Category: Local information

Thanksgiving bags for the pantry

October 28, 2025 By Mary Maxwell

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

Memorial Day Watchfire Flag Collection

May 12, 2025 By ml-admin

Respectfully retire tattered, worn, faded or other unserviceable American flags.

Drop off flags at Maxwell by Wednesday, May 21 & we will send them over to Betts Library, or you can take them directly to Betts by Friday, May 23.

Betts Library is located at:

4862 S. Salina St.
Syracuse, NY 13205
315-435-1940

Flyer

Donation Drive

November 3, 2024 By ml-admin

Maxwell Library and our neighbors at SYNPLE Gift Boutique are hosting a special one-week drive for donations to our two special charities: St. Joseph’s Food Pantry and Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

From November 10 through 16, bring a bag of food donations for the food pantry or new, twin-size bedding for Sleep in Heavenly Peace to either Maxwell or SYNPLE and receive a coupon worth $25 for use at SYNPLE or SYNPLE Littles! The boutique is up the road from Maxwell, at 70 Main St. One coupon per household.

Help make this holiday season truly festive! Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Maxwell’s hours

SundayClosed
Monday, November 11Closed for Veterans Day
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday10 – 7
Friday10 – 5
Saturday10 – 3

SYNPLE’s hours

Sunday12 – 5
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday10 – 5
Thursday10 – 6
Friday, Saturday10 – 5

Back Pack Drive

July 20, 2024 By ml-admin

July 15 – August 15

Help us provide essential supplies to students in MercyWorks’ Read & Succeed Summer Literacy Camp and make a positive impact on their education.

Supplies Needed:

  • Backpacks
  • Pencil boxes
  • Crayola Crayons, 24 Count
  • Crayola Colored Pencils
  • Elmer’s Glue Sticks
  • #2 Pencils
  • Fiskars Scissors
  • 2 Pocket Folders
  • Broad Tip Markers
  • Composition Notebooks

Drop Off Donations At:

  • Maxwell Memorial Library, 14 Genesee St., Camillus
  • Fairmount Community Library, 406 Chapel Dr., Syracuse
  • Onondaga Free Library, 4840 West Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse

NYS Senate District 50 Mobile Office Hours

April 24, 2024 By ml-admin

Thursday, May 2
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Meet with a Constituent Services Specialist from NYS Senator John Mannion’s team to learn about all of the ways the Senator can help Central New Yorkers access and navigate state services.

Drop in at Maxwell Memorial Library today between 11 AM and 1 PM with your questions and concerns.

Free
Open to the public
No registration

Wondering What to Do With Your Eclipse Glasses?

April 9, 2024 By ml-admin

You can bring them back to Maxwell!

On October 2, 2024 there’s going to be an annular eclipse in South America’s Southern Cone (mostly in Chile and Argentina). Astronauts Without Borders and Eclipse Glasses USA are collecting eclipse glasses that are still usable to distribute in schools in the path of that eclipse.

Maxwell and other OCPL libraries will collect glasses, and OCPL will forward them on to one of the organizations that will distribute them in South American schools.

To be usable glasses must have no scratches, punctures, tears or any other damage that might compromise their protective quality.

↩ In an annular eclipse the entire moon fits over the sun but the outer edge of the sun is still visible as a ring or annulus.

We’re out of Eclipse Glasses :-(

April 4, 2024 By ml-admin

We have run out of glasses for viewing the eclipse.

We Have Eclipse Glasses

April 1, 2024 By ml-admin

Several patrons have asked for details about the glasses… specs on the specs, as it were.

They are provided by Star Net with the support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries (SEAL), and the Space Science Institute.

The following is from the “fine print” on the glasses themselves. In particular, note the limit of 3 minutes continuous use.

Eclipse Cereal Box Viewer

March 28, 2024 By ml-admin

Saturday, April 6
11:00 AM to 12 Noon

For all ages
Free
Registration required

Looking directly at the sun is extremely dangerous; irreversible eye damage occurs. While it’s very tempting to look directly at the Sun during the eclipse, this is not safe.

At this program, we’ll use a cereal box and other common materials to create a safe way to view the Sun during the eclipse.

Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

NYS Senate District 50 Mobile Office Hours

March 28, 2024 By ml-admin

Thursday, April 4
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Meet with a Constituent Services Specialist from NYS Senator John Mannion’s team to learn about all of the ways the Senator can help Central New Yorkers access and navigate state services.

Drop in at Maxwell Memorial Library today between 11 AM and 1 PM with your questions and concerns.

Free
Open to the public
No registration

Eclipse Viewing Party at Munro Park

March 18, 2024 By ml-admin

Monday, April 8
2 to 4 PM

Free
For all ages
No registration

Join Maxwell Library staff at Munro Park in the Village of Camillus to view the solar eclipse safely as its path goes through Syracuse. This event will be held rain or shine. We recommend you bring a lawn chair or blanket, and dress accordingly. If you have eclipse glasses or a pinhole or cereal box viewer, please bring them with you.

The library building will be closed from 2 to 4 PM.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we’re excited to come together as a community to share in its wonder.

Total Eclipse, Partial Closing

March 18, 2024 By ml-admin

Maxwell Library will close from 2 to 4 PM on Monday, April 8 so patrons and staff can experience the Total Solar Eclipse.

Study Rooms will be closed from 1:30 to 4:30 PM.

Please join us outside for this spectacular event!

Build a Pizza Box Solar Oven

March 16, 2024 By ml-admin

Tuesday, March 26
4:00 to 5:00 PM

For Grades K-6
Free
Registration required

Did you know you can directly use solar power to cook food? Make your own solar oven out of a pizza box and learn about energy and solar power. Each participant will receive a bag of s’mores ingredients to cook at a later (warmer and sunnier) date. Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Many thanks to Cam’s Pizzeria in Camillus for donating the pizza boxes!

More about eclipse glasses

March 14, 2024 By ml-admin

As noted before, we’ll have the eclipse viewing glasses available beginning on Monday, March 25 (limit of 1 pair per family).

Several patrons have asked for details about the glasses… specs on the specs, as it were.

They are provided by Star Net with the support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries (SEAL), and the Space Science Institute.

The following is from the “fine print” on the glasses themselves. In particular, note the limit of 3 minutes continuous use.

Create a UV Bracelet

March 14, 2024 By ml-admin

Tuesday, March 19
12 Noon to 5 PM

Grades K to Adult
Free
No registration

Make your own ultraviolet light detecting bracelet! The beads will change color when exposed to a UV light source, such as the Sun.

Drop in anytime during the hours above.

Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Learn About the Solar Eclipse with The MOST!

March 5, 2024 By ml-admin

Saturday, March 16
1:30 to 2:30 PM

For all ages
Free
Registration required

Learn about what happens during a solar eclipse, how to view it safely, and what you can to do prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime experience! From basic terms to safety tips, The MOST will review everything you need to know for the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8.

Eclipse Chalk Art

March 5, 2024 By ml-admin

Saturday, March 9
10:00 AM to 2:30 PM

Free
No registration
For all ages

Create chalk art and discover the Sun’s corona (“crown”). During an eclipse, the Sun’s corona, the outermost part of its atmosphere, is visible! Drop in anytime during the hours above. Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Eclipse info page

March 5, 2024 By ml-admin

In anticipation of the April 8 eclipse, Maxwell’s Website has a page to aggregate eclipse related information and program notices.

You can get to the page directly through the navigation menu that appears on any page on our site, or you can go there directly with this link.

Camillus Eclipse Festival

March 5, 2024 By ml-admin

Monday, April 8
1:00 to 4:00 PM
Registration

Join us for an exciting eclipse festival in Fairmount/Camillus on April 8th from 1 to 4 PM, co-sponsored by Camillus Parks & Recreation, Fairmount and Maxwell Libraries, and the Town of Camillus. There will be food trucks, live music, hands-on educational activities for children, vendors, eclipse glasses to view the eclipse, and more!!

More info to come as we get closer to the big event!

This event is being held on the lawn at Bicentennial Park (Camillus Town Hall).

Eclipse Glasses

March 4, 2024 By ml-admin
Default Thumbnail

Maxwell will begin distributing glasses for viewing the April 8 eclipse beginning on Monday, March 25.

There will be a limit of 1 pair per family.

NYS Senate District 50 Mobile Office Hours

February 27, 2024 By ml-admin
Dark blue background with gold text reading 'Mobile office hours'
Dark blue background with gold text reading 'Mobile office hours'

Thursday, March 7
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Meet with a Constituent Services Specialist from NYS Senator John Mannion’s team to learn about all of the ways the Senator can help Central New Yorkers access and navigate state services.

Drop in at Maxwell Memorial Library today between 11 AM and 1 PM with your questions and concerns.

Free
Open to the public
No registration

Tax forms

February 12, 2024 By ml-admin

We have now received all the federal and state forms and instructions that we’ll be getting.

We have the following forms and their instructions:

We can also print 2 copies of other forms you might need for free.

Since instructions tend to be long, we can’t print the instructions.

NYS Senate District 50 Mobile Office Hours

January 25, 2024 By ml-admin
Dark blue background with gold text reading 'Mobile office hours'
Dark blue background with gold text reading 'Mobile office hours'

Thursday, February 1
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Meet with a Constituent Services Specialist from NYS Senator John Mannion’s team to learn about all of the ways the Senator can help Central New Yorkers access and navigate state services.

Drop in at Maxwell Memorial Library today between 11 AM and 1 PM with your questions and concerns.

Free
Open to the public
No registration

NYS Senate District 50 Mobile Office Hours

December 25, 2023 By ml-admin
Dark blue background with gold text reading 'Mobile office hours'
Dark blue background with gold text reading 'Mobile office hours'

Thursday, January 4
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Meet with a Constituent Services Specialist from NYS Senator John Mannion’s team to learn about all of the ways the Senator can help Central New Yorkers access and navigate state services.

Drop in at Maxwell Memorial Library today between 11 AM and 1 PM with your questions and concerns.

Free
Open to the public
No registration

Food Drive for St. Joseph’s Food Pantry

December 14, 2023 By ml-admin

Join us in helping our neighbors in need!

The Food Pantry at St. Joseph’s Church in Camillus serves families in zip codes 13031, 13112, and 13164. These are our neighbors, and they need our help.

Maxwell Memorial Library in Camillus is now a drop-off location for donations to keep the Food Pantry’s shelves stocked.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain all foods needed from the Food Bank of CNY to supply the families who rely on our local pantry. You can help by donating some of the most needed foods and other items so no one has to go without.

Maxwell will collect non-perishable items and bring them to St. Joseph’s. A list of suggested donations is available at the library, and it can also be downloaded to your smartphone here.

Here is some general information to help with your shopping and giving:

  • Please do not leave items outside the library. You must bring them inside during our regular hours.
  • Check for expiration dates. The pantry cannot distribute anything post-expiration.
  • Packages must be unopened.
  • Giant jars of peanut butter may sound like a good idea, but please donate regular size items, not super-sized.
  • We can only accept non-perishable items, so no fresh produce, dairy, meat, or anything requiring refrigeration or freezing.
  • If you choose to donate a gift card or a monetary gift, please do not put it in our collection bin. Please give it to one of the library staff so we can keep it safe for St. Joseph’s.

Please be generous. Thank you for caring and for your support of our neighbors!

[wpcode id=”5028″]

NYS Senate District 50 Mobile Office Hours

November 30, 2023 By ml-admin
Dark blue background with gold text reading 'Mobile office hours'

Thursday, December 7
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Meet with a Constituent Services Specialist from NYS Senator John Mannion’s team to learn about all of the ways the Senator can help Central New Yorkers access and navigate state services.

Drop in at Maxwell Memorial Library today between 11 AM and 1 PM with your questions and concerns.

Free
Open to the public
No registration

NYS Senate District 50 Mobile Office Hours

October 24, 2023 By ml-admin
Dark blue background with gold text reading 'Mobile office hours'

Thursday, November 2
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Meet with a Constituent Services Specialist from NYS Senator John Mannion’s team to learn about all of the ways the Senator can help Central New Yorkers access and navigate state services.

Drop in at Maxwell Memorial Library today between 11 AM and 1 PM with your questions and concerns.

Free
Open to the public
No registration

Holiday Food Drive for St. Joseph’s Church Food Pantry

October 24, 2023 By ml-admin

November 1 through 30
Maxwell Library

The Food Pantry at St. Joseph’s Church in Camillus serves families in zip codes 13031, 13112, and 13164. These are our neighbors, and they need our help.

Maxwell Memorial Library in Camillus is partnering with St. Joseph’s to stock the Food Pantry shelves in preparation for winter and the holiday season. It is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain all foods needed from the Food Bank of CNY to supply the families who rely on our local pantry. You can help by donating some of the most needed foods and other items so no one has to go without.

Throughout November, Maxwell will serve as a drop-off location for non-perishable items. We will collect the supplies and bring them to St. Joseph’s. A list of suggested donations is available at the library, and can also be downloaded to your smartphone here. Here is some general information to help with your shopping and giving:

  • Please do not leave items outside the library. You must bring them inside during our regular hours.
  • Check for expiration dates. The pantry cannot distribute anything post-expiration.
  • Packages must be unopened.
  • Giant jars of peanut butter may sound like a good idea, but please donate regular size items, not super-sized.
  • We can only accept non-perishable items, so no fresh produce, dairy, meat, or anything requiring refrigeration or freezing.
  • If you choose to donate a gift card or a monetary gift, please do not put it in our collection bin. Please give it to one of the library staff so we can keep it safe for St. Joseph’s.

Please be generous. Thank you for caring and for your support of our neighbors!

[wpcode id=”5028″]

NYS Senate District 50 Mobile Office Hours

September 21, 2023 By ml-admin

Thursday, October 5
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Meet with a Constituent Services Specialist from NYS Senator John Mannion’s team to learn about all of the ways the Senator can help Central New Yorkers access and navigate state services.

Drop in at Maxwell Memorial Library today between 11 AM and 1 PM with your questions and concerns.

Free

Open to the public

No registration

Tax Assistance for NYS and Federal Tax Returns

February 14, 2023 By ml-admin
  • Thursday, March 9
  • Thursday, March 23
  • Thursday, April 13

New York State Tax Department employees will walk you through your income tax returns, step-by-step, as you complete your own tax return.

Individual appointments are scheduled through New York State’s online booking system at 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 2 PM.

Things to know before you schedule an appointment:

  • This is NOT tax preparation. It is tax filing assistance only.
  • If you earned $73,000 or less in 2022, you qualify.
  • Safe and secure online tax software.
  • Use on-site computers, or your own laptop, tablet, or mobile device.
  • You only need basic computer skills and an active email account.
  • You must pre-register and schedule an appointment.

For information, for a list of necessary documents, or to schedule a session, talk to a Tax Department site coordinator or visit https://www.tax.ny.gov/tap/.

Image credits:
Tax by 401(K) 2012
License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Taxes

February 2, 2023 By ml-admin
Tax forms and instructions

We now have Federal and State tax forms. They are available in the foyer as you enter the library.

Here are the forms/instructions we have:

Federal

  • 1040
  • Combined instruction book for both 1040 and 1040-SR

State

  • IT-2
  • IT-201
  • IT-201-ATT
  • IT-201-V
  • IT-201 Instructions
  • IT-195
  • IT-196
  • IT-196 Instructions
  • IT-213
  • IT-213 Instructions
  • IT-214
  • IT-214 Instructions
  • IT-215
  • IT-215 Instructions
  • IT-216
  • IT-216 Instructions
  • IT-225
  • IT-225 Instructions
  • IT-227
  • IT-229
  • IT-229 Instructions
  • IT-272
  • IT-272 Instructions
  • IT-1099-R

We can print other forms you might need (state or federal). Normal printing charges apply.

[wpcode id=”5028″]

NYS Senate District 50 Mobile Office Hours

November 29, 2022 By ml-admin

Thursday, December 8
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Meet with a Constituent Services Specialist from NYS Senator John Mannion’s team to learn about all of the ways the Senator can help Central New Yorkers access and navigate state services. Drop in at Maxwell Memorial Library today between 2 and 4 PM with your questions and concerns.

Free

Open to the public

No registration

NYS Senate District 50 Mobile Office Hours

November 8, 2022 By ml-admin

Thursday, November 10
2:00 to 4:00 PM

Meet with a Constituent Services Specialist from NYS Senator John Mannion’s team to learn about all of the ways the Senator can help Central New Yorkers access and navigate state services. Drop in at Maxwell Memorial Library today between 2 and 4 PM with your questions and concerns.

Free

Open to the public

No registration

Sample Ballots

November 3, 2022 By ml-admin

The Onondaga County Board of Elections has a page to help voters find the sample ballot for their town/ward/district. The page is at http://www.ongov.net/elections/SampleBallots.html

NYS Senate District 50 Mobile Office Hours

October 15, 2022 By ml-admin

Tuesday, October 25
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Meet with a Constituent Services Specialist from NYS Senator John Mannion’s team to learn about all of the ways the Senator can help Central New Yorkers access and navigate state services. Drop in at Maxwell Memorial Library today between 11 AM and 1 PM with your questions and concerns.

Free

Open to the public

No registration

Tax Time: Updated 3/14/2022

February 14, 2022 By ml-admin

The library has a limited selection of State and Federal tax forms available for free.

We currently have:

  • Federal Form 1040 and its instructions
  • State forms:
    • IT-201 & instructions
    • IT-201-ATT
    • IT-201-V
    • IT-2
    • IT-195
    • IT-196 & instructions
    • IT-213 & instructions
    • IT-214 & instructions
    • IT-215 & instructions
    • IT-216 & instructions
    • IT-225 & instructions
    • IT-227
    • IT-229 & instructions
    • IT-272 & instructions
    • IT-558 & instructions
    • IT-1099-R

Many forms are now available only online. Those forms may be printed from the library’s public computers at our usual printing charges of 25¢ per side B&W, 50¢ per side color.

Unfortunately, there is no tax preparation assistance available at Maxwell.

Here are links for more information and for forms (links will open in new tabs):

To go directly to a page with the most commonly used State forms and instructions, go to:

Image credits:
Tax by 401(K) 2012
License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Tax Time

January 31, 2022 By ml-admin

The library will have a limited selection of State and Federal tax forms available for free.

We currently have:

  • Federal Form 1040 and its instructions

We expect to have State forms by mid-February. We will update our Website to indicate which forms are available as they arrive.

Many forms are now available only online. Those forms may be printed from the library’s public computers at our usual printing charges of 25¢ per side B&W, 50¢ per side color.

Unfortunately, there is no tax preparation assistance available at Maxwell.

Here are links for more information and for forms (links will open in new tabs):

To go directly to a page with the most commonly used State forms and instructions, go to:

Image credits:
Tax by 401(K) 2012
License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Tax form update

March 9, 2021 By ml-admin
Tax forms and instructions

As of March 9, we have the following forms and instructions:

  • Federal:
    • 1040
    • 1040-SR
    • Schedules 1, 2, 3, and LP
  • State:
    • IT-201
    • IT-201-V
    • IT-2
    • IT-195
    • IT-196
    • IT-213
    • IT-215
    • IT-216
    • IT-227
    • IT-558
    • IT-1099-R

You can also request other tax forms, and we can print them out, but normal printing charges (25¢ per printed side) apply. Send an email to printing@maxwellmemoriallibrary.org telling us the precise form numbers for the forms you need. Legal liability issues prevent us from guessing which form is wanted in cases of ambiguity.

Alert about an error in the paper instructions for IRS Form 1040/1040-SR

March 3, 2021 By ml-admin
Tax forms and instructions

The IRS has alerted us that there was an error in the printed instructions for form 1040/1040-SR. The error concerns which line numbers to copy from in using IRA Deduction Worksheet-Schedule 1, Line 19 (page 92 in the printed, January 6, 2021 version of the instruction book).

The current electronic version of the instruction book (February 9, 2021) has corrected the error, and Maxwell has paper copies of IRS Notice 1451 giving the correct instructions for those working from the paper instructions.

Tax form update

February 8, 2021 By ml-admin
Tax forms and instructions

We currently have the following forms and instructions:

  • Federal:
    • 1040
    • 1040-SR
    • Schedules 1, 2, 3, and LP
  • Update: We now have state forms as well:
    • IT-201
    • IT-201 Instruction book
    • IT-201-ATT
    • IT-2
    • IT-195
    • IT-196
    • IT-196 Instruction book
    • IT-1099-R

[Updated February 16, 2021]

You can also request other tax forms, and we can print them out, but normal printing charges (25¢ per printed side) apply. Send an email to printing@maxwellmemoriallibrary.org telling us the precise form numbers for the forms you need. Legal liability issues prevent us from guessing which form is wanted in cases of ambiguity.

Holiday Tree of Gift Cards

December 22, 2020 By ml-admin
Alyssa showing the Holiday Tree of Gift Cards

Congratulations to Jeffrey K., whose winning ticket was picked by Alyssa in our Holiday Tree of Gift Cards drawing!

We thank all the people who participated in the drawing and these local businesses for their contributions:

  • Aesthetica Salon Spa
  • Branching Out Bottle Shop
  • Buffalo Wild Wings
  • Byrne Dairy
  • Camillus Nails and Spa
  • Cams Pizzeria
  • Colorful Inspirations
  • Exhale Cafe and Bake Shop
  • Finally Ours
  • Firehouse Subs
  • Longhorn Restaurant
  • Luminous Nails and Spa
  • Monarch Jewelry
  • Olde Wicker Mill
  • The Friends of Maxwell for a Panera Bread gift card
  • Pie Guys Pizza
  • George Mango of Howard Hanna Real Estate for a Price Chopper gift card
  • Red Robin
  • Sam Rao Florist
  • Synple
  • Sweet Frog Yogurt
  • Target
  • Wegmans
  • Witty Wicks Candles

Watch for another drawing in the Spring!