About Sally Ploof Hunter Memorial Library
The Sally Ploof Hunter Memorial Library is a public library located in the village of Black River, NY., just outside Fort Drum Army Installation. Our library is part of the North Country Library System, which serves Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Lewis counties. Our library is geographically situated to offer services to military and civilian families from all over the world. We offer field trip programs to our local Black River Elementary School students, bimonthly toddler reading groups, adult book club, sewing group, LEGO Club, participate in village-wide events, offer special sensory-friendly holiday celebrations and a whole lot more!
Our library is part of the North Country Library System. With one NCLS library card, you have access to circulated items from all 65 in the system and all of the amazing perks and programs that NCLS offers our patrons. Our website offers a great deal of information regarding our in-house programs and offerings, as well as those offered by NCLS. We welcome you to reach out to us with any questions you may have regarding any of the programs, events or offerings you find here. We thank you for visiting our website and invite you to visit our library (and meet our resident Guinea Pigs, Fluffernutter and Nutella) any time! .
Mission
The Sally Ploof Hunter Memorial Library aims to be the connection point of choice for our community’s information, entertainment, and social needs.
Vision
- Community – We seek to actively serve and engage our neighbors in the Village of Black River and the towns of LeRay and Rutland.
- Relevance – We will provide library services, programs, and events which are intentionally developed to meet the perceived needs of the community in which we live.
- Diversity – We will continue to serve patrons of all backgrounds, and offer a variety of specific programs including those for children, youth, and adults.
- Technology – In addition to our robust collection of printed materials, we will provide rich content to our patrons, including audiobooks, digital video, eBooks, etc. We will also provide access and opportunities to learn modern technologies.
- History – We are committed to the collection, archival, and sharing of historic documentation related to our community and its people.
- Partnership – We will work with the North Country Library System and other area entities to share resources and programs within the larger Northern NY region.
Library Management Staff
Shawn Hunt
Library Director
Shawn began his time at the library as a Library Technician. He started off just scanning new books and processing them, making them available to be checked out. From that point on, Shawn steadily increased his responsibilities in the library to include creating and maintaining our website, social media, and other digital programs.
He has a Bachelor’s Degree from SUNY Potsdam in Business Administration, as well as a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He has found a way to use these skills in helping the Sally Ploof Hunter Library move forward.
Shawn is the resident technology “expert” of the library. If there are issues with anything in technology, from understanding how to use our apps/computers, to many other things that would make this list go on forever, Shawn is the person that the patrons and staff look to for an answer.
Before working at the library Shawn would average 8 books read in a year. Now on average he reads 75 books a year. What attributed mostly to this number according to Shawn is that “When you’re in the presence of books, you can’t help to want to read more of them. It also helps that a library such as Sally Ploof Hunter Memorial Library has such a unique collection of books that you are sure to find something you like in either here or the 60+ libraries in the North Country Library System. Shawn’s books of preference include horror/suspense, science fiction, or graphic novels.
Have you or your children enjoyed playing with our robots, or other pieces of technology? You can thank Shawn for that, because he enjoys all that as well. In fact, sometimes in the library you may see a robot go across the floor because Shawn is “making sure it still works for the patrons”. Shawn has a motto in life he borrowed from Doctor Who, which is “There’s no sense of being an adult, if you can’t be a child sometimes.”
Mary Louise Hunt
Programming Director
Mary Louise Hunt, otherwise known as Mrs. Hunt, feels that she has been blessed by having 2 careers that have been both enjoyable and rewarding.
She began her teaching career in 1973 at Black River Elementary. She made the school her home for 36 years. Following her retirement, she simply walked up the street to this new library and became the Children’s Programming Director. This allowed her to continue working with children.
Mrs. Hunt loves the smell, the feel and the look of books, especially children’s books. She says no to digital books at this time in her life, but understands their value.
During her time at the library she has hosted campouts, sleepovers, Halloween parties, movies, book clubs (children and adults) and many other events. She wants the patrons to know that this library welcomes children, allows young ones to run freely between the stacks, and because she is not a quiet person herself, she doesn’t expect children to be quiet.
Her goal for this library is to make it a relevant, vital place in the community, that welcomes all that enter. She is not done yet….
Colleen Bowers
Community Engagement Liaison
Sandra Lamb
Director Emeritus
Library History
1915 – The first location of the Black River Free Library is opened on Leray Street
1921 – The library moves to its second location on South Main Street
1976 – The library moves to its third location on Public Square
2006 – Construction starts on current building at 101 Public Works Drive, next to Maple Street Park
2007 – The name of library is officially changed to “Sally Ploof Hunter Memorial Library”
2011 – The library adds an addition to the building to house the new Children’s Room
2021 – The new Children’s Room construction is completed. The existing Children’s Room is renovated to become the “Sandra L. Lamb Community Room”
