The Town of Gates is celebrating the Blue Sapphire Jubilee of Gates Public Library, and everyone is invited to the party on February 26. It was 65 years ago that the library received its Provisional Charter, and during those years, the library has become a center of information and activities for the entire community.
The journey to the library’s opening day was long and filled with remarkable examples of generosity and cooperation. It began in 1960 when the founding members of the library rented quarters in the Gates Grange on Buffalo Road. The library became a successful and beloved part of the community.
After nine years, it outgrew its small quarters, and a cooperative effort began to build a new library. In 1965, the library secured a grant for building construction, and in 1966, the Town of Gates purchased its present eleven acres. In December 1967, the groundbreaking of the new Town Hall – Library Community Center began. The move occurred in 1969, and the library evolved over the next 42 years, from typewriters to computers and books to ebooks. In 1993, through grants and donations, a drive-up window was added to the now-brimming Town Library. This new service proved very popular, especially for returning materials. The final addition, in 1998, was the construction of an accessible restroom, taking the last of library storage. By mid-2000, library programs were being held in the Town’s community space. By early 2010, plans developed to move Gates Public Library to a two-story rental space on Elmgrove Road, providing over 9,000 more square feet. Ground was broken, and construction began. The new library opened on June 15 and was dedicated on June 24, 2011. As then Gates Public Library Trustee Petter Derry said at the dedication, “Space was limited at the former location, but that won’t be an issue at this new space. This is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when people work together.”
The 65th Anniversary Celebration will be on February 26 at the library, with fun for the whole family. At 10:30 a.m., “Mama Goose on the Loose” will present a program especially for preschoolers. Harpist Roxanne Ziegler will perform in the library’s atrium beginning at 12:30 p.m. The excitement continues at 4:30 p.m. with drummer Mayukwa Kashiwa performing in the Assini Room and Gates Public Library Trivia beginning at 6 p.m. The high point of the day will be at 5:15 p.m., with the filling and sealing of the Gates Public Library Time Capsule. It will be opened in 2060 at the Gates Public Library’s 100th Anniversary.
Future years at the library will bring the community a lot to celebrate. One of Gates Public Library’s current highlights is the newly implemented seed catalog. Patrons can visit the library’s “old school” card catalog to check out flower and vegetable seeds for their planters and gardens year-round. In 2025, Hoopla and now Kanopy, are streaming services specifically for Gates residents.
Gates Public Library has many recurring programs to encourage literacy. The long-standing book clubs, Ideas’ n’ Authors and #ReadWomen, carry on from the early 1980s. There are weekly story times for children, and dog lovers may read with Griffin the Dalmatian through the new program Read with Paws. Lego Club, Kids Coding, Minecraft Club, and Junior Friends meet regularly. This past summer, Gates Public Library celebrated reading with the Summer Reading Program, Adventure Begins at Your Library. Many readers of all ages participated in the activities. The library also highlighted the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week.
The library provides outreach to the Gates community and local organizations throughout the year, including Red Cross Blood Drives (held three times a year), the AARP Smart Driver program, and Genealogy/Ancestry Assistance. This year, the library also partnered with Matthew’s Closet, Junior League of Rochester, G.R.A.S.P., Rochester Regional Health, University of Rochester Medicine, Monroe County Office of Mental Health, the food pantry at St. Theodore’s, and UR Golisano Hospital CARES unit.
Plans for the future include participation in local events such as Keep Gates Clean, working with the Gates-Chili Community Connection to remove financial or basic need obstacles for some Gates residents, and teaming up with the Town of Gates Recreation Center to provide events and programs for the community to enjoy. The youngest children of the community will benefit from long-standing programs, such as Books to Babies and 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. The programs’ goals are to encourage families to read books together and develop childhood literacy.
The February 26 party promises to be fun for all ages, and it will be another example of the support that the Town of Gates gives to the Gates Public Library. Without the efforts of our local municipality, the Town of Gates Supervisor, and the local community, Gates Public Library would not be the library that it is today.
