Lansdale Library Expecting $20,000 Surplus

Due to improved fundraising efforts and some wise spending, the Lansdale Library budget is expected to have a $20,000 surplus this year.

"The latest draft of the budget has us putting that surplus into building improvements for next year," said Lansdale Library Director Tom Meyer during a library board of trustees meeting Wednesday night.

Meyer said the library board will look to Spiezle Architect's recent facilities assessment report on what to do with improvements in 2013.

"We will either revamp our lighting — which, to me, makes sense because we'll get payback on that with decreased use in electricity — or refresh the building: carpeting, paint, ceiling tiles," Meyer said.

Meyer was asked if improvements include the idea of bringing a cafe area to the interior of the library.

"It got tabled," Meyer said. "There's not enough space. With the amount of work to put in it, we figured we would let the cafes in town be cafes and we will focus on our business of being a library."

Meyer said the budget is on track and picking up steam. Meyer is requesting a $15,000 increase in Lansdale Borough's contribution to the library in 2013, about a 4 percent increase.

Library Board Chairwoman Mary Fuller said the budget looks out of proportion because the books are not closed yet on Oktoberfest.

"Oktoberfest was a hugely successfull event and a great day," Fuller said. "With outstanding expenses and sponsorship monies to come in, it's looking like the library will gain (an estimated) $4,000 to the fundraising budget."

Fuller said an estimated $1,000 will go to nonprofit co-organizer Lansdale Area Fundraising Society, or LAFS.

Lansdale Library is also exploring blogging and using Twitter on a daily basis. The library already reaches out to the public through its Facebook page.

"We talked about how those venues can make our library more successful eventwise," Fuller said. "We are going to try some Tweeting and some blogging, with Tom and/or his staff taking turns. Possibly, some of the rest of us will be involved."

Meyer has been contacted by Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch to use its free blogging platform as a venue.