SHERMAN — Minerva Free Library in Sherman is seeking sustainable funding as it struggles to survive financially.

As is currently being sought at libraries in Bemus Point and Fluvanna, Minerva Free Library is turning to a 259 vote. In New York state, libraries can request that school districts place a special proposition on their ballots during school budget votes — asking for taxes to be collected in support of a library. A proposition is separate from the school budget vote.

In 2022, the Minerva Free Library Board of Trustees brought in only $6,000 through fundraisers, which was “not enough to close the gap,” the board said in a pamphlet outlining the need for a 259 vote.

An endowment fund, which covers most of the facility’s operating expenses, is “dwindling” to about $27,000 per year and will be exhausted by 2026.

“The library is struggling to survive without sustainable funding,” the board said in its “Save the Library” information offering to the public.

Board members are looking at bringing in $85,000 annually through a tax levy that would be included in the bills of residents in the Sherman Central School District. The amount each person will pay, if passed during a special vote June 1, depends on assessed valuation.

Residents in Sherman would pay about 46 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation. That means the owner of a home valued at $75,000 would pay about $34.50 a year while the owner of a home valued at $150,000 would pay about $69 a year.

At present, Minerva Free Library is operating at a cost of $52,134, with about $10,000 being provided annually from the village and town.

In addition, the library is in need of renovations that include an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant lift and bathroom; energy efficient HVAC systems; new windows to reduce heating/cooling loss; and updated flooring and furnishings.

“The library cannot continue to struggle to earn a large percentage of their funding through sources that cannot be guaranteed,” the board of trustees said. “The volunteer Board of Trustees work hard to raise funds, but it is crucial that the majority of their funding be secure.”

In 2022, Minerva Free Library hosted 89 community meetings and served 1,900 patrons. Last year, 4,515 physical items were borrowed by the community, while 602 electronic books were checked out and 235 new items were added to the collection.

Bemus Point Library at 13 Main St. and Fluvanna Free Library at 3532 Fluvanna Ave. are asking for $130,000 to be funded annually by taxpayers to be split evenly between the two facilities.

The Anderson-Lee Library in Silver Creek, Hazeltine Public Library in Busti, Lakewood Memorial Library in Lakewood and James Prendergast Library in Jamestown all receive annual funding from 259 votes.