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The Cortland Free Library's roots extend back to 1886 when a South Cortland
Farmer, Franklin Hatch, realized his dream of endowing a public library.
Hatch's library, located on Court Street opposite the fire station, served
Cortland residents nearly 40 years. During the early 1920's, Hatch library
board president John Suggett joined citizens to reorganize the Hatch Library
as Cortland Free Library. The Library was chartered in 1926. The library first
served just the city of Cortland and now includes the Town of
Cortlandville.
Major facility expansions have occurred since the library opened in 1927:
shelving for the glass mezzanine was purchased in the 1930's, the separate
Children's Room was opened in 1961, additional mezzanines were constructed in
1975 and 1989, and handicap accessibility was also added in 1975.
Annual appropriations received from both Cortland and the Town of Cortlandville
provide the bulk of Cortland Free Library's operating funds. New books
purchases are paid by non-tax dollars: fines, memorial donations and other
contributions including library-benefit used book sales.
The Cortland Free Library, a member of the Finger Lakes Library System, houses
over 70,000 volumes comprised of children's books, as well as adult fiction
and non-fiction books, nearly 300 periodicals, over 8,000 reference volumes,
eight computer terminals with Internet access, and approximately 1,300
audio books. In microfilm format are the Cortland Standard since its inception
in 1867, the New York Times since 1966, and smaller runs of the Wall Street
Journal, Syracuse Post Standard, the Cortland Democrat, and several 19th
century local papers. Since the library is a member of the Finger Lakes
Library System, there is access to more than 400,000 items and dozens of databases for health information,
college choices, national newspapers, periodicals, references, encyclopedias,
authors and other resources.
The Adult Department offers three microfilm reader/printer machines, large
print books, career resources, a local history collection, and Heritage Quest software,
a genealogy program of the U.S. Census records. Adult Department books are
loaned for 24 days, while magazines, audio books, and new fiction may be borrowed
for 10 days. Overdue fines accumulate at the rate of ten cents per day to
a maximum of four dollars per item in the Adult Department and five cents
per day to a maximum of two dollars per item in the Children's Room.
The Children's Room offers a weekly toddler time on
Wednesdays, a "book bag" for teachers, a separate young adult section, a
playhouse, and a sofa for cozy reading.
The library publishes a
periodic newsletter to keep the public informed
of new services, events, resources and changes, and there is a monthly
listing of new books in the Cortland Standard.
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