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open, modern library. The building’s structure and mechanical systems were overhauled, including a new roof, windows, electrical, and energy efficient heating and cooling system. Landscaping included new sidewalks, front and back patios, and plantings. Skylights in the vaulted ceiling let an abundance of natural light into the open, loft-like main floor. The second floor was completely gutted and rebuilt too, and now contains staff offices. The
Delaware Branch continues a tradition of public library service to the Delaware Neighborhood since the Albany Free Library established a branch on Delaware Avenue in 1923.
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library in the city of Albany, NY, the Albany Free
Library, was established in 1893 by local educator John A. Howe. In 1900, the Albany Free Library opened the Pine Hills Branch at 272 Ontario Street. In 1901, the Pruyn Library opened at 135 North Pearl under the trusteeship of the YMA. In 1922, the YMA, Pruyn Library, and Albany Free Library merged to become the Albany Public Library with Elizabeth Smith as its first director. In 1923, Albany Public Library and the City of Albany reached a formal agreement to provide services, and the Delaware Branch was established.
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areas for adults, teens, and children, as well as a community meeting room, and two study rooms. The building was named in memory of John J. Bach, a longtime library trustee and New
Scotland neighborhood resident who spent his career as a teacher, principal, and superintendent at Albany’s public schools. The Bach Branch continues a tradition of public library service to the New Scotland area neighborhoods since the first New Scotland Branch was established in School 19 in 1944.
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to the public on March 15, 2010. The 18-month renovation included attaching a two-story addition to the back of the library to provide handicapped access. The addition houses an elevator, stairs, restrooms, and a ground-floor book drop. A high-efficiency heating/cooling system was installed. The historic windows were restored, and much of the library’s original woodwork, cabinetry, and benches were refinished.
371:’s Division of Library Development. In 2015, Executive Director Scott Jarzombek rebranded the Main Library as the “Washington Avenue Branch,” adding two study rooms, an additional community meeting room, a rehabilitated Youth Services space with separate areas for children and teens, and the Albany Made Creative Lab.
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The current
Washington Avenue Branch, formerly known as The Main Library, is a fully functioning neighborhood branch as well as home to APL’s administrative offices. It has been home to the Literacy New York of the Greater Capital Region’s Albany County office since 2008. In 2011, with funds secured
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The building was designed by architect CS Arch of Albany and built by
Bunkoff General Contractors of Latham. The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York managed the project. The Delaware Branch of APL received the 2010 Outstanding Public Library Building Award from New York Library Association.
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The $ 4.7 million renovation project began on the 9,500-square foot former
Chicorelli Funeral Home in October 2008, and it opened its doors to the public on Dec. 28, 2009. While the building retains its distinctive Prairie-style architecture look, the interior has been completely transformed into an
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Originally built in 1929, in 2008 the John A. Howe Branch was the only APL branch that was originally constructed as a library, and it has been serving the South End neighborhoods ever since. The $ 5.2 million renovation project began in
October 2008, and the newly renovated branch opened its doors
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As of June, 2010, APL completed a $ 29.1 million Branch
Improvement Plan—the first comprehensive infrastructure project in its history. The plan involved renovating three existing branches—Pine Hills, Delaware, and Howe—along with constructing two new branches—John J. Bach and Arbor Hill/West Hill.
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In
January, 1834, the Young Men’s Association for Mutual Improvement (YMA) opened a reading room with 800 volumes and 100 newspapers and periodicals. The Albany Public Library grew out of this reading room, which remained a subscription library with a $ 2.00 per annum fee until 1899. The first free
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In 1977, APL moved its headquarters from 19 Dove Street to 161 Washington Avenue, which was constructed and operated by the IRS in 1955. In 2002, APL was re-chartered from an association library to a school district library. In 2005, the North Albany Branch opened off the lobby of the North Albany
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The Pine Hills Branch had occupied the first floor of the two-story, 19,000-square-foot building that had originally belonged to the New York
Telephone Company since 1990. The $ 4.8 million renovation project began in Fall 2008. The newly renovated library occupies both stories, and it opened its
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Newly constructed in 2009, the $ 4 million, 8,500-square-foot contemporary building features a glass-walled rotunda that provides sweeping views of New Scotland Avenue. Two walls of windows at the rear of the building showcase the backyard Story Garden. The open-space floor plan includes separate
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In 1924, the Harmanus Bleecker Library was constructed at 19 Dove Street and became the new headquarters of Albany Public Library. In 1929, the John A. Howe Branch was constructed at Schuyler and Broad Streets. In 1944, the New Scotland Branch opened in Public School 19. In 1960, the Upper Hudson
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Special collections include the Pruyn Collection of Albany History, Chinese Book Collection, Spanish Book Collection, English as a Second Language (ESL) Collection, Basic Adult Education Collection, Job Information Collection, Small Business Collection, Test Preparation Collection, and Parenting
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Newly constructed in 2010, the $ 5.7 million, 12,000-square-foot contemporary building features a 60-foot-by-24-foot wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, a soaring atrium ceiling, and an indoor garden. The open-space floor plan includes separate areas for adults, teens, and children, as well as two
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The project manager was the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. The architect was CS Arch of Albany. The builder was Bunkoff General Contractors of Latham. The Pine Hills Branch received the 2010 Historic Preservation/Adaptive Reuse Merit Award from the Eastern New York Chapter of the
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Some of the services offered by the library include: programming for children, teens, and adults, downloadable ebooks, audiobooks and magazines, Albany Made Creative and Digital Labs, Art at APL exhibitions, annual summer reading program, annual tax assistance program, High School Equivalency
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The renovation project manager was the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. The architect was CS Arch of Albany. The builder was Bunkoff General Contractors of Latham. The Howe Branch received the 2010 Preservation Merit Award from the Historic Albany Foundation and the 2010 Historic
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preparation, introductory computer instruction, interlibrary loan, legal and financial resources and workshops, art and crafts workshops, musical performances, movie showings, museum passes, fishing poles, public scanner/copier and fax, public computers and Wi-Fi.
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doors to the public on Nov. 16, 2009. Glass-panel windows were installed to define the lobby area. The newly created grand staircase was constructed, and a light monitor was cut into the existing roof. The renovation continued library services in the
367:, the Pruyn Collection of Albany History moved into a renovated Local History Room on the second floor. From 2013-2015, the Main Library renovated its elevators, HVAC system, and windows with funds from a Construction Grant from the
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to improve library service in Albany and Rensselaer Counties, and APL was designated its Central Library. In 1968, the Pruyn Library closed, and in 1970, it was razed as part of the I-787 arterial ramp construction plan.
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that are open to the general public. The library was developed in the 19th century, founded from society libraries and the wealth of private citizens, and currently holds a collection of 250,000 items.
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The building was designed by architects Hom & Goldman of New York City and built by Sano-Rubin Construction of Albany. The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York managed the project.
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190:. APL also operates as the Central Library for the Upper Hudson Library System, a resource sharing consortium which unites public library services across twenty-nine member libraries in
198:. Governed by a publicly elected board of trustees, APL is a school district public library with a budget largely funded by a tax levy presented annually to registered voters in the
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2010 Historic Preservation/Adaptive Reuse Merit Award from the Eastern New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (Pine Hills Branch)
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2010 Historic Preservation/Adaptive Reuse Merit Award from the Eastern New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (Howe Branch)
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community meeting rooms and three study rooms. It is the first-ever library to serve the West Hill neighborhood, and the first to serve the
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The building was designed by architects Hom & Goldman of New York City and built by Sano-Rubin Construction of Albany. The
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managed the project. The Arbor Hill/West Hill Branch of APL received the 2011 Outstanding Public Library Building Award from
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the library received a cease and desist letter from the Equal Protection Project of the Legal Insurrection Foundation
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Preservation/Adaptive Reuse Merit Award from the Eastern New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
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was constructed in 2005, and its building plan included a space for a branch of the public library to serve the
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2011 Outstanding Public Library Building Award from New York Library Association (Arbor Hill/West Hill Branch)
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2010 Outstanding Public Library Building Award from New York Library Association (Delaware Branch)
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neighborhood since the first Pine Hills Branch was opened by the Albany Free Library in 1900.
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506:“Public library passes century mark in month”. (October 29, 1933). Knickerbocker Press, p .2.
497:“Public library passes century mark in month”. (October 29, 1933). Knickerbocker Press, p .2.
476:“Public library passes century mark in month”. (October 29, 1933). Knickerbocker Press, p .2.
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569:"Albany library criticized for saying only Black librarians could apply to internship"
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557:(November 15, 2005). Albany Times Union. p. B9. Retrieved 2015-07-30.
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424:, the character Helen “walked toward the Pruyn Library, a haven.”
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Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York
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Bray, Paul. "ALBANY'S LIBRARY REVIVAL A STORY TO EMBRACE"
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Carleo-Evangelist, Jordan. "Light, space, what a place."
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All five of these branches are energy efficient silver
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252:Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
241:challenged a hiring practice at the library.
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277:Dormitory Authority of the State of New York
610:Grondahl, Paul. "A Storied New Beginning."
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543:1977 Annual Report: The Year of the Move.
721:Organizations based in Albany, New York
711:1834 establishments in New York (state)
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455:. The Bridge. (May–June, 1936). 9(4).
443:. The Bridge. (May–June, 1936). 9(4).
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518:The Bridge. (September, 1929). 2(8).
467:The Bridge. (September, 1929). 2(8).
224:Library Federation was founded and
691:http://www.albanypubliclibrary.org
354:American Institute of Architects.
172:http://www.albanypubliclibrary.org
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666:. New York: Penguin, 1983. p. 128
527:The Upper Hudson Library System.
204:neighborhoods of Albany, New York
375:Special Collections and Services
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567:Kathleen Moore (5 April 2023).
531:Uhls.org. Retrieved 2015-07-30.
488:. The Bridge. (May–June, 1936).
653:Nyla.org. Retrieved 7/31/2015.
649:New York Library Association.
627:Nyla.org. Retrieved 7/31/2015.
623:New York Library Association.
540:Albany Public Library (1977).
335:North Albany, Albany, New York
200:City School District of Albany
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706:Libraries in New York (state)
239:Legal Insurrection Foundation
601:. September 10. 2010. p. B1.
348:Pine Hills, Albany, New York
281:New York Library Association
270:Arbor Hill, Albany, New York
180:Albany Public Library (APL)
716:Culture of Albany, New York
263:Arbor Hill/West Hill Branch
186:system serving the city of
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555:“North Albany YMCA opens”.
651:"2010 PLS Award Winners."
640:November 25, 2009. p. B1.
625:"2010 PLS Award Winners."
272:neighborhood since 1970.
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358:Washington Avenue Branch
245:Branch Improvement Plan
77:161 Washington Avenue,
58:42.656417°N 73.762306°W
614:. June 7, 2010. p. A1.
529:“Mission and History”.
369:New York State Library
254:certified buildings.
208:circulating libraries
63:42.656417; -73.762306
19:Albany Public Library
638:Albany Times Union.
574:Times Union (Albany)
237:YMCA. In 2023, the
325:North Albany Branch
206:. The branches are
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662:Kennedy, William.
612:Albany Times Union
599:Albany Times Union
486:“Albany libraries”
453:“Albany libraries”
441:"Albany libraries”
410:In popular culture
363:by Assemblymember
341:Pine Hills Branch
329:The North Albany
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49:73°45′44.3″W
46:42°39′23.1″N
312:Howe Branch
287:Bach Branch
147:$ 6,434,764
93:Established
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700:Categories
109:Collection
226:chartered
160:Employees
81:, 12210,
664:Ironweed
417:Ironweed
152:Director
130:97,904 (
101:Branches
83:New York
74:Location
228:by the
215:History
168:Website
117:250,000
580:7 June
388:Awards
144:Budget
428:Notes
182:is a
582:2023
331:YMCA
194:and
114:Size
96:1844
420:by
163:125
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