When James Horatio Seymour passed away in 1931, he bequeathed his home to the Village of Brockport. In his will, he outlined the details to establish a public library in memory of his father William H. Seymour. Little did he know that his vision would grow to be a vital and valuable community resource for generations to come.
James Horatio Seymour donated his home located at 51 State Street in the Village of Brockport, the lot, along with $25,000 to found, establish and maintain a public library. But it was not until four years later in May 1935, after a second village referendum, that this community accepted Seymour’s trust.
In January 1936, the Brockport Village Board appointed a five-person library board. Elizabeth M. Cusick was named as president. In March 1936, Florence Collier was appointed as the first librarian with a salary of $65 per month. Olive Steele was selected as the substitute librarian. The library board approved a number of expenditures in April 1936 including $82.80 for redecoration for opening, $77 for hardware and flooring, $44 for purchase of a card catalog.
While all of these details were set in place, it wasn’t until May 15, 1936, when a charter from New York state established the Seymour Library.
The following July, 51 books were purchased for the library including “Gone with the Wind”, “Wake Up and Live” and “Listen for a Lonesome Drum.”
In the early days of the library, the hours of operation were limited to weekdays 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Residents of the Village of Brockport were allowed to withdraw books at no charge but those who lived beyond these boundaries were asked to pay one dollar per year for borrowing rights. Patrons could only borrow four books per person at one time and only two could be fiction. The library had 860 visitors in 1936.
In the 1950s, space issues at the library became serious, so much that an addition was built in 1958. The Seymour Library joined the Pioneer Library System in 1961, which boosted the number of materials and books available to almost 1.5 million. Over time, space in this building became more cramped. Books were stored on counters and shelving, excess books and materials were warehoused at the College at Brockport.
In the 1990s, the Duryea family donated land to construct a new library. (The Duryea family is well known in the Brockport area for their philanthropy. Erwin “Ike” Duryea owned Duryea Motors, a local Ford dealership). The new 18,000 square foot library opened in 1996 at its new location at 161 East Avenue just outside the Village of Brockport.
With this move came many changes for the Seymour Library. The staff grew and now includes 21 full-time employees, five regular volunteers, over 40 teen volunteers and the 20 dedicated Friends of the Library. The new building offers a host of amenities including: a children’s area, study areas, meeting space and local history rooms. Programming expanded. Carl Gouveia is Director of the Seymour Library. He noted that programming and publications are the two main cornerstones of the library.
“We offer computer stations and free Wi-Fi where patrons can surf the web, or create and upload employment applications. Another program called Tech Tutors is geared toward those who didn’t grow up with technology and may need assistance. This popular course helps attendees learn about anything from laptops to iPhones,” Gouveia said. “Programming and publication purchases are geared toward our two biggest demographics, children and adults.”
As the world in which we live becomes digital, so does the shift in library materials. “About six to seven percent of our materials are digital, we are slowly moving in that direction. We belong to Overdrive, a free online library that lets patrons borrow eBooks, audiobooks and other digital files,” Gouveia explained. “But books have a longer shelf life and don’t have an expiration date, as does digital loaning.”
The summer reading program is one of the library’s most popular offerings. According to Gouveia it draws a large number of patrons. “This program kicks off in June and the finale is mid-August. We draw teens, elementary students and adults. It’s so well-liked that three staff members organize and oversee it,” Gouveia said.
This year the Seymour Library celebrates 80 years as part of the Brockport-area community. It serves the Clarkson, Brockport and Sweden areas. A celebration called After Hours will be held on Saturday, November 19 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the library.
What does the next eighty years hold for this community library? Gouveia shared his thoughts.
“The Seymour Library is a place for people of all ages to come. We are a resource for information and technology. In the future, we anticipate renovating some current space to include more quiet space. But what we hope our community will continue to support and appreciate the importance of libraries in our society,” he said.
