Library Mission & Philosophy

Community Overview

Patchogue-Medford Library is a School District Public Library serving the residents of the Patchogue-Medford School District. The District encompasses the Incorporated Village of Patchogue and the hamlets of North Patchogue, Medford and a portion of East Patchogue. The area is 15.5 square miles extending from the Great South Bay in Patchogue to Granny Road in Medford. Waverly Avenue and North Ocean Avenue form the western border of the district. The eastern border of the district extends from Roe Avenue and South Country Road in Patchogue to just east of White Pine Way in Medford.

Patchogue-Medford Library Mission Statement

The mission of the Patchogue-Medford Library is to provide resources and opportunities to empower, educate and entertain the community.
Approved April 16, 2015; revised May 19, 2021. 

Patchogue-Medford Library Privacy Statement

The circulation and registration records of the Patchogue-Medford Library shall not be made available to any third party, nor any law enforcement agency of a local, state or federal government except when a court order in proper form, issued by a court of competent jurisdiction after a showing of good cause, is presented to the Library by the law enforcement agency or person seeking the records.

Philosophy of Service

The Patchogue-Medford Library is committed to providing quality library service. To aid in achieving this, the Library embraces the following philosophies and recognizes that working consistently towards them is necessary to achieving our mission:

• The Patchogue-Medford Library is committed to intellectual freedom. Individuals are responsible for making their own choices regarding appropriateness of materials, and parents/guardians are responsible for the choices they make for their children.
• The Patchogue-Medford Library is committed to fostering a community center in which all community members can realize their full potential. To this end, we respect diversity, equity and inclusion and seek to represent these values in our collections, programs, services and staff.
• The Patchogue-Medford Library is committed to supporting formal education and fostering lifelong learning.
• The Patchogue-Medford Library is committed to providing library services at no charge.
• The Patchogue-Medford Library views technology as a means to achieving greater accessibility to information and providing effective service. The Library is committed to providing training and educational opportunities in the use of these new technologies.
• The Patchogue-Medford Library is committed to maintaining and developing cooperative relationships and partnerships with community organizations.
• The Patchogue-Medford Library is committed to its role as the Central Library for Suffolk County and to facilitating quality library service for all the member libraries of the Suffolk Cooperative Library system.
• In 2000 the Patchogue-Medford Library celebrated 100 years of service to the community. The library has the unique distinction of also being the Central Library for the Suffolk Cooperative Library System. This distinction has allowed the library to develop a collection that is known for its depth, and has also contributed to the library’s role as a leader in new trends and services.

Long Range Plan of Service

The Patchogue-Medford Library’s Long Range Plan of Service for 2021-2026 can be found here.