed by a public hearing at 7 p.m. in the Civic Center community room where a presentation on the proposed library budget will be presented.

The second purpose of the referendum is to elect trustees to the board.

The four trustees will fill three seats that are three-year terms and a fourth one-year unexpired seat.

Those running include Noa Eshkol, David Trithart, Kathy Love, Sandra McCloy and Richard VanLeuven.

Eshkol has lived in Potsdam over 30 years and is retired from the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center.

“I am very committed to keeping the Potsdam Library strong, so children and adults can continue to benefit from its wonderful services for many years to come, Eshkol said.

Trithart has been a Potsdam resident since 1973 when he joined the library staff at SUNY Potsdam with reference, instruction in library use and various information technologies were his areas of work.

“Public libraries serve a diverse audience with an exciting array of products and services,” he said.

Love has been a resident of Potsdam for over 40 years and spend her career working in and supporting the Crumb Memorial Library at SUNY Potsdam.

“Our library may appear small, but it is big on services,” she said. “Great customer service, computer classes, job training and children’s programs to name a few.”

McCloy came to the North Country 32 years ago with her husband, Dr. John Dewar, to practice family medicine with obstetrics at Canton-Potsdam Hospital.

“My interest in he library board is to help maintain our Potsdam library as a vital access destination to all the armchair explorers of the community,” McCloy said.

VanLeuven and his wife, Mary, moved to Potsdam 46 years ago where he worked as a pharmacist for Kinney Drug and as the director of pharmacy at Canton-Potsdam Hospital for 34 years.

“I have served a term as trustee of Potsdam Public Library and would like your support to continue to serve,” he said.

The library is also looking to permanently fill their library director position, following the death of Pat Musante in March.

Paul Shaffer has been filling in as the interim director until a permanent director is found. June 1 was the application deadline and candidates will be interviewed soon.

Any citizen of the United State, 18 years of age or older, living in the Potsdam Central School district for at least 30 days is eligible to vote.