Over the course of a century, aviation grew up on, boomed on, and helped shape Long Island. Long Island has without doubt helped transform aviation from a dangerous sport into a viable means of commercial transportation. Long Islanders have also produced a large portion of the nation’s aerial arsenal in time of war. The contributions by Long Islanders and Long Island corporations to the development of aviation and spaceflight and their key roles in making aviation central to our world today, are the main focus of the Cradle of Aviation Museum. From the first flights on the Hempstead Plains in a frail biplane in 1909 to Man’s first steps on the Moon, Long Islanders have been at the forefront of America’s aviation and space adventure.

In all, a vast amount of historic aerospace activity has taken place on Long Island (more than 64,000 aircraft have been built here!) – remarkable in view of the fact that Long Island is really not such a large place. Today, Long Islanders see more air traffic going over their heads than any other people on earth, although today’s sleek airliners do not turn nearly as many heads as did Glenn Curtiss’ tiny biplane in 1909. Aviation is taken for granted now, but it has shaped our lives to a greater degree than we can imagine.

To preserve this heritage for future generations, Nassau County undertook the development of a major air and space museum. Located at historic Mitchel Field, the museum’s primary mission is to collect, preserve and interpret the aerospace heritage of Long Island and to inspire future generations through learning. Thus some 75 historic aircraft and spacecraft have been procured by the museum, most of them built on Long Island and each directly relevant to Long Island’s aerospace heritage. These craft have been obtained through private and corporate donations, government loan or purchase through a fundraising program. The vast majority have been painstakingly and meticulously restored by the museum’s skilled volunteer corps.

The aircraft, spacecraft, and other artifacts and exhibits in the Cradle of Aviation Museum attest that, from the earliest days of aviation, Long Islanders have been leaders as flyers, designers and builders of air and space craft. Thus it is appropriate that Long Island has one of the best air and space museums in the world. Aviation and spaceflight are very special to Long Island and they have touched all our lives. At long last Long Island has a place to preserve and enjoy this critical part of our history.

Cortland County Historical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving local history through documents and objects. CCHS operates from the 1882 Italianate home of inventor and real estate developer James Suggett. The Kellogg Memorial Research Library allows researchers access to historical materials that include city and county directories, newspaper articles archived by category, photographs, genealogies, DAR books, and various other sources. CCHS allows researchers to access these objects for both personal and professional reasons and works with the local college and schools to provide programs. CCHS's Suggett House Museum offers tours to learn more about the history of Cortland County.

The Cornwall Public Library connects people, information and ideas to inspire learning, provoke curiosity, advance knowledge and strengthen our community. We rely on three great resources – our staff, our collections and our physical and virtual spaces – to promote an engaged and informed citizenry.

We house a significant collection of local history that includes books, maps, newspaper articles, post cards and photographs.

The Juliette K. and Leonard S. Rakow Library, founded as part of The Corning Museum of Glass in 1951, is a public institution that houses the world's most comprehensive collection of materials on the art and history of glass and glassmaking. The Library Collection ranges from medieval manuscripts to original works of art on paper to the latest information on techniques used by studio artists. More than 150 archives contain unique material from individual artists, galleries, companies, scholars, and organizations. The Library also presents exhibitions featuring items from its collection.

The Dewitt Community Library first opened its doors on April 4th, 1962. It is the fourth busiest public library in Onondaga County, serving the populations of DeWitt and Jamesville. The library relocated to a brand new building in 2017.

Columbia-Greene Community College is located in the Hudson River Valley and is surrounded by one of the Northeast’s most scenic and historic areas. Thirty miles south of Albany and 110 miles north of New York City, the landscape is dominated by the verdant Catskill Mountains to the west, and the rolling Taconic and Berkshire Hills to the east. The area offers a wide variety of cultural opportunities, our faculty and staff are committed to student success, and the campus maintains a caring environment that fosters personal attention.

C-GCC Library and Media Services supports the college mission by providing high quality library and information services, resources and instruction. The library supports the academic programs, diverse cultural interests, intellectual growth, and the general information needs of the entire college community. By creating the History and Heritage Digital Collection, we are supporting the College’s vision by inspiring our community and creating lifelong learners, while advancing the Hudson River Valley Heritage (HRVH) initiatives. The collection contributes to the story that make this region extraordinary and complements the C-GCC Library’s local history and rare book collections.

Since 1940, the Central New York Chapter, NRHS, has been preserving railroad heritage and offering numerous events and programs to promote the railroad industry and its history. The Chapter operates restored railroad station museums at Martisco and Central Square, NY, and a display of historic equipment at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. A new Chapter library was opened at the Martisco Station Museum in 2011. A program is offered every third Wednesday except July and August for Chapter members. The Chapter also has special interest groups in model railroading and photography. The Chapter also publishes a monthly newsletter for members, and has released several books on Central New York railroading themes.

The LeRoy M. Douglas Sr. Library is located on the second floor of the Moore Building, overlooking historic Lake Champlain. The Douglas Library houses over 40,000 volumes and maintains a small collection of print magazines, journals and newspapers, as well as thousands of books and periodicals online. The library is fully automated with 29 computer stations with printing capabilities, a library classroom for instruction, and group and quiet study spaces. Reference services are available in-person, by phone, email, and online chat. The library maintains an outstanding collection of educational and entertainment DVDs, and offers media viewing services.
The Mission of the Douglas Library is to provide the college community access to the information, ideas, services, and environments needed to strengthen teaching and learning.

The Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library serves a population of approximately 56,000 in the towns of Clifton Park and Halfmoon. The mission of the Library’s Local History Room is to collect, preserve, and make accessible materials that document all years of the history of the two towns.

In addition to artifacts, reference books, and a clippings file, we also hold two large archival collections on deposit: the Pre-Shenendehowa Schools Collection and the Town of Clifton Park History Collection. We also maintain the Library’s own archival collection.