A Library Timeline…

1899 Ovid’s first library, called the Ovid Free Library, was granted a provisional charter by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. The Library’s first location was the Ovid Gazette newspaper office.

1905 The Ovid Free Library moved to the historic Mama Bear building, which housed the library for sixty years.

1912 The library’s provisional charter was replaced with an absolute charter from the NYS Department of Education.

1948 Libbie Kinnan became Assistant Librarian in 1948 and worked for the library for the rest of her life; through 1961.

1961/62 The current library building was built with a gift and endowment from Dr. Walter Ford. The library’s name was formally changed from Ovid Free Library to Edith B. Ford Memorial Library. Members of the Ovid-Willard Lions Club passed the books in bucket-brigade fashion from Mama Bear to the library’s new home at 7169 Main Street. Hal & Roberta Morris became the Co-Librarians in 1961, and remained in that role through 1998.

1998 Eilene Moeri, MLS became the Library Director. She graduated from Rutgers University with a Masters degree in Library Science.

1999 The library was named the fourth-best small rural library in the U.S. by the American Library Association.

2007-2009 The Library was successful in raising over $300,000 in its “A Place for New Possibilities” Capital Campaign. This renovated the basement level of the library.

2009 Eilene Moeri lost her battle with liver cancer. She will be fondly remembered by the community for her welcoming smile and caring attitude.

2009 Shannon O’Connor became the Library Director. She graduated with a Masters degree in Education from Elmira College.

2014 Monica Wilkinson Kelly became the library’s first Archivist. She graduated a Masters degree in Museum Studies from the Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York.

2016 Fundraising began for the $3.2 million dollar Growing with Our Community Capital Campaign.

2019 Ribbon cutting ceremony for the new building, which doubled the size of the library.

2023 Andrea Tillinghast, MLS became the Library Director. She graduated from the University at Buffalo, State University of NY with a Masters degree in Library Science.