Island Park Public Library

The Island Park Public Library serves a community of nearly 9,000 residents and has long stood as a symbol of learning and community spirit. During the Great Depression, a group of residents recognized the need for a library that could serve the public at little cost, as W.P.A. and N.Y.A. workers were available to help staff it. Early in 1938, sixty residents formed the Island Park Free Library Association, with members paying annual dues of two dollars and electing trustees to the Library Board. The library officially opened on February 19, 1938, in a small section of a real estate office on Long Beach Road, with Miss Mary Sapounas serving as the first librarian. The collection began with about 1,600 donated books, and growing community enthusiasm quickly increased the number to 5,000 volumes. In April 1938, the library moved into a room in the School Annex, and in 1939, it received a provisional charter from the State. Financial support soon came from the Village and School District. After the Annex was condemned in 1948, the library relocated to the Village Hall, sharing space with the American Legion Post No. 1029. To secure a permanent building, the Island Park Free Library became a public library in 1953, authorized by taxpayers and the New York State Board of Regents. The new building opened in February 1958, and an Absolute Charter was granted that April. Expansion followed with a federal construction grant in 1965, and by 1969, the building had doubled in size. Continuing to grow with the community, the library moved in 2002 to its current 15,000-square-foot, two-story facility, a former supermarket—continuing a proud tradition of service, education, and community engagement.