Cairo Public Library looks to roll into Durham

CAIRO―The Cairo Public Library may soon be rolling beyond its walls.

Library Director Corinne Tatavitto said the library has advanced to the final round of an Accessible Small and Rural Communities grant through the American Libraries Association.

It is a competitive funding opportunity aimed at improving access to library services in rural areas with populations under 25,000. For Cairo, which currently serves approximately 6,000 residents, the grant could mark a transformative expansion into neighboring Durham.

“The Town of Durham provides funding for this library through school taxes, and we feel that they should be able to utilize our resources more,” Tatavitto said.

Tatavitto submitted the grant application in November, and the library is now in Round Four—the final stage of the selection process. A decision is expected as early as March 19, with final notifications no later than March 31.

If awarded, one grant would provide $20,000, designated for the purchase of a large vehicle—potentially a repurposed school bus—along with books and library materials. Additional grants totaling $10,000 would allow the library flexibility in deciding whether to further invest in a vehicle, materials, or a combination of both.

The idea for the expansion emerged following the closure of the Durham Reading Room two years ago, which left residents without easy access to library resources. Since then, Cairo Public Library staff and partners like the Friends of the Cairo Public Library have been exploring creative solutions to bridge that gap.

One such solution is a bookmobile-style service that would bring books, materials, and library programming directly into Durham. The proposed vehicle could park in high-traffic community locations such as the Cairo-Durham High School parking lot during dismissal or at The Milk Run, maximizing visibility and foot traffic.

Adrianne Pierce, ambassador for the Mid-Hudson Library System, has been working alongside the Cairo Public Library on the expansion and emphasized the importance of accessibility in rural communities.

“Acknowledging the large, spread out area the Cairo Public Library serves, we seek to address any accessibility issues that might exist in terms of our library collections,” Pierce said.

“A bookmobile or some variant thereof seemed to be something that has worked at a couple of other libraries, so we started looking into that as a possibility and have applied for a grant that will help to offset expenses,” Pierce added.

Should the grant be approved, the Cairo Public Library would not only expand its physical reach but also reaffirm its role as a community anchor—meeting residents where they are and ensuring that access to knowledge, literacy, and shared space doesn’t end at town lines.

‍