Resilient Communities grant stipend winner

Penn Yan Public Library is a proud recipient of a programming stipend from Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change, which helps libraries engage their communities in programs and conversations on the climate crisis.   Throughout 2021, PYPL will convene community members for virtual film screenings, discussions, and action opportunities. In addition, the grant stipend will be used to support outreach around disaster preparedness, food security, native pollinators, and recycling, all key elements of resilience and sustainability alike.  PYPL is supported in this effort by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Yates County and Citizens’ Climate.  Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change is a pilot program of the American Library Association.

Action Ideas

About our Resilient Communities grant supporters:

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Yates County

“Since 1913, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Yates County (CCEYC) has responded to the needs of local residents with unbiased, research-based information, tools and education that people have come to depend on and trust. Our programs are developed in direct response to community input, and are based on the most current information available from Cornell and other Land Grant universities from across the nation.” Visit their website here.

Citizens’ Climate

“Citizens’ Climate is a non-profit, nonpartisan, grassroots organization, with 500+ chapters in 60 countries, fostering conversation with community leaders about bipartisan national policies to lower emissions at the pace and scale needed without hurting the economy or low- or middle- income Americans.” Find out more about this organization here.

Do you represent an organization committed to advancing environmental sustainability in our region? We’d love to talk and share information! Send us an email at info@pypl.stls.org.

Resilient Penn Yan presentation recordings

Proud site of an electric vehicle charging station

This charging station has been part of our library landscape since the end of 2019, and has been serving drivers ever since – rain or shine, whether the library’s been open or closed. A collaboration with Yates County, the installation of the station qualified the county for a Charge Ready NY rebate from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). “The completion of the charging station is also one of our four required high-impact actions that will help us qualify for the Clean Energy Community designation from NYSERDA. This designation will award the County a grant of between $50,000 and $250,000 with no local cost share, to support additional clean energy projects,” said Nonie Flynn, Yates County Treasurer and acting county administrator. The library’s charger is discoverable by all electric vehicle users through apps and services like ChargeHub, which map charger locations for ease of planning and travel.