Port Washington Public Library

Local History Collection - Text Only

The Library's new Local History Center, located in the Reference Room, houses the Library's special collections and archives, as well as our Oral History Office. The American Library Association defines a special collection as "a collection of library materials separated from the general collection because they are of a certain form, on a certain subject, of a certain period or geographical area, or are rare, fragile or valuable." It is our goal to collect, preserve and manage materials that are special or unique, with a strong emphasis on items of local interest.

The Library currently houses 48 special collections, which have come to us from various sources since the founding of the Library. This material has been donated, purchased and bequeathed over the Library's 100-year history. Our first special collection consisted of a small number of books from the North Hempstead Library, the original library in this area. These volumes date from the late 1700s and early 1800s, and were presented to Wilhelmina Mitchell, our first librarian, after the Library's establishment in 1892. Our collections include items in a tremendous variety of formats: artifacts (such as a fireman's uniform and sailing trophies); manuscripts and letters; pictures and photographs; documents; maps; printed books and pamphlets; postcards and scrapbooks.

The Library has received collections from many sources in the community: cultural organizations (the Cosmos Club and the Play Troupe), civic groups (the Village Welfare Society and the Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington), official agencies (the schools, post office, police and fire departments), families and individuals (the Hewletts, Dodges, Reids and Monforts), and local businesses (the Mason Photography Studio and Larsen Sailmakers). Acquisition, preservation, identification, cataloging, indexing and access are our major concerns. Items from special collections are used for reference and research, and in publications, presentations and exhibits. We encourage the public to feel free to utilize these fascinating collections.

The hours of the Local History Center are: Monday - Wednesday 9 am - 5 pm

Read About The Local History Collections:
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For information about using these collections, please call (516) 883-4400, Ext. 167 or e-mail at localhistory@pwpl.org.

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