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Open Books

HISTORY AND MISSION

The Vestal Public Library, formerly the Vestal Free Library, was founded in 1947 and proudly serves an area of more than 26,000 residents. Located in Broome County in Southern New York state, our library has more than 161,000 items in its collection, over 19,500 registered borrowers, and an annual circulation of over 225,000.

The Vestal Public Library is a member of the Four County Library System, which allows us to bring you access to nearly 50 public libraries in our system. 4CLS also serves Chenango County, Delaware County, and Otsego County.

History

The Willow Point Community Library, located in a home and stocked through the New York State Lending Library, was Vestal’s first library. Within 3 years the town opened a larger, more centrally located, Vestal Free Library. A rapidly growing population during the mid-20th C. required a larger facility with a larger inventory of materials and programs. The current library opened in 1974 in 17K sq. feet of space, later adding 4K square feet of additional space for meeting rooms. Originally a municipal library, the voters of the Vestal School District voted in 2016 to separate the library from the town, creating an independent entity funded by a library tax and operated by an elected Board of Trustees.

Mission

The mission of the Vestal Public Library is to be recognized as the resource for life-long learning, community involvement, and entertainment. Located in the heart of the community, the library will provide a welcoming, accessible, comfortable, and safe environment for users of all ages, incomes, and backgrounds.

Vision

The Vestal Public Library has been chartered to serve the taxpayers within the Vestal Central School District. Our mission is to provide our community through well-chosen materials, programs, events, and meeting spaces, opportunities for personal & social growth, education & entertainment. VPL is committed to seeking continuous community feedback to ensure we meet the needs and desires of our community and fulfill our goals and commitments.

Our Values Include:

  • Nurturing lifelong learning and personal growth.

  • Maintaining a physical library space that continues to meet patron needs.

  • Providing professional development opportunities for staff to remain current in new systems and technologies.

  • Encouraging opportunities for social and cultural interaction

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