Supplemental Materials and Equipment

FFRPL helps funds the purchase of supplemental Library materials, including books, ukuleles, DVD’s, audiobooks and ebooks, as well as laptops for Lincoln Branch and toys for Lincoln branch’s Toy Library. FFRPL helped fund themed Toy Library learning backpacks, additional sewing machines for the Arts Division, and popular Empire Passes for free vehicle entry into NYS Parks ˗ all available for loan. Through a special Retirees’ Challenge, FFRPL also raised money to help fund online Overdrive eBook purchases for MCLS.

Check availability of Central Library’s 5 soprano ukuleles.

For the Total Eclipse on April 8, 2024, FFRPL purchased thousands of eclipse glasses for distribution at Central Library and RPL City branches.

For the last five years (since FY2019-20), FFRPL has purchased New York State Empire Passes for every MCLS library: Central, branches, and towns. Empire Passes provide free access at New York State Parks and the State Dept. of Environmental Conservation including forests, beaches and trails.

In 2023, the Empire passes circulated from the Library more than 2,000 times, with activity at every member library in the system.

Learn more about borrowing Empire Passes.

As part of FFRPL’s support of the Lincoln Branch reconfiguration project (fundraising held FY2022-23) they are now able to provide access to a laptop that patrons can use while visiting the toy library. Branch Supervisor Sarah Lehman says, “Now our parents can use the laptops to do school work, apply to jobs, navigate necessary online services or anything they may need while the children are able to play in a safe and supportive environment of the toy library.” The grand re-opening for Lincoln Branch and the Toy Library was held September 2023. 

ipad, tripod, boom (above, left); tool station (above, center – kids sold separately); high def video camera (above, right)

For the 2021-2022 fiscal year, FFRPL purchased a new High Definition Video Camera, as well as all auxiliary equipment for the Kate Gleason Auditorium. The permanently mounted camera on the front of the booth which will have audio/visual streaming services that connect directly to the Library’s network, so ambient noise (from inside the room) won’t be an issue and the videos will be better quality overall, with uninterrupted service, and a better view of the featured speakers. Great news for patrons who attend our legacy events such as Books Sandwiched In, Tuesday Topics, and the Sokol H.S. Literary Awards, as well as the many events presented by Central Library in KGA throughout the year. FFRPL also bought new ipads and boom microphones for the Local History & Genealogy Division to live-stream some of their many programs, such as Rochester’s Rich History, and their Mourning in the Morning series.

For fiscal years 2020-21 and 2019-20, FFRPL helped fund the Library’s purchase of supplemental books, DVDs, audiobooks, and eBooks. We also helped fund Local History’s digitization of historically significant materials.

For the 2018-19 fiscal year, FFRPL purchased Books, DVDs, Audiobooks, and eBooks; as well as equipment for Central’s teen imagine YOU Digital Learning Lab, and toys for Lincoln Branch’s Toy Library. We also supported the Local History & Genealogy Division’s digitization project with funding for supplemental materials and equipment.

For the 2017-18 fiscal year, FFRPL helped fund themed Toy Library learning backpacks, additional sewing machines for the Arts Division, and popular Empire Passes for free vehicle entry into NYS Parks ˗̶  all available for loan. Through the successful Retirees’ Challenge, FFRPL also raised money to help fund online Overdrive eBook purchases for MCLS.

Learn more about the Toy Library at the Lincoln branch here

See the Toy Library’s video clip here!

Learn more about online Overdrive materials here

Onyx reader (left), ukuleles (center), sewing machine (right)