Board Meeting

Monday, August 17
6:00 to 8:00 PM

The Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 PM unless stated otherwise. The annual meeting is held in October. The Board does not meet in December.

If you wish to address the board or request that a topic be on the agenda, please contact the library director at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda is posted online one week before.

The public is welcome to attend.

Agenda

Summer Reading Program

Registration is open now!

You can begin recording your reading on June 29.

More information at the ReadSquared site.

Juneteenth

Friday, June 19

Maxwell Library will be closed for Juneteenth on Friday, June 19th.


Image credits:
Juneteenth plaque
By William C Teller
License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Board Meeting

Monday, June 15
6:00 to 8:00 PM

The Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 PM unless stated otherwise. The annual meeting is held in October. The Board does not meet in December.

If you wish to address the board or request that a topic be on the agenda, please contact the library director at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda is posted online one week before.

The public is welcome to attend.

Agenda

Maxwell Will Be Closed on Saturday, June 6

Maxwell Memorial Library will be closed on Saturday, June 6.

We are having electrical work done and won’t have power in the building.


Image credits:
Transmission line tower in Finland
By Aatu Liimatta
License: CC BY-SA 2.5

Financial Controls Policy

Approved May 18, 2026 by the Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees.


Image credits:
Internet Archive scan from the book International Library of Technology, Bookkeeping
Book author: Nelson Hindley Prouty
License: Public Domain

Teen Take & Make Craft

March
Free
For grades 6 to 12

Register or call so we can have a kit made up for you!

This month’s craft is a washi tape pencil cup.
Create your own cup to store your pencils, markers, pens, or any other writing supplies in.
This craft kit includes:

  • Washi tape
  • An empty cardboard container

Board Meeting

Monday, May 18
6:00 to 8:00 PM

The Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 PM unless stated otherwise. The annual meeting is held in October. The Board does not meet in December.

If you wish to address the board or request that a topic be on the agenda, please contact the library director at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda is posted online one week before.

The public is welcome to attend.

2026 WGCSD Tax Levy Proposition

The referendum for libraries is on the WGCSD budget ballot. Voting takes place Tuesday, May 19, 2026 from 6 AM to 9 PM in the West Genesee High School Auditorium Lobby.

Please vote!

Job opening: Part-Time Library Clerk

Maxwell Memorial Library is hiring for a part-time Library Clerk. The description and requirements are in the file below.

To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to Jennifer Burke at director@maxwellmemoriallibrary.org. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Board Meeting

Monday, April 20
6:00 to 8:00 PM

The Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 PM unless stated otherwise. The annual meeting is held in October. The Board does not meet in December.

If you wish to address the board or request that a topic be on the agenda, please contact the library director at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda is posted online one week before.

The public is welcome to attend.

Spring & Summer Hours

Beginning April 1, Maxwell will be on extended Spring/Summer Hours!

We’ll be open till 8 PM Monday through Thursday. Friday and Saturday hours will remain unchanged: Fridays till 5 PM and Saturdays till 3 PM.

Image credits:
Summer Solstice Sunrise over Stonehenge 2005
By Andrew Dunn, 21 June 2005.
License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Geranium Sale

This spring, Maxwell Memorial Library is selling geraniums from Bradtke Greenhouses, located in Weedsport. These iconic signs of summer are available in the following colors:

Red
White
White to Rose
Magenta
Salmon Splash
Plants come in 4.5-inch pots, and can be ordered in any quantity, from singles to dozens.

Orders can be placed March 23 through May 9. Pick-up will be on Saturday, May 16, 9 AM to 12 PM at the Camillus Village Hall, 37 Genesee Street.

Complete the order form available at the library, or submit your order online.

We accept cash, checks payable to Maxwell Memorial Library, and orders placed using PayPal.

All orders must be pre-paid, and there won’t be extra geraniums for purchase the day of pick-up. Unfortunately, we are unable to ship or deliver orders.

Thank you for your support of the library and a local small business!

Pricing
$5/single
$25/half-dozen
$40/dozen
You can mix-and-match colors!

Total cost is based on total number of geraniums.

Geranium Sale Order Form 2026

Staff Training

Maxwell will be closed for part of Wednesday, April 22 while the staff get some training.

We’ll close at 1:30 PM & reopen at 4:30 PM.

Image credits:
Richard C. Tolman and Albert Einstein at Caltech, 1932
By Los Angeles Times
License: CC BY 4.0

Board Meeting

Monday, March 16
6:00 to 8:00 PM The public is welcome to attend.
The Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 PM unless stated otherwise. The annual meeting is held in October. The Board does not meet in December. If you wish to address the board or request that a topic be on the agenda, please contact the library director at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda is posted online one week before.

Teen Take & Make Craft

March
Free
For grades 6 to 12

Register or call so we can have a kit made up for you!

This month’s craft is a Mason Jar Lid Suncatcher.

With Spring on the way and more sun shining, it’s a great time to make a suncatcher to hang in your window!

Job opening: Part-Time Social Media Library Clerk

Maxwell Memorial Library is hiring for a part-time Social Media Library Clerk. The description and requirements are in the file below and here. To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to Jennifer Burke at director@maxwellmemoriallibrary.org. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Tax season

Maxwell Library again has a selection of Federal and New York State forms available.

Unfortunately, we do not have tax preparation services. Some libraries that do are listed at OCPL’s Tax Assistance Sites page.

The Camillus Senior Center may also have slots for tax prep available.

Maxwell’s mural is complete

Wall of the Maxwell Library Youth area near the beginning of the project. Bottom half has been painted white, but the top half has yet to be painted & is still yellow.
Preparation for the mural
Elliott Mattice painting the mural
Elliot at work

On January 28, the County Executive—J. Ryan McMahon, II—announced the completion of the mural in Maxwell’s Youth Area.

Here’s the County’s press release:

 

Preschool Fair

Saturday, February 14
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Free
No registration

Looking for information on preschools? Here is your chance to speak to representatives from local preschools!

Contact Melissa for more information:
YouthServices@MaxwellMemorialLibrary.org
315-672-3661

Snow

Maxwell Library will be closed Monday, January 26, due to the storm

Annual Report: 2025 In Review

At its January 20 meeting. Maxwell’s Board of Trustees approved the 2025 Annual Report to the Community.

The Report highlights our programs, services, and collections and shows how folks used the library in 2025.

Special Board Meeting

Wednesday, February 4
6:00 to 8:00 PM

The public is welcome to attend.

The Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 PM unless stated otherwise. The annual meeting is held in October. The Board does not meet in December.

If you wish to address the board or request that a topic be on the agenda, please contact the library director at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda is posted online one week before.

Library closed Friday

Due to the snow storm, Maxwell is closed on Friday, January 16.


Image credit:
Snowflake macro photography 1
by Alexey Kljatov
License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Martin Luther King Day

Maxwell Memorial Library will be closed for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 19.

Image credit:
Martin Luther King Jr NYWTS 6 by Dick DeMarsico (New York World-Telegram and Sun staff photographer)
License: Donated to the Public Domain

Board Meeting

Tuesday, January 20
6:00 to 8:00 PM

Note: Tuesday meeting

The public is welcome to attend.

The Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 PM unless stated otherwise. The annual meeting is held in October. The Board does not meet in December.

If you wish to address the board or request that a topic be on the agenda, please contact the library director at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda is posted online one week before.

Maxwell is Closed Today (Tue, 12/30)

Due to the weather, Maxwell Memorial Library is closed today.

Stay warm!

Winter Reading 2026

Read from January 2 through February 28
Hand in your BINGO cards by March 2
Free
No registration

One program for kids and teens, one for adults.

Cards are available at the library or you can print out your own from our website.

Read books that fit with categories on our BINGO cards, turn in the cards at the library, and be automatically entered in a drawing for one of several nice prizes at the end of the Challenge.

Snow

Maxwell Library is closed today, Thursday, December 11, due to the storm

Tree of Gift Cards Drawing

Enter to win one of three trees filled with gift cards, each valued over $500!

Tickets on sale November 17 through December 13
Drawing on December 15

  • 1 ticket for $5
  • 5 tickets for $20

Thank You to Our Donors:

Adelita’s Mexican Cocina
Aesthetica Salon Spa
Buffalo Wild Wings
Jennifer Burke
Cam’s Pizzeria
Camillus Nails & Spa
Camillus Winter Sports
Charlee’s Ice Cream
Chocolate Pizza Co.
Country Clipper
Crazy Daisies
Finally Ours Diner
Fish Cove
Freedom of Espresso
Limp Lizard
LongHorn Steakhouse
Luminous Nails & Spa

Mitsuba
The Mixing Bowl
Monarch Jewelers
Oh My Darling & The Fitz
Pies Guys Pub & Grub
Plaza Liquors
Red Robin
Sam Rao Florist
Sixty One Main
SYNPLE
That’s What She Read
Toss & Fire Pizza
Twin Trees Camillus
West Hill Golf Course
Wild Birds Unlimited
Witty Wicks
The Wren’s Den

Purchase Tickets at Maxwell Memorial Library

Thanksgiving

Maxwell Library will be closed from 3 PM on Wednesday, November 26 through Friday, November 28 for Thanksgiving.


Image credits:
Turkey (refixed) by NicholasJudy456
Vectorized by Lazur URH
License: Donated to public domain via CC0 1.0

Board Meeting

Monday, November 17
6:00 to 8:00 PM

The public is welcome to attend.

The Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 PM unless stated otherwise. The annual meeting is held in October. The Board does not meet in December.

If you wish to address the board or request that a topic be on the agenda, please contact the library director at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda is posted online one week before.

Veterans Day

Maxwell Memorial Library will close Tuesday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day.


Image credits:
Unified by Service
By Jeremy D. Carpenter
2025 National Veterans Day Poster Contest Winner
Theme: Service to Our Nation
License: Public Domain in the US as a work of the federal government

Thanksgiving bags for the pantry

Maxwell is one of the dropoff sites for donations to St. Joseph’s Church Food Pantry. The Pantry asked us to share the following request:

To help our neighbors in need this Thanksgiving we hope to collect 140 bags containing each of these items!

If you can help us reach our goal please drop off a bag in our collection bins by November 5th.

Please label the bag “Thanksgiving.”

  • Stuffing mix
  • Turkey gravy
  • Instant mashed potatoes
  • 1 Can of corn
  • 2 Cans of French style string beans
  • 1 Can of cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 Can of cranberry sauce
  • 1 Can of French fried onions
  • 1 Can of candied yams
  • Packaged cookies or candy

St. Joseph’s Church Food Pantry
5600 W. Genesee St. Camillus

Art Exhibit

Animals: Real and Fantastical
Works in colored pencil by Jamie Ohman
November 4 through 29, 2025

Jamie Ohman has been drawing for as long as she’s been able to hold a pencil. She was always encouraged to pursue her talent and took art classes throughout her school years. A 2000 graduate of West Genesee High School, she majored in applied media arts with a concentration in animation at Edinboro University of PA, graduating in 2004.

After working in animation for several years with a few different companies, Jamie decided that art as a full-time career did not suit her. She has continued to freelance as an artist since college, mainly creating pet portraits. She continues to improve her skills by drawing a wide variety of subjects, though dogs and other canines remain her favorites.

Outside of art, Jamie loves to spend time outdoors in nature hiking with her dogs or just reading a book on the back patio. She also enjoys photography, gardening, watching movies, competing in dog sports, and hanging out with her family and friends.


Image credits:
Glimmer
Colored pencil, by Jamie Ohman

Winter Hours Are Coming…

Our winter schedule goes into effect on November 1. We’ll be closing 1 hour earlier (at 7 PM) on Mondays through Thursdays until the end of March.

Our Friday and Saturday hours will remain unchanged.

Monday – Thursday10 AM – 7 PM
Friday10 AM – 5 PM
Saturday10 AM – 3 PM
SundayClosed
Winter hours at Maxwell

Image credits:
The Melting of Memory
A mashup derived from:

A Melting Snowman
By Sertion, modified by RexxS
License: Donated to the Public Domain via CC0 1.0

ClockFace by AlexBG
License: Donated to the Public Domain

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Maxwell’s Annual Appeal

The Maxwell Memorial Library banner

“Libraries always remind me that there are good things in this world.”

Lauren Ward

October 2025

Dear Supporter of Maxwell Memorial Library,

As we close out an exciting, rewarding year at Maxwell Memorial Library, we want to start with a heartfelt thank you to our patrons. Your belief in Maxwell Memorial Library has allowed us to become more than a building with books – we are your community center. Step through our doors and you might find patrons and visitors attending talks, listening to story time, taking a class, enjoying art exhibits, researching online, warming up or cooling down, working remotely, tutoring students, assembling a jigsaw puzzle, learning about nature, making crafts, experiencing cooking demos, playing Cribbage and Mah Jong, and yes – reading. The list goes on!

In a time of constant change, your support ensures that our collections — both traditional and digital — and services will continue to grow to meet the diverse needs of the community. You make it possible for us to offer these enriching opportunities and services to children, students, seniors and everyone in between. Your generous support during the 2025 Annual Appeal ensures that we can continue this long tradition to keep our collections growing, expand our services and adapt to the future needs of our community for years to come.

Will you consider making a donation today? Your gift is tax-deductible and allows us to continue our important mission. You can give securely online here, use the QR code below (requires PayPal app on a mobile device), or download the letter, complete the form at its bottom, and mail the form with your check. We will add all donors’ names to our appreciation wall in recognition of your generosity. Thank you for being a steadfast supporter of the Maxwell Memorial Library.

Sincerely,

The Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees


Salt City Coffee Fundraiser

Maxwell is selling Salt City Coffee again!

Orders can be placed October 1–November 1. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the library.

A bag of coffee from Salt City Coffee in Syracuse

Place your order on a paper form that you bring in to the library or on our online form.

  • Syracuse Blend – available Whole Bean or Ground

    Their signature blend of coffees from Costa Rica, Brazil, and Sumatra.

    Notes of praline, smoke, and mildly floral.
  • Sumatra – Harimau Tiger – available Whole Bean or Ground

    Ethically sourced from the Aceh region on Sumatra in Indonesia.

    Notes of earthy, toffee and lemongrass.
  • Decaf – available Whole Bean or Ground

    Ethically sourced from the Huila region of Columbia.

    Notes of mild, cocoa and malt.

All varieties come in 12-ounce bags and are available as whole bean or ground.

We anticipate coffee will be ready for you to pick-up at the library the week of November 10, but we’ll notify you when it’s ready. Unfortunately, we are unable to ship orders.

Thank you for your support of the library and a Syracuse small business!

Board Meeting

Monday, October 20
6:00 to 8:00 PM

The public is welcome to attend.

The Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 PM unless stated otherwise. The annual meeting is held in October. The Board does not meet in December.

If you wish to address the board or request that a topic be on the agenda, please contact the library director at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda is posted online one week before.

Maxwell By-laws

Amended and accepted by the Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees on September 2003; January 22, 2018; June 21, 2021; September 15, 2025


Image credits:
Book cover – Robert’s rules of order Orig 1876 edition
License: Public Domain

Board Meeting

Monday, September 15
6:00 to 8:00 PM

The public is welcome to attend.

The Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 PM unless stated otherwise. The annual meeting is held in October. The Board does not meet in December.

If you wish to address the board or request that a topic be on the agenda, please contact the library director at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda is posted online one week before.

Maxwell Closed Thursday, September 11

Maxwell will be closed Thursday, September 11 since the building will be getting a new roof that day.

Labor Day

Labor Day

Maxwell Library will be closed Saturday, August 30 through Monday, September 1 for Labor Day.

Image credits:
Labor Day 3c 1956 issue U.S. stamp
By The Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Designed by Victor S. McCloskey, Jr., using as source material a photograph of a portion of the mural by Lumen M. Winter located in the AFL-CIO building in Washington DC.
License: Public Domain

Board Meeting

Monday, August 16
6:00 to 8:00 PM

The public is welcome to attend.

The Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 PM unless stated otherwise. The annual meeting is held in October. The Board does not meet in December.

If you wish to address the board or request that a topic be on the agenda, please contact the library director at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda is posted online one week before.

2025 Summer Reading Programs: Color Our World

Maxwell’s summer reading programs for Kids/Teens and for Adults have begun!

The programs run from June 30 through August 22.

Go to the ReadSquared site where you can register and then log your reading.

Programs:

  • Kids (entering Pre-K through Grade 5 in September)
  • Teens (entering Grades 6 – 12 in September)
  • Adults (18+)

Each book, ebook, audiobook, or eaudiobook counts, and the more you read, the greater your chances to win one of our great prizes!

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Independence Day

Maxwell will be closed on Friday, July 4 for Independence Day.


Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull
License: Public domain

Circulation of Materials Policy

The purpose of this policy is to ensure maximum access to the information and materials in the collection of Maxwell Memorial Library.

Adopted October 25, 2021
Amended June 16, 2025


Board Meeting

Monday, June 16
6:00 to 8:00 PM

The public is welcome to attend.

The Maxwell Memorial Library Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of the month at 6 PM unless stated otherwise. The annual meeting is held in October. The Board does not meet in December.

If you wish to address the board or request that a topic be on the agenda, please contact the library director at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda is posted online one week before.

Juneteenth

Thursday, June 19

Maxwell Library will be closed for Juneteenth on Thursday, June 19th.

On the Shelf is Back!

Signs for Maxwell's New Books section reading (respectively) Fiction, New!, and Nonfiction.

Back in December, when Maxwell changed platforms for our events calendar, we lost the service that kept our On the Shelf webpage up-to-date with our new books, movies and audiobooks. We’re happy to say that we signed up for Wowbrary, a service that lets us resume On the Shelf. Additionally, those who are interested can sign up to get a weekly alert showing the newest books, DVDs, and audiobooks that we add to our collection.

The nice thing about Wowbrary is that titles are connected to our library catalog. Whenever you spot something of interest, you’ll be able to click instantly, reserve it, and check it out at your convenience. And of course, like everything else in the library, this service is free!