Stillwater Public Library, NY

The Stillwater Public Librarys Mission is to provide educational, informational, and recreational resources to patrons of all ages, cultural, and economic backgrounds. The library is committed to protecting intellectual freedom, promoting lifelong learning, and providing materials and resources that accomplish these objectives. In 1949, Elizabeth Beiter and Barbara Alexik were designated captains of an important journey. Armed with a love of reading and the desire to share, they solicited book donations, latched onto a few volunteers and set off to institute a library. The library was first located in a one-room cabin in the center of the village of Stillwater. After ten years, they purchased St. Johns Episcopal Church (originally built in 1874) for $500 and were provisionally named The Stillwater Free Library. Elizabeth stayed on as our volunteer librarian for many years. Many townspeople served as volunteer clerks under her guidance. Open hours were pretty regular, although Eliz...