The Ogdensburg Public Library has long received half a million dollars from the city to operate.  

However, recently, Ogdensburg has found itself in a financial crisis, staring at bankruptcy. The city pulled the funding, leaving the library to figure out how to survive on its own.

“We couldn’t have been open. Staffing would have been an issue,” Ogdensburg Public Library Executive Director Penny Kerfien said.

Kerfien believes at a time like this, with so many people still recovering from the economics of the pandemic, libraries are needed now more than ever.

“We have computers for public access," Kerfien said. "They come in, do or update resumes, look for jobs, apply for whatever funding they need. Then they do their research."

No longer relying on the city for funding, the library turned to the very people it supports, requesting the funding through a referendum with the school district. The vote was passed easily, ensuring at least the short-term future of the library.

“It was amazing," Kerfien said. "They came out in all kinds of numbers, supported us. We got phone calls, emails, letters. It was amazing.

“It just blew my mind. I felt so blessed."

But, Kerfien also knows the work for long-term stability must go on. 

The library received an opportunity for a matching grant, up to $10,000 from the Northern New York Community Foundation. For every dollar the library raises, it gets one.

“We have had people donate whatever they can," Kerfien said. "A friend of the library, a real good patron, has started a program where if you donate $10, it gets matched, and can you find 100 friends to donate $10?"

That’s what the library loves about this particular program: No donation is too small.

To make a donation through this program, you are asked to reach out to the Northern New York Community Foundation or visit its website.