The opening night of Mendon Public Library’s Summer Reading Program featured entertainment from The Bubble Man. Photo provided by Mary Church
By Mary Church, President, The Friends of Mendon Public Library
Mendon Public Library is celebrating the 15th anniversary of the opening of its newest library building this summer. In celebration, and looking ahead to a robust and enduring future, The Friends of Mendon Public Library have launched a new endowment fund.
It doesn’t seem possible, does it, that 15 years have passed since the community combined the considerable forces of town and village leadership and this vibrant community to make a new library building a reality? Yet here it stands, modest in size but profound in scope – a town jewel, a beloved and trusted community institution – truly, as Friends of the Mendon Public Library officials promised during our capital campaign, The Heart of Our Town.
The library is one of the few places in the community that is open, welcoming, and accessible to everyone — regardless of age, background or circumstance – a vital community resource that supports learning, connection and opportunity for all. The Library also provides solitude, a peaceful and quiet environment for rest, reflection or personal growth. Babies, kids, teens, and adults gather in its bright, airy spaces to share stories and songs, craft, learn new things, and try novel technologies. Friendships are cultivated, readers are encouraged, and information advances people’s lives.
A bit of history
Did you know that the first library in the town opened in 1872? A Mr. Francis Joreys, who had come to town in 1863 to start the Mendon Free Press newspaper, purchased a number of books and created the Joreys Circulating Library. In 1895, the “Ladies Wednesday Afternoon Fortnightly Club” raised $8 and started a traveling library. Three years later, they were so successful that a Mr. Parks allowed them to use space in his store. This library ultimately circulated 500 books from two rooms in a building on Main Street and was known as the Honeoye Falls Library. Over the years, other iterations followed, with continued, increasing success, culminating in the dedication of the newest library building in 2011.
And recent success!
Let’s fast forward to some highlights from 2025:
Last year, the library logged 48,361 visits and circulated more than 109,000 items, up nearly 8,000 from 2024.
Volunteers contributed 580 hours of their time.
The library’s Summer Reading Program, “Color Our World,” was a smashing success! 2,350 attendees of all ages participated in 164 programs last summer. This stellar offering is made possible by The Friends, the Village and the Town, and the contributions of local businesses, community organizations, and private individuals.
Teen services were expanded last year through the leadership of a summer intern who is now a staff member and continues to engage this age group with exciting new opportunities. You’ll see them taking advantage of our sunny new teen corner every time you visit. And you may catch them in costume as the library’s clown fish mascot, Clementine, at special events.
And, if you’ve visited the library in recent months, you’ll have also noted our new circulating puzzle collection, our expanded teen and adult graphic novel collections, and the cell phone and tablet charging station in the Jacobs Reading Room.
Last year, I’m especially proud to announce, Mendon Public Library was one of the very first libraries in our region to join the Sustainable Libraries Initiative and begin working toward Sustainable Libraries Certification. This initiative provides library leaders with a structured path to co-create resilient, regenerative, and thriving communities by balancing environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic feasibility. Stop by the library and pick up some seeds from our new “Seed Garden”!
And – this is our favorite statistic of all! – more than 8,600 people joined us in one or more of the hundreds of programs The Friends helped to make possible last year, from plein air painting, poem making, financial planning and travelogs to chicken story time, puppet theater, magic shows and zoomobile visits. In late spring, the HFL High School Jazz Combo wowed attendees with slammin’ hits and then held an instrument “petting zoo,” allowing kids a hands-on opportunity for the kids to ask questions, touch the instruments and perhaps be inspired to play them someday.
There so much happening this summer!
This is just the smallest sampling of the wealth of programming offered week in and week out at the library. Story times (some now in Spanish), the Lego club, family bingo, tween/teen craft time, the knit nook, overdose prevention programs, offerings on the history of Rochester’s Parks (and sponsored walks to learn more), presentations by the Rochester Museum and Science Center, technology training… we can’t begin to list them all. Your generosity and the leadership of The Friends keep them coming!
The Library has scheduled a full slate of exciting programming this summer. It is, of course, the glorious launch of this year’s Summer Reading Program, Unearth a Story, and you are invited to dive in! Join us for history talks, dinosaur-themed events of every shape and size, tarantulas, painting with dirt, fossil hunting, spin art, World Oceans Day, info about flowers and the Rochester subway system, musical history, crafts, and so much more. There’s programming for every age and interest.
Please help us maintain this monumental success.
You, like many residents, may assume that the library is fully funded by tax dollars and not realize that the library needs your active support and advocacy to remain strong and vibrant. Community support powers the library!
To that end, please consider making a tax-deductible gift of $500 or more to a new Endowment Fund sponsored by The Friends of Mendon Public Library. This fund, which we will invest with the Rochester Area Community Foundation to take advance of their historic success at helping nonprofits achieve their goals, will ensure we are well positioned to meet future needs and respond to new opportunities—enabling Mendon Public Library to remain a vibrant community resource for generations to come. Learn more and donate at https://mendonlibrary.org/2026/07/the-friends-of-mendon-public-library-annual-appeal-and-endowment-initiatives/.
Thank you!
Today’s library builds on a proud history, and your support carries that legacy forward. Together, we will continue to preserve community traditions and institutions; create meaningful experiences for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren; support organizations that strengthen our town; and leave a legacy we all can take pride in.
Welcome to the journey!
