The Saratoga Springs Public Library will
start a program to give people access to better
financial and investor information.
The library was one of 17 public libraries
nationwide chosen through a competitive
process to receive a grant from the Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor
Education Foundation in partnership with
the American Library Association (ALA) as part
of “Smart investing@your library” program.
This grant will help to build the capacity of
the library to provide effective, unbiased financial
and investor education to the community,
library officials said.
With the funding, the library will be offering
a series of adult and teen financial workshops
this fall that focus on various aspects of personal
finance, such as small business planning,
the basics of investing, repairing credit, and
retirement planning.
The library will also use a portion of the
funds to purchase updated library materials
and databases about finance and investing for
the general collection.
Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Finance
Michele Madigan, who also possesses a masters
degree in library science was hired to administer
the grant and is currently serving as the
library’s financial literacy coordinator.
“It’s an honor to receive this generous grant
from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.
The funding will give the community access to free, unbiased financial information programs,” said reference librarian Jacquelyn
Kowalczyk. “We’re excited by the prospect of
collaborating in new ways with trusted community
partners to deliver information that
helps people build a brighter financial future.”
The Saratoga Springs Public Library will
be working with a number of civic groups,
including SCORE (Service Corps of Retired
Executives), and the Small Business Development
Center in order to provide information to
diverse audiences in the community.
Two educational sessions were held in September.
Those to be held for the rest of 2014
as part of the program include: Customer
Service Basics, Oct. 8; Branding 101, Nov. 5;
and Positioning for Growth, Dec. 10.
“The libraries participating in this grant
program make reliable financial information
and education readily accessible in their communities,”
said Gerri Walsh, president of the
FINRA Foundation. “Libraries are paying close
attention to their communities’ needs and aspirations,
and can respond in creative, sustainable
ways to help residents achieve financial
goals for themselves and their families.”
Smart investing@your library is a partnership
between the Reference and User Services
Association (RUSA), a division of the American
Library Association, and the FINRA Investor
Education Foundation. The program supports
public libraries across the country in their
efforts to meet financial education needs at
the local level.