History Of The Corfu Free Library:
Franklin Library
In February 1819 twenty residents of the Town of Alexander and Pembroke formed an organization to keep and maintain a public library. They met at the home of Eber North and called the association the Franklin Library, in honor of Benjamin Franklin. As a direct result of this the Corfu Ladies Library would be formed.
Corfu Ladies Library
On October 31, 1872 the Corfu Ladies Library was organized. It was operated in the house of Amelia Giddings on the southwest corner of Main and Allegheny. She served as the librarian. An admission fee of $1 was charged along with dues of 65 cents per year. An article in the January 31st, 1902 Batavia Daily stated that the library was moved to the home of Martha Schelt on January 28th.
The May 6th, 1911 Batavia Daily reported that the library had been moved from the Frank Sloat building to rooms upstairs over the Stevens' Corner Store (Stevens' Store was located where Sliker's Printing is now). No information has been located on when it was moved into the Sloat building. Later it was moved upstairs in a building where Al's Garage is now located. Sometime between this time and 1920 the library was dissolved.
Corfu Free Library
In 1920 the Corfu Study Club (originally called the Shakespeare Reading Club) organized the Corfu Free Library. By February they had rented a room on the upper floor of the D. R. Lawrence building (former home of the Pizza Pantry on West Main Street) for the library. They had also applied to the University of New York for a charter. On April 29th, 1920 they were granted a provisional charter as the Corfu Free Library Association. The library was opened to the public on June 5th, 1920. The first trustees were Mrs. Julia Flaherty, Clarence Curtis, Mrs. Mabel Bangert, Mrs. Clara Bartlett and Mrs. Almira Tyler.
