MVLS I Spy Oral History Interviews

Fort Plain Public Library, Fort Plain, NY
Audio excerpts | Current Photo | Historic Photo

Interviewer: Devin Flynn
Speaker: Laura Flynn

Background: Laura Flynn is the director of the Fort Plain Free Library

In 1885, Miss Martha Bortle, preceptress or lady principal of the Clinton Liberal Institute, which was a fairly well-known private preparatory school which was located in Fort Plain at the time, organized a literary society among the woman of the village.... At Bortle's suggestion, "the energies of the society were directed toward the establishment of a public library for the village."

The women of the society soon felt the need for more spacious and permanent quarters. The first step towards realizing this goal was the donation of furniture to the library association by the members of the Fort Plain Reform Club. Then the children and sister of James H. Williams, who had been active in the community for many years, presented the old Tanner residence on Willett Street for the use of the library association.

Libraries are important to any community. The library is a place that anyone can use, it charges no fees, and it puts at the fingertips of anyone who is willing to walk through the door any information or most information that they might need to help themselves, to further their education, to amuse themselves.

Ever since it began, the library has been owned by the people who live within its chartered service area.... Essentially, the people of the Fort Plain Central School District own the public library.

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