The forerunner of the Mechanicville District Public Library was the L.B. Blakeman Library begun in 1895. Lymann Blakeman, the first principal of Mechanicville District School, established the first library in the school basement, open two afternoons a week to students and public. Mr. Blakeman was assisted by Jessie Walker, who attended library school in Albany where Melvil Dewey himself, “kept careful watch over her.” Mr. Dewey came up from Albany to Mechanicville and lectured on, “How to form a public library.” In succeeding years, Blakeman Library had a dual role, serving public and students, but no clear cut lines of responsibility were established.Plans for a new high school in 1965 made no provisions for public service. The Public Library Development committee met for the first time in June 1965. After much work and deliberation of what kind of library to have, on May 5, 1966 by a vote of 574-130, The Mechanicville District Public Library was established. Her Provisional Charter was granted by the Board of Regents on June 24, 1966 and an agreement for inclusion in the South Adirondack Library System was made on June 28, 1966.The Library opened to the public in an old brick house at 15 South Main Street in February 1967, with Elizabeth Morse as its first Director.
Claire Haizlip was a long-tenured librarian (1968 thru 1993) who would be remembered by most Mechanicville-area residents who used the Library in the past three decades. After 25 years of service Claire retired but not before plans for a new Library were set. The Library moved into a brand new building at 190 North Main Street in February 1997. Today the library is more of a multimedia center, striving to accomplish the goals set out in our mission, to be a window to the world for the town. Through various materials we have and programs we offer, the Library works to be a center of the Mechanicville community.
Staff:
Laura Fisher, Director
Michele Duell, Library Manager
Melissa Wallace, Senior Clerk
Theresa Moore, Public Relations
Marge Dunn, Clerk
Donna Serbalik, Clerk
Deborah Snyder, Clerk
Brenda Tompkins, Clerk
Alex Enzien, Page
Ana Snyder, Page
Board of Trustees:
Saverio A. Carabis, President
Andrea DiDomenico
Marilyn Erano
Thomas F. Golden, Jr.
James Levesque
Michelle Duell, James Levesque, Laura Fisher, Saverio Carabis, Andrea DiDomenico, Tom Golden, and Marilyn Erano