Our Community

The Roeliff Jansen Community is mandated by the Mid-Hudson Library System to serve the towns of Ancram, Copake, and Hillsdale, a combined population of 7,000+ full-time residents. Additionally, the Roe Jan Library serves about one third of the populations of the nearby towns of Taghkanic and Gallatin (neither of which has its own library.) We also have one of the fastest growing populations of second-home owners in New York State; our population doubles during the summer months.

Library Use: Circulation
(items taken out of the library)

1914                2,623
1944                3,550
1973                8,304
1983                10,875
1993                13,349
1996                16,401
2005                23,890
2007                30,000+ 

Large segments of our service population include those on limited or fixed incomes, low-income youth, and other school-age children. Senior citizens are among the library’s heaviest users. Each year, greater numbers of seniors come in to conduct research, read the newspapers and periodicals, and access information on line. Many job seekers also use the library to research potential career opportunities, use the computer to format a resume, and find out about other avenues to develop new skills. Of permanent residents, we estimate that 60% or more of our patrons come from low- to moderate-income households. While the Roeliff Jansen Community Library serves people from all sectors of society, we are continually aware of our role in providing services to those most in need.