User:Doncram/OysterBayStuff

Oyster Bay stuff. First, a copy of the library article, in case it gets deleted before merging material to 2 places is done.

The Oyster Bay-East Norwich Public Library in Oyster Bay, New York is a public library serving the residents of the communities of Oyster Bay and East Norwich. Today the library provides a variety of services for youth and adults.

Services

 * Telephone Reference and Phone-In Book Reserves
 * InterLibrary Loan of Books and Periodical Articles
 * Talking Books Service
 * Access to Special Resources in Other Nassau County Public Libraries
 * Book Delivery and Pick-Up for the Homebound

History
For over two hundred years the residents of Oyster Bay did not have a public library as we know it today. Before the turn of the twentieth century there were "reading rooms" instead. One of the earliest was opened by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1873, called the Oyster Bay Reading Room and Lyceum, with a focus on history and genealogy.

Others included one run by Christ Church, begun in 1889 by Reverend Henry Homer Washburn, to encourage people to spend less time at saloons. He gave up on the idea when his reading room was used more for card playing than reading.

Then in 1893 the People’s Library and Reading Room opened on east Main Street and it is that collection of books which would later be brought to this building.

The Oyster Bay-East Norwich Public Library was originally constructed in 1901, through the efforts and donations of many community leaders, notably Andrew Snouder of Snouder’s Drug Store. One of the early fundraising efforts was the laying of a cornerstone by Theodore Roosevelt in 1899, when the land had been donated by Mrs. Harriet Swan, but no plans for the building itself had yet been developed. Curiously, in the time between the laying of that cornerstone, and the construction of the actual building, the symbolic masonry corner was lost and has still never been found.

Another early contributor was Andrew Carnegie the famous industrialist and philanthropist. He had a niece who lived near the village and when he heard of the efforts to begin a library here he donated $1,000 to help the cause. Carnegie continued this thousand dollar annual contribution for many years afterwards, which helped greatly during the early years of the library’s history. The brick building to the left as you face the front of the library represents the original structure, which was wood frame until 1949, when an extensive renovation took place. To the right is a frame house built around 1890 which for many generations was a doctor’s office. It was purchased by the library and connected to the original building in 1975. This house is often referred to as the Bishop house, named for Dr. Bishop who had a medical practice there. In 1994 the brick and glass additions behind the Bishop House were added on to further expand the facilities which now include a spacious and sunny children’s room.