Soule Branch Library

Soule Branch Library was named for Oscar F. Soule, a member of a prominent Syracuse family who was very active in the business and civic community. He was a trustee of the Syracuse Public Library from 1932, and President of its Board from 1952 until his retirement in 1968.

Soule Branch was dedicated on October 25, 1965, and opened for service to the public on November 8. It was open 48 hours a week and housed 13,000 books. Now, thirty-five years later, it is open 64 hours a week, including Sundays during the school year, and houses a collection including 34,000 volumes, 1600 videos, 875 audiobooks, 670 audiocassettes, 277 CDs, and numerous newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Responding to local interests, Soule has special collections of Russian language and home schooling materials.

Soule Branch offers a variety of programs for adults, including Midday Medleys, a noontime series of lectures and concerts scheduled in the spring and fall. Library users have enjoyed these presentations since 1988. A Strawberry Festival is held annually in June.

Programs for children include weekly story times for both toddlers and preschoolers, as well as weekly literature and library-use programs for school age children. These are tailored for home schooling families, but all are welcome.