Victor Free Library first opened its doors in 1938 in the Higinbotham House on Maple Avenue. [1]

Chartered by New York State to serve the 2,200 residents in the Victor Central School District, the library began with just 912 books and an annual budget of only $700. The library relocated to Main Street in 1942, sharing space with the bank. [2]

The Library purchased the old trolley station on Maple Avenue in 1957 and for nearly 40 years it served our needs. [3]

(Read about the Victor Free Library in the 1960s and 1970s or 1980s .)

But in 1996, in order to meet the demands of our rapidly growing community, the Victor Free Library, with the generous support of our community, completed construction of a new building located at 15 West Main Street. [4] Funding for the library's furnishings was provided by the very successful Unlock the Door Campaign.

Our new library has ample space for our growing book, audio, and video collection , and room for literacy volunteers to teach basic reading and language skills. We have plenty of space for study, a quite reading room, and meeting space for community groups and library programs (including speakers, book discussions and cultural activities).

The library collection now totals over 36,000 items and includes not just books, but magazines, videos, audio books and electronic resources. Over 152,000 items were loaned last year.

Our annual budget has grown to more than $312,500 and we serve over 15,000 residents in the Towns of Victor and Farmington and the surrounding area. More than 77 percent of the funding for the Victor Free Library comes from the Towns of Victor and Farmington. Donations, state aid and county aid provide the remainder of the operating budget.

1. The formation of the Victor Free Library is credited to the persistent efforts of Elizabeth Osborne. The first organizational meeting was held in the school house on West Main Street. [Back]

2. Mrs. Margaret VanVoorhis Smith became the first Head Librarian in August, 1945. [Back]

3. The Library Association officially opened its renovated, new facility in April, 1958. [Back]

4. The site at 15 West Main Street was provided by the Urban Renewal Agency of the Village of Victor. Our library is accessible to people with disabilitiies, and there is a large and convenient parking. [Back]

With recommendations from the Horticultural Department of Cornell University, the library grounds were landscaped in 1961, after the appointment of Miss Margaret Keating as the new Head Librarian in January of that year. Notably, in 1961 the Victor Free Library became a charter member of the Ontario County Library Association (and thus of the Pioneer Library System).

The years spanning 1962-1973 were marked by an expansion of the library and library services, including:

• 1962: Weekly pre-school story hours began as a pilot program to accustom young people to our library.
• 1963: New Bylaws were adopted in line with the library's growth and mission since the first sketchy bylaws were drafted in 1939. Noteworthy is the retirement of Mrs. Florence Tischer from the Charter Board, the last active member to serve continuously since 1939.
• 1971: Fundraising drive to cover the cost of expanding the library.
• 1973: The first annual Library Days celebration, a three-day June festival with used books on sale, ice cream social, and band concert.

In September of 1974, our current Library Director, Patricia Evans, was hired to replace Miss Keating upon her retirement.

The push to expand or relocate the library building began in 1980 when President Jody Davis announced at an annual meeting that the Board will begin investigating expansion possibilities. In 1981, the Board grew to seven members, and in 1984 the need for an expanded facility was revisited with the distribution of a survey to library users. Another five years would pass.

Our library grew in the mid-1980's:

• 1985: Video circulation began using a rotating collection provided by the Ontario Cooperative Library System.
• 1986: Library hours were extended to remain open through the dinner hour.
• 1988: In response to increasing community needs, our library again extended its hours, this time to make it available to the public for 59 hours each week.

In 1989, the Library Board presented a proposal for a 14,000 square foot building to be located in Phoenix Mills. Later, the Village Board presented an alternative proposal for a building to be located adjacent to the Village Hall.