Hudson Area Library is pleased to announce a new twist on its annual summer celebration fundraiser: Party in the Stacks! Yes, the party will come to the library and for a very special reason. The evening of Saturday, June 29, beginning at 6pm, will be the launch of a year-long celebration of the Hudson Area Library’s 60th Birthday! “This year gives us a special opportunity to celebrate and honor the many people in the community who were instrumental in creating a library for Hudson, Greenport and Stockport as well as the people today who support our library in myriad ways in our mission to serve our community,” stated Library Director Emily Chameides.
The Hudson Area Association Library did not appear out of thin air, nor did it ease into existence through bureaucratic magic. Our library was and is possible because of the great and active dedication of very special people -- people like you. These generations of library lovers have given many hours of their lives to see the library thrive.
In the 1950s, Hudson was one of the last municipalities in the entire state that did not have its own public library. For two centuries before, Hudsonians’ only access to borrowing important texts came from libraries that required membership fees. Citizens tackled this lack of access with their own hands; campaigning and donating hundreds of hours of their time to create a public library. It was not until 1957, when the Board of Directors at the Children’s Foundation donated 400 State Street to the Hudson City School District, that the opportunity found footing. Through the goodwill and service of Hudson citizens, funds were raised, books were donated, and furniture purchased. The Library received its provisional charter from the New York State Department of Education on June 26, 1959 and was opened within a year in April 1960.
Many people have sustained the library along the way, and as Norma Hart, longtime library supporter, Friend, and former librarian who founded the History Room, once said, “The library has survived mainly on the generosity of many people who believed that libraries do make a difference.”
There are special events planned between June 2019 and April 2020 marking the 60th anniversary, including an exhibition in 2020 with original documents and memorabilia, highlighting the history of the Hudson Area Library and honoring the people who’ve made the library possible.
Betsy Gramkow, chair of Party in the Stacks, said, “We knew we had to have our annual summer fundraiser in the place where all the magic happens: the amazing space of the main library area in the Armory. We’ll begin outside with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres on the grounds of the Armory and move into the Library for food, drinks, dancing and a birthday celebration befitting of our library. We hope that everyone who appreciates our Library will join us.”
Dinner will be catered by Lil’ Deb’s Oasis. Entertainment includes dancing to the music of the Fabulous Versatones, birthday cake, and plenty of surprises, along with the library’s annual Call for the Cause.
For more information or to purchase tickets visit hudsonarealibrary.org/partyinthestacks/ or call the Library at 518-828-1792 x101.
The Hudson Area Library is located at 51 North Fifth Street in Hudson, NY. The mission of the library is to enrich the quality of life by providing free and equal access to programs, services and resources, and by creating opportunities for all members of our community to connect, create, learn and grow. For more information visit hudsonarealibrary.org.
