Who We Are...
The Holyoke Public Library Corporation is a private
organization incorporated in 1870. (Library
History & Governance).
The library provides general
circulation and
reference services for adult, young adult, and
children, and furnishes guidance and encouragement in the use of the Library
and its
resources.
Every effort is made to assist patron in
locating information and/or library materials, and accommodating special
requests. Library is open to all and its services are free.
There is ample evidence that the founders of
the Holyoke Public Library were fully aware of the far-reaching consequences
that a library can have in the life of a community. In dedicating the new
building in 1902, President Whiting referred to it as the “People’s
College”, and added that:
“A library is as much a part of the
intellectual life of a community as its schools, and should be supported
generously as part of our educational system. Within these walls you will
find authors devoted to literature, arts and science, and they are free to
any who will ask.
We can say to the citizens of Holyoke you
have only to ask her and you will find knowledge to make your life useful
and happy”.
These words spoken back
then, are as applicable today--and will be tomorrow--as they were then.
Today’s citizens of Holyoke owe a great debt to those far-sighted and
public-spirited citizens of yesterday whose enthusiasm and perseverance in
the face of discouraging circumstances resulted in this vital contribution
to the improvement of the educational and aesthetic climate of their city.
Holyoke residents have long
been aware of the importance of education and the pursuit of knowledge.
Libraries are not static, and their constant changes is key to developing
priorities for the Holyoke Public Library as a support mechanism for the
community’s changing needs. The changing patterns for libraries are:
*From keeper of books to
service-oriented information provider
*From information gatherer to information consultant
*From one medium to multiple
media
*From own collection to
library without walls—through resource sharing
*From passive interest in
reading to encourage reading and life-long learning
*From a meeting place to
intellectual community center
