The Rye Free Reading Room has always promised one thing: everything inside is free. But keeping things “free” in 2025 comes with a hefty price tag not imagined in 1884 by the library’s founders. A $171,186 funding gap threatens the library’s ability to operate at the level residents have come to expect.
Private fundraising dollars — historically used for programs and enrichment — are increasingly covering basic needs like staffing, maintenance, and building upgrades, according to Rye Free Reading Room’s Director Chris Shoemaker.
“The $171,000 gap represents about 6,000 books that we are not able to purchase,” Shoemaker said. “It also means fewer big community-wide reading events.” He added that it is his hope to once again bring acclaimed authors to Rye, like Anthony Doerr, who visited to discuss his historical novel “All the Light We Cannot See.” “We’d love to be able to do that again,” Shoemaker said.
While such events are not solely responsible for the shortfall, Shoemaker said they represent the type of programming most at risk when operating costs take priority.
The Rye Free Reading Room remains one of the busiest libraries in Westchester County. Rye spends $81.97 per capita on library services compared with a county average of $96.03, according to the Westchester Library System. Yet the Rye Free Reading Room still ranks near the top among Westchester libraries: sixth in hours open, seventh in programs offered, and eighth in both program attendance and visits.
Independent mayoral candidate Rick McCabe said those statistics point to the library’s efficiency. “It’s a well-run institution, and any additional investment would be put to good use,” he said, adding that he is open to helping the library receive more funding.
One constant amid financial strain has been the generosity of Rye residents. For more than two decades, residents have donated an average of $233,000 annually. Those contributions have fueled children’s story hours, senior programming, new collections, and author visits. But rising costs threaten to divert that money.
“What we’re asking the city to focus on is really staffing costs and those basic needs: heat, electricity, physical repairs like HVAC,” Shoemaker said. “The community responds to our requests to make donations to fill the shelves and bring in special events. But we’re asking the city to fund the core operating expenses.”
Shoemaker also noted that the library has worked to manage rising costs.
“We’ve been addressing rising costs while being sensitive to other demands on tax dollars,” he said. “But at this point, more and more of our private dollars are being diverted away from the core of what they’re being given for.”
Mayor Josh Cohn called the library “one of the gems of Rye.” He said the $171,000 shortfall will be weighed carefully by the City Council. “I’m pretty sure that everyone will want us to do the best we can to help the library. We will want to see that the library is doing the best it can to help itself as well.”
Since 2006, the City’s funding has risen by about 30 percent, from roughly $1.05 million to $1.42 million. “When you think of inflation and salary increases and the like… it doesn’t strike me as a dramatic increase,” Cohn said.
As for the next mayor, Cohn offered this advice: “I would of course tell the mayor who succeeds me to be as enthusiastic as I am about the library and continue to support the library to the best of the city’s ability.”
Now, with new leadership on the horizon, the question of how the city will address the funding gap will fall to the candidates vying to replace the two-term mayor.
Democratic mayoral candidate Josh Nathan, who is also a council member and liaison to the library, said, “We need to address [the funding gap]… the library should be fully funded for its basic operations.” He pointed to the broad impact the Free Reading Room has across the community. “You go into the library and you truly see everyone — little kids, elementary school kids, high schoolers, young adults, older adults. The whole span is there, and that’s part of why it’s such a key asset for Rye,” he said.
Nathan cautioned against what he called a “philanthropic tax” on the community. “If the library is forced to fundraise for its core services, it ends up competing with other nonprofits for limited dollars.”
Nathan added that Rye’s investment should be considered in the context of peer communities across Westchester. “Some communities fund their libraries 100 percent — even more, covering special programs on top of operations,” he said. “Rye should at least be covering the basics…Those basics are a city responsibility.”
Fellow Councilmember and Republican mayoral candidate Bill Henderson said the library’s funding request must be weighed within the broader budget process. “I’m open to looking at increased funding requests for the library,” Henderson said. “But any increase will have to be considered in the context of all the other items in the annual budget. The library is an important institution that deserves support, but governing always means balancing competing needs.”
“Our job is to look at what the city manager proposes, weigh it against all the demands we face — police, fire, DPW, capital projects — and then decide what’s feasible,” Henderson said.
McCabe praised the library as “as important an institution as there is in town,” and expressed pride in the city’s existing commitment. “Residents should know that Rye provides a substantial contribution [to the RFRR], and that’s something we can be proud of.”
Residents are proud of the library. “As a grandmother now, bringing my grandsons here — just as I once did with my children — reminds me of the joy found in play, reading, and creativity,” said Susan Salice, a longtime Rye resident. “The toddler programs are always full of energy, and the new play area offers such a warm and welcoming space.”
She added that the funding gap threatens opportunities across generations. “In this digital age, the concept of a library is evolving, and the Rye library must evolve alongside it to continue meeting the changing needs of residents, fostering learning, creativity, and connection for all generations.”
By Jessica Maricevic
