About the Library
Mission Statement
The Round Lake Library delivers quality library resources and services, preserves a link to our local history, and functions as a contributing partner with the Southern Adirondack Library System in order to meet the needs of our ever-changing community
Round Lake Library provides equal-opportunity access to information, high quality book and multimedia materials, programs, exhibits, and online resources to meet the needs of our diverse community, supporting lifelong learning, cultural enrichment and intellectual stimulation.
To fulfill its mission, the Round Lake Library, supported by the Board of Trustees and the Women’s Round Lake Improvement Society, employs a knowledgeable, well-trained staff committed to excellent service.
History
The Round Lake Library was originally known as The Free Library and Reading Room and opened July 6, 1897 with 400 books donated by residents of the village. It was the second library in Saratoga County and the first to have its own building. The Women’s Round Lake Improvement Society (WRLIS) rented the Clark House for $150 per year in order to house the Library and the building was bequeathed to the Library after its owner, Caroline Garnsey, died. The Library’s first three librarians were members of the same family: Louise Lodewick Stevens, followed by her daughter Grace Powers and then her granddaughter Dorothy Northup in 1954.
The Village of Round Lake has decorative wooden homes crowded closely together, and while this makes for a quaint community, it also created a fire hazard. On July 11, 1921, 17 buildings were destroyed as a result of a fire that started in a cottage located on the Library lawn. The Library was one of the few buildings that was not completely destroyed. The Round Lake Library is still housed in its original Victorian-style building at 31 Wesley Avenue. The Kate VanDembers Memorial Committee Room was added following the loss of the social room in the 1921 fire and the WRLIS meeting room was added later.
In 1908, New York State aided the Library in instituting and using the Dewey Decimal Classification. In 1955, the Vischer Ferry Library donated many books to the Round Lake Library’s collection, which significantly enhanced its offerings. The Round Lake Library was also the first Library in Saratoga County to join the Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS) in 1957, a voluntary association of public libraries in Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties. As a result, the Library received funding for books, equipment and reference materials and by 1968 it offered the borrowing of books, records, art prints and films, as well as providing reference services and eventually interlibrary loan services.
On September 16th, 2009 the Round Lake Library opened a new branch to accommodate the growing population in the town of Malta. The Malta Branch is located inside the David R. Meager Community Center.
Board of Trustees
The Round Lake Library is governed by a eleven-member board who are involved in governance, fundraising, and special projects for the Library.
Board meetings are open to the public and held on the second Tuesday of the month at 7pm in the Community Room at the Village Hall.
If you’re interested in becoming a member of this active board, please contact us at .
Bylaws of Round Lake Library Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees’ Meeting Minutes and Documentation
WRLIS
Established in 1896, WRLIS is a not-for-profit organization whose goal is “to make Round Lake a more desirable place to live.”
The Woman’s Round Lake Improvement Society (WRLIS) not only operates the library, but also coordinates all fundraising activities for the library and other events in the village of Round Lake.
More information can be found on the WRLIS website.
Affiliations
The Round Lake Library is a member of the Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS).
We are a function of the Woman’s Round Lake Improvement Society (WRLIS) and governed by a Board of Trustees.