Robert A. Fahr Watervliet Public Library

Robert A. Fahr Watervliet Public Library The Watervliet Public Library endeavors to be a "communi-library". From the beginning we have had tremendous support from the community.

The Watervliet Public Library was founded in May 1953 under the auspices of the Watervliet Civic Chest, Inc. The original Library holdings consisted solely of donations from the public and the original work force consisted solely of volunteers. Financial support came primarily from the Chest, although important donations also came from the Watervliet Rotary Club, the Watervliet Lodge of Elks, and

the Knights of Columbus. Our first librarian was a volunteer. Sybell Maclay, who was the librarian at the Watervliet High School, began cataloguing book donations in September 1952. Her services were invaluable, as the library had no funds to compensate a professional librarian. Esther Madsen carried on as volunteer librarian until 1967. Since 1967, the Board of Trustees has engaged the services of various professional librarians. In 1965, toward the end of Mrs. Madsen’s tenure, our Library received a provisional charter from the New York State Board of Regents, thus officially becoming the Watervliet Public Library. The permanent charter and Certificate of Registration were granted nine years later, in 1974. In February 1980, the Library moved into its present location in the Senior Citizen Complex. At this time, the Library also became a member of the Upper Hudson Library System (UHLS). UHLS is a federation of public libraries in Albany and Rensselaer Counties. Through UHLS, the Library has the opportunity to cooperate with other libraries by lending and borrowing books through inter-library loan and participating in the Upper Hudson Library Access Network or UHLAN. UHLAN is an on-line card catalog that provides information on holdings in 29 UHLS libraries. Watervliet has been fully active in UHLAN since August 1997.
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In 2015, the library underwent a massive renovation. The total cost for this 1,365 square foot expansion project was $660,000, of which over $296,000 in construction grant funding was received from the NYS Education Department through the New York State Library. The remainder of the funding came from private donors. The expansion was undertaken with three goals in mind: expansion and improvement of our existing space to better serve the community, expansion of the programming offered to our patrons, and creating more flexibility within the library to meet the scholastic and programming needs of the community. The addition is the new home to the Mary P. O’Brien Quiet Reading Room and the Bill and Judy Fahr Children’s Area. Our existing space was completely renovated, incorporating new technologies and allowing us to better serve our community. Construction was completed in early February 2016.

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Snow Closing Policy

If the Watervliet School District declares a snow day then the Watervliet Public Library will also close for the day. Any scheduled library club meetings or programs will be cancelled as well. Please listen to the radio or watch television for school closing information. You can also check out our website or page for library closing information.

On June 9th, 10th, and 11th, the Library will be opening at 12 instead of our normal 10am time. We're excited to get the...
05/27/2026

On June 9th, 10th, and 11th, the Library will be opening at 12 instead of our normal 10am time. We're excited to get the opportunity to show another group of 3rd Graders the library during their annual field trips!

FandomFest was a success! Thank you to everyone who came and to all our wonderful vendors and volunteers. We so hope you...
05/12/2026

FandomFest was a success! Thank you to everyone who came and to all our wonderful vendors and volunteers. We so hope you'll all join us next year!

05/11/2026

Two weeks until our friend Daniel Mahoney comes to visit! Daniel has multiple books available throughout the library system and we're so excited to have him back in our library!

Only a few days left until FandomFest! We’re so excited. Registration closed Friday night.
05/05/2026

Only a few days left until FandomFest! We’re so excited. Registration closed Friday night.

Last Monday, we were lucky enough to have members of the Watervliet Tree Committee join us for a special Arbor Day story...
04/27/2026

Last Monday, we were lucky enough to have members of the Watervliet Tree Committee join us for a special Arbor Day storytime! Every year, they provide valuable information about tree planting, and usually bring a special surprise for the kids. We always look forward to these visits!

We have so many cool people coming to FandomFest on May 9th - with more to come! Do you see anyone you recognize?
04/20/2026

We have so many cool people coming to FandomFest on May 9th - with more to come! Do you see anyone you recognize?

We have so many cool vendors, artists, and authors coming! We also have a Magic: The Gathering table for those who want ...
04/15/2026

We have so many cool vendors, artists, and authors coming! We also have a Magic: The Gathering table for those who want to try their hand at trading card games. Don't forget, this is a registration-only event so get your badges today!

Introducing Watervliet Library's biggest event yet: FandomFest! This event is perfect for fans of comic books, graphic novels, tabletop games, trading card games, video games, and cosplay. We're bringing the fun of Comic Con right to Watervliet.

We've got vendors and artists, D&D and Magic: The Gathering tables, and a cosplay contest. There is more fun stuff and surprises to come. This event requires registration, so get your badges while you can! Stay tuned for more announcements.

Register today https://uhls.librarycalendar.com/event/fandomfest-watervliet-library-11891

**If you're a vendor or an artist who wants to participate, please call the Library for more information. See less

We want YOU for FandomFest at the Watervliet Library. Are you a local artist or business? Do you feel like you'd fit in ...
04/07/2026

We want YOU for FandomFest at the Watervliet Library. Are you a local artist or business? Do you feel like you'd fit in at a Comic-Con-style event? Let us know! We'd love to have you.
Contact us at [email protected].

Not a vendor or an artist, but still feel like you have a skill we could use at our convention? Let us know! We want to hear from our local game masters, comic enthusiasts, trading card experts, and anyone else who wants to get involved with FandomFest.

Address

1501 Broadway
Watervliet, NY
12189

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 8pm
Thursday 10am - 8pm
Friday 10am - 6pm

Website

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