Mission
Cheney Library of Hoosick Falls, New York, connects people, from pre-school through maturity with information, ideas and experiences which provide enjoyment, enrich lives and strengthen our community.
History
The Cheney Library was a gift to the people of Hoosick Falls from Charles Cheney who, in 1912, left $50,000 in his estate for the construction and support of a Library and historical rooms. Mr. Cheney was a long-standing student of history with a keen interest in libraries. In his will, Mr. Cheney also left the people of Hoosick Falls many books and pictures for the Library.
In 1907, Mr. Cheney petitioned the New York State Education Department for a Charter for a Library for Hoosick Falls. The Hoosick Falls Free Public Library was opened in February of that year in the municipal building on Main Street. After Mr. Cheney’s death in 1912, the funds he left for the Library were invested until they had increased enough for a suitable building. On October 22, 1922, the cornerstone of the Cheney Library was laid. The library opened on November 23, 1923 with 4,000 books in its collection and 400 patrons.
Today, the Cheney Library has over 13,000 books, 1,000 audio and visual materials, several different magazines and 2,400 patrons. Our circulation is automated and we have 6 public computers for Internet access. We have Story Hour for preschool children, New York State Summer Reading Program for school age students, sponsor 2 book clubs, and host a knitting/crochet group and a quilting group. The historical rooms are no longer used as such. However, all of the historical material from the Library is now at the Louis. B. Miller Museum. A Grandma Moses painting is on loan to the Bennington Museum. Some items of interest that remain at the Library include an original 1860 map of the Village, the Hurlburt Chart, handwritten in 1872 and giving a history of the Village from 1832 on, and a Jose de Creeft painting.
The Cheney Library is a member of the Upper Hudson Library System, a consortium of 36 libraries in Albany and Rensselaer Counties. Through the interlibrary loan service, Cheney Library borrowers have access to thousands of books, CDs, and DVDs throughout the system.