Senator Acknowledged for Outstanding and Dedicated Service in Support of Libraries
The Metropolitan New York Library Council (“METRO”) has honored State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer (D-Mamaroneck) for her “outstanding and dedicated service in support of libraries.” The award was presented to Senator Oppenheimer at METRO’s annual meeting on October 17, 2011, in New York City.
Calling her “a great friend and supporter of the library community,” METRO Board President Norman Jacknis noted that Senator Oppenheimer is the only legislator to have earned an A+ on the New Yorkers for Better Libraries’ report card of legislative accountability. Senator Oppenheimer “has sponsored five library bills, four of them have already passed, and she’s made a valiant effort to restore library funding,” said Jacknis. “In honor of her long-standing commitment to the library community and for her many vital contributions to our area, METRO is pleased to present Senator Suzi Oppenheimer with a special award recognizing her outstanding work.”
Senator Oppenheimer recalled how, as an Army brat moving from city to city, libraries became her refuge – “a familiar in an unfamiliar town where I could find peace and a sense of normalcy amid the wonderful world of books.” A lifelong library patron, the Senator frequently checks out audio books for her drives to and from Albany and holds mobile office hours for constituents at the many public libraries within her Senate district.
“Over the years, I have sponsored numerous bills to help libraries operate more efficiently, lower costs and gain additional sources of revenue through volunteer taxpayer contributions, local government efficiency grants and other means. I have also fought to restore, and even increase, state aid to libraries,” said Senator Oppenheimer. Lamenting that cuts in state funding have left libraries in a precarious position, the Senator observed that in tough economic times, libraries are “great equalizers,” affording everyone, through their technological resources, “to access the internet and the vast array of job postings and career opportunities available online.”
Accepting the METRO award, Senator Oppenheimer told the library audience that they have “my commitment to continue to advocate for better, stronger and more fully funded libraries.” And she expressed her gratitude to those present for the work they do “so that libraries can continue to be a source of information for all, regardless of economic circumstances.”
The Metropolitan New York Library Council is a non-profit organization working to develop and maintain essential library services throughout New York City and Westchester County. METRO's service is developed and delivered with broad input and support from an experienced staff of library professionals, the organization's member libraries, an active board of trustees, government representatives and other experts in research and library operations. METRO has nearly 300 member institutions throughout New York City and Westchester County.
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