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Library

Picture
The library began as a home-based reading center to which Mrs. Emily Heintzelman gave many books. The  land for the original building was deeded to the trustees of the  Heintzelman Library by Laura A. and  Scott Barton.  In 1907 the stone and wood building  which first housed the Horicon Free  Public Library was completed and  inscribed as the Heintzelman Library.  Twenty-five years later, the town of Horicon assumed responsibility and to  the present year, the library has been tax supported. In 2001, the Town built a Community Center, including a larger library. This enabled us to meet state standards, and to accommodate the increasing needs of the community.  The library is a member of the Southern Adirondack Library System.

Please take our Survey to help us further develop the Library. 

Contact Information:   
Horicon Free Library     
                                     PO Box 185   6604 State Route 8 
                                     Brant Lake, NY 12815
                                     Phone: (518) 494-4189  Fax: (518) 494-3852
                                     Linda Hoyt, Director

The Board of Trustees meetings: 2nd Monday each month at 9:30AM

Library Hours:   Monday: 2-8 PM 
                          Tuesday: 12-5 PM
                          Thursday: 2-8 PM
                          Saturday: 10-1 PM

The library will be closed for the following holidays:
Monday, January 2, 2012 
Monday, January 16, 2012 
Monday, February 20, 2012 
Monday, May 28, 2012 
Monday, September 3, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012 
Thursday, November 22, 2012 
Monday and Tuesday, December 24 & 25
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013

Membership:
All residents of the area are entitled to be borrowers. Proof of residency is required. You do not have to live here year-round to be a borrower. Non-residents who do not have valid SALS/MVLS cards may obtain cards by presenting a current valid library card from almost any other public library along with a current valid ID with name and address.

Loan Policy:
Print items and books on CDs or cassette tapes have a loan period of two weeks unless otherwise stated. The loan period for DVDs and VHS tapes (videos) is seven days, with a limit of three per visit. Most items are renewable. When renewing materials it is preferred that you bring them to the library for renewal. If you renew by phone, please have your library card and the items for renewal with you at the phone. A book drop is available for off-hours returns.

Reserves and Interlibrary Loans:
Materials owned by the Horicon Free Library that are not currently available may be reserved at the circulation desk. If the library does not own the item you want, we will try to locate it for you and order it through Interlibrary Loan. Subject requests beyond our resources may be handled by the central reference library, Crandall Library in Glens Falls.

Memorials and Gifts:
Relatives and friends of deceased persons are encouraged to contribute monetary donations for special book purchases. Those books will carry memorial name plates, to your specification, and make meaningful additions to the collection.

Donations:
Donations of books and other items, whether useful to the collection or sellable at the  library's book sales, are welcome. We request you consult with the librarian prior to bringing donated items to the library. All items must be clean and in good condition. We do not accept encyclopedias or textbooks.

Services from the Southern Adirondack Library System
The Horicon Free Library is a member of the
Southern Adirondack Library System ("SALS"). Our membership provides the Horicon Free Library and the prople living in the Town of Horicon with many benefits, including the following:
  • Cost-saving business practices: Centralized ordering stretches our budget.
  • Easy and efficient resource sharing: the Interlibrary Loan service is invaluable.
  • Access to electronic technologies: Our library could never afford to hire someone with the expertise of SALS' computer system managers
  • Participation in innovative projects and programs: It is nice to have SALS write a grant application for us.
  • Leadership and Advocacy: Librarians' meetings and conferences help our library because they are forums for sharing ideas, experiences and information among libraries across a wide geographic area.
 
Computer Services:
  • Computer-based library catalog available in the library or online at http://catalog.sals.edu
  • Free Internet Access
  • Multi-media computer with educational software for children and adults
  • WiFi capability
  • Five public computers for word processing use
  • Research databases at http://research.sals.edu/brl

Other Services:
  • Fiction and non-fiction books
  • Large type books
  • Books on CD and tape
  • Adirondack hisory collection, including local history
  • DVDs and VHS videocassettes
  • Magazines
  • Photocopying

Friends of the Library

The Friends of Horicon Free Public Library is a group that was formed in 2001 to assist and support our library by providing funds for items not covered by budgets and to provide classes and programs for children and adults in out community. Our programs are always free and open to the public and they are both educational and entertaining, and well planned and organized.

The Friends have a board of directors of 18 and a paid membership of 325. The group meets at 4:00 on the second Thursday of the month in the community room of the town hall.

Barbara Blum, Chairman of the Children's Programs plans a yearly calendar of events that begins in January with a birdhouse making class, February is CREATING SPECIAL VALENTINES FOR SPECIAL PEOPLE, March and April is preparation for our annual Easter Egg Hunt that attracts one hundred or more families, in May the children create concrete garden stepping stones for Mother's Day, and in June there will be Pirates of the Carranza. July through the end of August we host 8 weeks of summer reading programs for children. Bedtime Stories and Treats is for children 4 and under and Adventures in Reading is for children ages 5 and up. Both programs are in the library at 6:30 PM Thursdays.

Throughout the year there will be programs for adults and families. The final event of the year is probably the biggest. Christmas in Brant Lake is a whole community effort to celebrate the holiday season. The families come to the Town Hall where the children can meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, create gifts for their families, frost Christmas cookies, enjoy refreshments, music, and entertainment, and go on a horse and carriage ride. This event is planned by the Friends and made possible by the members of the Friends, the Horicon Fire Department and Ladies Auxiliary, The Crafty Critters, and the Girl and Boy Scouts.

For further information about the Friends please call Sal Joiner at 518-260-0043. To register a child or ask about a children's program please call Barbara Blum at 518-494-3357.

Like many civic groups across the nation, our Friends of the Library group is planning an event to help families during these tough economic times by sponsoring our EVERYTHING FOR CHILDREN RECYCLE DAY This event will be held on the ball field and in the pavilion behind the Horicon Town Hall. For two Saturdays, our committee will be on hand to collect merchandise that people drop off to be recycled. Baby clothes and baby items, children's clothing, shoes, boots, outerwear, toys, sports equipment, books, games, videos, and electronic equipment will all be sorted, sized, categorized and made ready for parents to come and make their selections of free stuff. We are looking for good quality, clean, and neat items. The pick up and drop off dates and the date of the event will be announced one month prior to the recycle day. We hope that you will help us to make this worthy community effort a success by donating items you no longer use.

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