Visiting the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library in Saratoga County
The Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library at 475 Moe Road serves residents of Clifton Park and Halfmoon with a wide range of materials, programs, and services. The library is a member of the Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS) and is classified as a Special District Public Library. Its current 55,000-square-foot building opened on December 11, 2006.
Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library Hours and Location
Address: 475 Moe Road, Clifton Park, NY 12065
Phone: (518) 371-8622
- Monday to Thursday: 9 am to 9 pm
- Friday: 9 am to 6 pm
- Saturday: 9 am to 5 pm
- Sunday: 12 pm to 5 pm
The library closes on select holidays. Check the closed dates list on the library’s website before your visit.
History of the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library
The library’s roots trace back to 1966, when the Shenendehowa Rotary Club formed a steering committee to start a library for Clifton Park and Halfmoon. After residents voted down a tax-supported library in 1968, the Shenendehowa Free Library Association was founded. The first library opened on April 19, 1969, in a 300-square-foot space above the National Commercial Bank and Trust Company at Routes 9 and 146.
The collection moved to an old schoolhouse on Cemetery Road in 1971, provided by the Shenendehowa School District for $1 per year. A 4,600-square-foot building opened on Clifton Country Road in 1981, followed by a 14,000-square-foot expansion in 1990. A special legislative tax district formed in 1985, and the library became the Shenendehowa Public Library in 1986.
In 2002, voters approved adding Halfmoon to the district, and the name changed to the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library. Voters approved the current $15 million building in 2004.
Mission and Vision
The library describes its mission as being an innovative and sustainable resource for an enriched and engaged community. Its vision is to be a place for all that builds community and encourages lifelong curiosity.
Five principles guide its governance, policies, and services:
- Practice responsible stewardship
- Provide safe and welcoming spaces
- Promote all forms of literacy
- Amplify community interests
- Support continuous learning
How to Get a Clifton Park Library Card
You can apply for a library card at the Circulation Desk or register online for a temporary card through the library’s website. Online registration is open to applicants age 13 and older who live within the library systems’ service area. Temporary cards expire after 60 days.
To receive a physical card, complete registration in person with a photo ID showing your current address, or a photo ID plus a document with proof of address, such as a utility bill or car registration. Applicants who are 13 or 14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Checkout limits depend on where you live:
- Library district residents: up to 99 items
- Capital District residents outside the library district: up to 99 items, with restrictions
- Residents outside the Capital District: up to 2 items, with restrictions
Your card also works at public libraries across Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Saratoga, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington counties within the SALS and Mohawk Valley Library System networks, subject to each library’s policies.
Borrow More Than Books at the Library of Things
The Library of Things collection lends items you might otherwise buy for a single project or occasion. Categories include:
- Tech and devices: Wi-Fi hotspots, record player, Blu-ray/DVD player, CD player, Bluetooth speaker, projector and screen, and laptops for in-library use
- Home, garden, and DIY: gardening supplies, sewing supplies, tools, radon detector, car diagnostic scanner, bike air pump and repair equipment, and a seed library
- Outdoor and exploration: hiking backpacks, binoculars, telescopes, and sports and fitness equipment
- Games and activities: board games, puzzles, and lawn games
- Learning and enrichment: flashcards, literacy kits, and educational activities
- Museum and park passes: available for local attractions
Programs and Events at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library
The library hosts programs year-round, and its online events calendar can be filtered for children, teens, and adults. The library’s program listings include English Language Learning programs, computer and technology classes, and virtual author talks. A program brochure is also available on the library’s website.
Services and Spaces Inside the Library
Print From Anywhere
The library’s ePRINTit service lets you send black-and-white print jobs from a laptop or mobile device through the library’s online upload page or by emailing documents to cphlibrary@eprintitsaas.com.
Printing costs 10 cents per single-sided page or 20 cents per double-sided page, cash only. Pick up your prints at the Circulation Desk within 48 hours.
Sensory Room
The Sensory Room is designed for, but not limited to, visitors who are sensitive to typical sensory input. The space includes a wall labyrinth, tactile wall tiles, a color-changing light cube, and other sensory items.
Cardholders can use the room on a walk-in basis for up to one hour per day. Library tax district residents age 18 and older can reserve it in advance for groups of up to six people.
Ed & Francine Rodger Local History Room
The Local History Room houses the Town of Clifton Park’s History Collection, including manuscripts, scrapbooks, and photographs, plus books on the history of Clifton Park and Halfmoon.
Clifton Park Town Historian John Scherer offers research consultations on Wednesdays by appointment, and a professional genealogist holds help sessions on the first Thursday of each month.
Additional Library Services
- Interlibrary loan
- Notary services
- Meeting room reservations
- Digital borrowing
Source:
https://cphlibrary.org/
