Mission Statement

The Fred & Harriett Taylor Memorial Library will provide an inviting atmosphere that encourages the educational, cultural and recreational pursuits of the community.

Brief History 

The Fred & Harriett Taylor Memorial Library (formerly called the Hammondsport Public Library) was founded in 1876. Membership cost $1.00 per year and entitled the card holder to borrow 1 book per week. The Library had 388 books and was located in H.L. Moore's Drug Store. The collection has grown to about 30,000 items and is growing every day. The first book purchased by the library, 'Hawthorne's Works' shown below, remains in the collection.
                                                                                                          Over the years the Library has moved 5 times: in 1883 to what is now the U.S. Post Office parking lot; in 1896 to the basement of the school at Lake and Main; in the 1930's to the Conderman Block (opera house), in 1962 to the town office building (the old school building again), and in 2007 to the newly built Fred & Harriett Taylor Memorial Library at 21 William Street.
                                                                                                           The library was established by an association, with the School District taking over in 1896, and was chartered in 1938 by the Town of Urbana as a Town Public Library.
                                                                                                                  For more library history, Click Here!
 

Last Revised - 5/29/2007 - Fred & Harriett Taylor Memorial Library, Hammondsport, NY