Tompkins County Public Library
| Tompkins County Public Library | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | 101 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York |
| Established | 1864[1] |
| Branches | 1 |
| Collection | |
| Size | 264,508 [2] |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 580,820[1] |
| Population served | 101,564 residents of Tompkins County (according to 2012 Census figures) and residents of five contiguous counties. |
| Members | 39,883 registered borrowers[1] |
| Other information | |
| Budget | $3.87 million in 2014 [3] |
| Director | Susan Currie[4] |
| Website | http://www.tcpl.org |
The Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) is the public library for residents of Tompkins County, New York. Founded by Ezra Cornell as the Cornell Free Library in 1864, one year prior to the establishment of Cornell University.[5] The Library serves as the Central Library of the five-county Finger Lakes Library System [6] and provides free and equal access to residents of Tompkins, Cayuga, Cortland, Seneca, Schuyler and Tioga counties.
TCPL hosts nearly one million visitors each year, making it the single, largest driver of traffic to downtown Ithaca. The Library provides access to digital resources, including wireless internet access, databases and eBooks, as well as an extensive print collection. It also serves as the cultural hub of Tompkins County, providing museum quality art exhibits, opportunities for civic engagement and programs for children, teens and adults.
The Library's building is located at the corner of Cayuga and Green Street (New York Route 79) just south of the Ithaca Commons. The building was originally constructed as a Woolworths department store which was renovated and opened in November 2000.[7]
The Library's primary budget allocation comes from Tompkins County, with additional support from the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation and The Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library. In November 2014, The Tompkins County Public Library Foundation announced a $2.75 million Campaign for a 21st Century Library in support of the construction of a digital literacy lab, a teen center, collection expansion and endowment building.[8]
Support from the Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library is funded by the world-renowned Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library Booksale. One of the largest events of its type in the United States, the Booksale draws thousands to an Esty Street warehouse each year in search of books, records, CDs and DVDs provided through community donations.[9]
It is a part of the eight-site Ithaca Discovery Trail.
References
- ^ a b c "Profile & History". Tompkins County Public Library. Retrieved June 5, 2011.
- ^ "About Us". Tompkins County Public Library. Retrieved June 5, 2011.
- ^ http://tcpl.org/libinfo/documents/budget/2014Budgetamended062414.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Report to the Community 2010" (PDF). Tompkins County Public Library. Retrieved June 5, 2011.
- ^ http://tcpl.org/libinfo/about-history.php
- ^ http://www.flls.org/
- ^ Our History TCPL website; accessed Nov 7, 2015
- ^ http://www.tcplfoundation.org/#!
- ^ http://www.booksale.org/
External links