Library Cards

Library cards are free of charge to residents with photo identification. Residents may download and print an application (Library Card Application) or pick one up at the Sidney Memorial Public Library or one of the branches. A valid library card can be used at any of the 42 libraries in the Four County Library System (from Binghamton all the way to Cooperstown). It can also be used on 4cls.org to place holds and renew items online, and to borrow e-books and audiobooks through the Overdrive or Libby app.

Placing Holds

If the item you are looking for is not available at our library, a hold can be placed on it. We will then call or email you when it is ready to be picked up. We will only hold items for 5 days once it is received at the library. Holds can be placed in person, over the phone, or online at 4cls.org.

To place a hold online, you will need your library card # and your PIN #. If you do not know your PIN #, please contact the library. Once you find the item you want, choose the “Place Hold” option. Enter your information and choose a pick-up library location.

Book Bundles

Looking for some books but don’t know what to read? Here at the Sidney Library we have a form that you can fill out with your book preferences and we will create a book bundle for you! Simply fill out the form here and submit it! As soon as we are done collecting books for you, you will be contacted.

Public Access Computers

Patrons with a valid library card may use the public access computers for 1 hour per day. The system will log you off automatically when your time is over. Be sure to save your work.

While the system keeps track of the time you spend on the library computers, it will not monitor or record your activities.

Public computers – free with your library card

Printing

Patrons may print from the public computers. When ‘Print’ is clicked, the system will display a job number, the total number of pages to be printed and the total fee.

Printing costs:

$.25 per page for black and white
$.75 per page for color

Pay for your pages at the circulation desk first and library staff will send your print job to the printer.

WiFi

The Library provides free wireless Internet to patrons during library hours. Connect to “sidpub”, open browser, accept the terms, and get started.

Copy Machine

Black and white copies are $.25 per page.

Fax Service

Faxing costs $1.00 per page for both sending and receiving. There is no charge for the cover page. If you would like to receive a fax, our number is: 607-563-7675.

Employment Help

The Library provides tech open hours and has some videos to help with your computer skills. We also have some links to Coursera and CDO Workforce to help put you on the right path.

For more information, click here.

The Smart Community Room

In 1996 the library added the Fred and Irene Smart Community Room with generous donations from their trust and estate funds. The room is available to the community during library hours and should be reserved ahead of time.

Booking the Room

The Smart Community Room is available for bookings of groups up to 40 people at this time. Please contact Keiko at 607-563-1200 after 4pm on weekdays.

Cost

Verified Local (Sidney School District) Non-Profit & Community Organizations – There is no charge for local non-profits or Community Organizations.

Verified Non-Local Non-Profit Organizations – $15 for the first hour, $10 per hour beyond that.

For Profit & Private Event Pricing – $25 for the first hour, $15 per hour beyond that.

*All reservations must be made in 1 hour increments. You must provide proof of non-profit
status to receive the nonprofit rate.* (Effective July 1st 2022)

Payment must be made one week prior to the event. Final approval of the room reservation will occur upon receipt of payment.

The library reserves the right to assess a custodial charge subject to the nature of the program.

Scheduling

Groups can reserve the room no more than twice per month.

The meeting areas are available during library-staffed hours unless special arrangements are made.

Meetings and setup for meetings can begin no earlier than one half hour before library opens. Meetings should end fifteen minutes before the library closes unless special arrangements are made.

Reservations are on a first come, first served basis.

Genealogy

Digital Archive of Local Sidney Papers

The Sidney Memorial Public Library is happy to announce that the first part (1882 – 1936) of a project to digitize the local Sidney papers currently stored on microfilm at the Sidney Historical Association is completed. You can access the Digital Archive here or by clicking on this button anywhere on our site:

The papers included in the full project are the Sidney Record, Sidney Enterprise, and the Tri-Town News. The Sidney Record began publishing a weekly paper in December 1882. The Sidney Enterprise ran concurrently with the Sidney Record from 1914 – 1958. In 1968 the Sidney Record merged with the Bainbridge News to form the Tri-Town News, which remained the local paper until it closed in December of 2018.

To fund the project the Friends of the Sidney Libraries and the Sidney Central Schools Alumni Association provided the match to an O’Connor Foundation grant that the library received.