named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Book Club Support
Orders multiple copies of books for book clubs when available in the library system, excluding very new titles or those with high demand
Community Room Use
Provides meeting space for nonprofit community organizations in the Ottinger Room, Small Program Room, or Creative Space, available once per month with advance application
Interlibrary Loan
Provides access to materials outside the Westchester Library System through borrowing requests submitted online or at the Reference Desk
Museum Pass Program
Offers family museum passes for popular New York cultural institutions, available for three-day checkout at the Reference Desk
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Public Access to Digital and Physical Library Collections 2 activities
- Facilitates community access to databases and online resourcesProvides full, free access to subscription databases including The New York Times and other newspapers for patrons with a library card.
- Provides public library services to residents of Croton-on-HudsonOffers free access to books, DVDs, Blu-rays, magazines, and digital resources; issues free library cards to eligible residents; and lends materials with flexible checkout and renewal policies. Provides Interlibrary Loan services through the Westchester Library System to obtain unavailable titles.
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Library Volunteer Coordination & Community Engagement 1 activity
- Engages volunteers in library operations and eventsRecruits and utilizes volunteers for daily tasks such as shelving and for special events including Book and Bake Sales to support library functions.
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Inclusive Social & Recreational Events 1 activity
- Hosts free public programs for children, teens, and adultsOffers ongoing age-specific programs including weekly children's programming (ages 0–5), tween programs (grades 5–8), teen events, and adult-focused lectures, concerts, art exhibits, and community events. All programs are free and open to the public regardless of residency or library card ownership.
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Regional Library Resource Sharing 1 activity
- Offers interlibrary loan and book club set lendingProvides Interlibrary Loan services through the Westchester Library System to obtain titles not available locally and offers book club sets for loan when available within the system.
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Library-Provided Cultural Access Passes 1 activity
- Provides family museum passes and community meeting spaceOffers family museum passes available for three-day checkout at the reference desk. Provides free meeting space in the Ottinger Room or small meeting room to nonprofit organizations for events that are free and open to the public.
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Public Access Technology Services 1 activity
- Provides public technology and digital access servicesOffers access to four desktop computers, eight in-house laptops, long-term laptop loans, free WiFi, printing (up to 100 pages per day), scanning, and faxing at minimal cost to support public use.
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Library Book Donation Management 1 activity
- Supports book donations and material circulation initiativesAccepts book and material donations during open hours, provides a designated donation cart in the lobby, and issues receipts upon request. Organized past community book drives and house-to-house campaigns to build the library’s initial collection.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Maintains dedicated youth spaces and programming facilitiesOperates a renovated Children’s Room and a dedicated Teen Room, both funded by donor contributions. The Ottinger Room, constructed with a bequest from Egon and Lilyan Ottinger, hosts public events including lectures, concerts, art exhibits, and blood drives.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.12M
Contributions & grants$1.06M94%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$62K6%
Other revenue$2K
expenses
Total expenses$1.18M
Program expenses74%
Admin / overhead19%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$753K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.82M
Cash$2.32M
Investments$0
Liabilities$28K
Net assets$2.79M
Liquid reserves23.5 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +4.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 11
- ADAM DECKER — MEMBER
- BARRY FEINBERG — MEMBER
- BETHANY BASILE — TREASURER
- JUSTIN JOHNSON — VICE-PRESIDENT
- KATE FABIAN — MEMBER
- LAURA JAEGER — SECRETARY
- LESLIE ELLIS — MEMBER
- MARGARET MAHONEY — MEMBER
- MARIANNE MEROLA — MEMBER
- MAYLA HSU — MEMBER
- SUSAN RANIS — PRESIDENT
relationships · 8
Who they work with
- Egon and Lilyan Ottinger Partner — Provided a substantial bequest that funded the Ottinger Room, used for public programs.
- Lila Acheson Wallace Funder — Provided an anonymous $10,000 challenge grant to support the library's construction fundraising campaign.
- Meissner family Partner — Provided a generous bequest that funded the renovation of the children's room and ongoing children's programming.
- Robert Watson Funder — Provided a major bequest in memory of Ola Smith Watson to fund construction of the new library building.
- Town of Cortlandt Government — Provides partial funding to support library services for Cortlandt residents outside the school district
- Vicenzo Delia Partner — Donated land for the construction of the new library building.
- Westchester Library System Network — Member of the Westchester Library System, enabling interlibrary loans and shared access to resources.
- Westchester Library System Network — Member of the Westchester Library System, enabling shared catalog access, interlibrary loans, and reciprocal borrowing privileges.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Funded Service Expansionmethodology: community-funded expansionBy relying on community donations and bequests in addition to public funding, the library expands services beyond baseline municipal support, because local investment strengthens ownership and enables innovation not possible through taxes alone.
- Housing-First for Patronsmethodology: housing-firstBy providing permanent housing without preconditions and then adding wraparound services, the organization believes it improves engagement and outcomes—applying a housing-first model to support vulnerable library users through stability-first interventions.
- Independent Community Governancemethodology: independent_governanceBy operating as an independent association library governed by a non-profit board, the organization maintains autonomy to tailor services to community needs beyond municipal constraints, because self-governance enables responsive and mission-driven programming.