The
first meeting of the Amityville Literary Society was held on March 9, 1904,
one of whose purposes was to build a library for the residents of
Amityville. Mary P. Myton became the president of this Society in 1907 and
it is through her persistence that we have the establishment of the
Amityville Public Library.An association was formed on May 7, 1907 to
further the cause of the Library and on October 17, 1907 the Library
received its Charter from New York State as the Amityville Free Library. It
had become impractical to continue to use the home of Mrs. Warren Purdy to
house the accumulating library books and the collection of 67 books was
moved to the Parish Hall of St. Mary’s Church. Within a short time, the
numbers of books acquired had exceeded the available space.
The Board of Directors of the Library conducted a house-to-house drive in
order to raise money through donations for the accession of a building large
enough to house the growing collection of materials. A small building,
located on the west side of Broadway at Ireland Place, was then purchased.
Miss Helen Badger served as the first librarian. By 1926, the small wooden
structure was no longer large enough to serve the growing collection. Again
a house-to-house solicitation was undertaken and produced the funds which
enabled the Library to make a down payment on a modest brick building.
Forty years later, in 1957, the Free Public Library of Amityville became
a Public Library serving the school district. On March 20, 1970 the Library
received its Absolute Charter as a Public Library. Once again the Library
had outgrown its environment and in 1972 our present structure was opened.
From its inception as a lending library operating from a local resident’s
home to a modern building cited for outstanding design, our Library has
historically had as its mission, responsiveness to the needs of its
community. Today, when you enter the Library, you will find computers, DVDs,
CDs, and printed materials of all description. We also provide educational
and entertainment programs of all kinds and for all ages. Yet, at its heart,
the strength of the Amityville Public Library was and always will be its
patrons.
