Heermance Memorial Library

Mission:

The mission of the Heermance Memorial Library is to inspire lifelong learning and to support and enhance the cultural and recreational needs of our community.

About Us:

The Heermance Memorial Library was chartered by the N. Y. S. Board of Regents on March 12, 1908. The library was established according to the terms of the will of Eleanor Christina Heermance. Miss Heermance, a life-long resident of Coxsackie, was born in 1820 and died in 1907. In her will, Miss Heermance bequeathed her home at 1 Ely Street and a trust fund to establish a circulating library for the residents of the Town and its vicinity. This bequest provided residents of Coxsackie a library building and funding for library services for 92 years.

On October 6, 1999 the residents of the Town of Coxsackie voted overwhelmingly to make the Heermance Memorial Library a Special District Library. As a result the Heermance Memorial Library is funded through taxes, which are levied following the annual vote on the budget in October of each year. A new charter was received in 2000. Residents of the Town of Coxsackie vote each year on the library budget and elect 3 members to the Board of Trustees. The library tax is listed as a separate item on the Town of Coxsackie tax bill.

In her 1907 will, Eleanor Heermance bequeathed her home to establish a library for the town of Coxsackie. To this day, her library provides not only books, but movies, music, audio and e-books, computer and Internet access, programs, and friendly staff.