Marcellus Township Residents Continue Millage Support for Library

November 7, 2018 was a happy day at the Marcellus Township Wood Memorial Library.  Library Director Christine Nofsinger greeted her staff with her arms in the air and a big smile on her face as she announced that the residents of Marcellus Township had voted the previous day to continue to pay 2 mills as part of their annual taxes to support the library.

“I am so incredibly grateful,” Nofsinger said.  “This community has never turned down a millage request in the 73 years since the library was first put on the ballot, in 1945, with a request for ½ mill.  We are so very fortunate to be in a township which values the library.”

An additional ½ mill was added in 1997, increasing the millage to 1 mill.  In 2012 a proposal to add an additional 1 mill was passed, bringing the library millage to 2 mills.  The vote this year renews the 2 mill amount for the coming years. 

As recent articles in The Marcellus News have described, there have been people in the Marcellus area who have cared deeply about the library since 1895.  First it was the Ladies’ Library Association; later a bequest from Russell Wood made it possible to build a library building.  Many local people have pitched in and worked with township authorities to create a well-organized and solidly supported library.  Committed local residents have given hundreds of volunteer hours to guiding the library’s development through their role as library board members (also known as trustees) and as supportive library patrons.

Library staff persons had an extra lilt in their steps after receiving the news of the millage passage.  Staff members Byron Cuddleback, Joy Kozik, Jo Beachy, Patty Witten and Suzanne Lind walk past a picture of benefactor Russell Wood many times a day.  On this day they could look once again at that picture, give a smile and an imaginary high-five, and say, “Thanks, Russell!  You did a good thing and this great community is continuing to help the library fulfill its mission,” which is:

The Marcellus Township Wood Memorial Library serves as the center for lifetime learning and enjoyment in order to improve the quality of life for all citizens.  It does this by providing resources that enhance and contribute to knowledge, enlightenment, cultural and recreational needs.  As a community resource, the library’s mission is to enrich life, stimulate curiosity, foster literacy and provide the resources necessary for an informed citizenry.