Mayville library seeks more funds following 2022 attack
OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Mayville Library President Pat Appelbe, right, speaks at the Chautauqua Town Board meeting. Also pictured is Library Director Melissa Bartok, left, and Library Clerk/Treasurer Sue Davis.
The Mayville Library has had to add security measures and increased staff after an attack in 2022. Because of that and expenses in general, the library is seeking more funding from its local municipalities.
OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Mayville Library President Pat Appelbe, right, speaks at the Chautauqua Town Board meeting. Also pictured is Library Director Melissa Bartok, left, and Library Clerk/Treasurer Sue Davis.
The Mayville Library has had to add security measures and increased staff after an attack in 2022. Because of that and expenses in general, the library is seeking more funding from its local municipalities.
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MAYVILLE - In 2022, a staff member of the Mayville Library was brutally attacked by a patron, apparently without reason. The assailant was arrested, tried and convicted in a court of law, and sentenced for attempted murder.
That incident forced the Mayville Library to do things differently, including making security upgrades and keeping a minimum of two staff members on at all times.
But those changes impacted the library's operations financially. They reduced hours from 47 to 38 hours a week and have had trustees and volunteers contribute more "sweat equity" for the property's upkeep.
They've also been active in seeking grants, donations and holding multiple book sales each year.
But even with all this, library officials say their budget remains stretched.
They've also had some building issues. Last winter the roof was damaged by ice. Their hot water tank also stopped functioning and needed to be replaced.
Highlighting all these challenges, representatives of the library attended the recent Chautauqua Town Board meeting and asked for a budget increase.
The town currently gives $53,000 to the library. Library officials are asking for that funding to be increased to $65,000.
A handout provided by the library staff shows the library has continued to grow.
In 2025, the library had 12,622 patrons, an increase of 2.7% over the last three years. Their circulation had increased by 4.6% as well.
But it's the programming at the library that has really grown.
In 2025, they had 254 adults attend 29 program sessions. That's an increase from 2022 of 17.6% for adults and an increase of 70.6% in sessions.
The number of children attending library programming had more than doubled over the last three years. They went from 1,124 children attending a programming event in 2022 to 2,354 children attending a session in 2025. The number of sessions also increased from 69 in 2022 to 124 in 2025.
"While many organizations in the town and the village have seen a decrease in participation, the library has attracted more patrons. Our services and programs fulfill important community needs. Our library promotes literacy and lifelong learning. Our library builds community and our library empowers individuals," library President Pat Appelbe said. "Our library is not just one service. Every day people use it to learn, work, read, connect and get help."
Library Director Melissa Bartok noted how the library is a social connection. "We have people come in that know we might be the only person that listens to them that day," she said.
Library Clerk/Treasurer Sue Davis said fundraising revenue increased from $7,600 in 2022 to $7,600 in 2025.
They've also had an increase in direct donations. "We're especially grateful to our donors. We have donors that are absolutely amazing but we can't count on that. That's not a solid figure that we can build into the budget because we don't know what the donors are going to be every year," Davis said.
Following the presentation, members of the Chautauqua Town Board thanked the library members for the presentation.
Town Supervisor Don Emhardt is currently putting the 2027 budget together and will be presenting it to the town board on Oct. 1.
Appelbe said they will be making a similar presentation to the Mayville Village Board sometime in the near future. Currently the village contributes $45,000 to the library.