In January, 1834, the Young Men’s Association for Mutual Improvement (YMA) opened a reading room with 800 volumes and 100 newspapers and periodicals.
Newly constructed in 2010, the $5.7 million, 12,000-square-foot contemporary building features a 60-foot-by-24-foot wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, a soaring atrium ceiling, and an indoor garden.
[14] The building was designed by architects Hom & Goldman of New York City and built by Sano-Rubin Construction of Albany.
Newly constructed in 2009, the $4 million, 8,500-square-foot contemporary building features a glass-walled rotunda that provides sweeping views of New Scotland Avenue.
The building was named in memory of John J. Bach, a longtime library trustee and New Scotland neighborhood resident who spent his career as a teacher, principal, and superintendent at Albany’s public schools.
The building was designed by architects Hom & Goldman of New York City and built by Sano-Rubin Construction of Albany.
The $4.7 million renovation project began on the 9,500-square foot former Chicorelli Funeral Home in October 2008, and it opened its doors to the public on Dec. 28, 2009.
While the building retains its distinctive Prairie-style architecture look, the interior has been completely transformed into an open, modern library.
The building was designed by architect CS Arch of Albany and built by Bunkoff General Contractors of Latham.
The 18-month renovation included attaching a two-story addition to the back of the library to provide handicapped access.
The Pine Hills Branch had occupied the first floor of the two-story, 19,000-square-foot building that had originally belonged to the New York Telephone Company since 1990.
The newly created grand staircase was constructed, and a light monitor was cut into the existing roof.
The Pine Hills Branch received the 2010 Historic Preservation/Adaptive Reuse Merit Award from the Eastern New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
In 2015, Executive Director Scott Jarzombek rebranded the Main Library as the “Washington Avenue Branch,” adding two study rooms, an additional community meeting room, a rehabilitated Youth Services space with separate areas for children and teens, and the Albany Made Creative Lab.
Some of the services offered by the library include: programming for children, teens, and adults, downloadable ebooks, audiobooks and magazines, Albany Made Creative and Digital Labs, Art at APL exhibitions, annual summer reading program, annual tax assistance program, High School Equivalency preparation, introductory computer instruction, interlibrary loan, legal and financial resources and workshops, art and crafts workshops, musical performances, movie showings, museum passes, fishing poles, public scanner/copier and fax, public computers and Wi-Fi.