Library News Archive
Farwell to Mary Grace Flaherty
Many community members dropped by during our Open House for Mary Grace.
Photo: Robin Sanford
Many cookies were consumed along with excellent punch.
Photo: Robin Sanford
Friends of the Libraries members and Library Board members bid farewell to Mary Grace (in green) and welcome our new director Roz Conner (in pink).
Sidney Memorial Library Bids Farewell to Mary Grace Flaherty
Photo: Unknown
Mary Grace Flaherty, director of the Sidney Memorial Public Library, has accepted an IMLS fellowship offer from Syracuse University to pursue a Ph.D. in Information Science. We have enjoyed the benefit of her leadership since June of 2002. Using her grant writing skills, Mary Grace was able to obtain grants from NYSERDA for our solar power installation, and from the National Library of Medicine for computers and training on medical data bases in local hospitals and health centers. She has been our leader through the good times, and the tough times. Never discouraged, she helped us through the flood of 2006 with her ever present spirit of cooperation and work ethic. The library staff feels privileged to have been associated with this person of high ideals, and we wish her well.
2006 Flood
As of March 6, 2007, the library's renovated basement level is open and once again available for public and private (non-commercial) meetings.*
It has been a long road since the June 28 flood. The basement level of the library suffered nearly $100,000 in damages due to five feet of flooding. As you can see from the following brief photographic tour of the hallway leading into the meeting room and the meeting room itself, we have come a long way!
Before: 
During: 
After: 
It is thanks to volunteers, who put in 205 hours to clean up the basement after the flood waters were pumped and drained; staff, for their great work in an unlikely call to duty; months of effort on the part of our director in securing grants; and generous financial contributions by concerned patrons and State Senator John Bonacic, that the library has reached this final point of recovery.
Additional flood photos can be found here.
*Please call the library at 563-1200 for information concerning meeting room policies.