Mission Statement

The mission of the Castleton Public Library is to satisfy our community's informational, educational, cultural and recreational needs by providing free and open access to a comprehensive range of materials, services, and programs for both adults and children.

Brief History of the Library

Springing from an informal lending service in a Castleton storefront, the Castleton Public Library was chartered in 1905 and received its final charter in 1909. The library was initially housed in a small house at First and Green Streets, just off Castleton's Main Street. The sponsors of the first library were Mrs. A. C. Cheney and Mrs. H.G. Ingalls, wives of prominent businessmen. In 1926, when the Village of Castleton purchased a former school building for its offices, the library was given space on half of the first floor of the building. The library occupies these quarters today.

Originally, the library charged patrons a fee of 50 cents per year and residents from all over the Town of Schodack signed up. The library's first book purchase was a Webster's Dictionary. The library currently serves over 3,000 patrons and over 19,000 books, magazines, records, videos, cassettes, films, and paintings are circulated annually.

For information about the history of the Village of Castleton, go to Village History.