National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries nationwide. It was established in 1958 with the theme “Wake Up and Read.” This year’s theme is “Drawn to the Library,” celebrating what draws people into the library.
Before 1980, Montauk had no library to draw people in. Library services in Montauk consisted of a bookmobile that parked in the post office parking lot every other Thursday. The Bookmobile service, sponsored by the University of the State of New York and Suffolk Cooperative Library System, started delivering books and services to East End communities without libraries, including Montauk and Springs, in July 1963. The mobile library carried over 2,000 adult and juvenile books, including fiction and reference material, with a trained roving librarian on staff.
“I met Suzanne Gosman in the parking lot behind White’s, waiting for the bookmobile on a rainy, cold winter day. And we became friends and we commiserated about the fact that we didn’t have a proper library,” recalled Stephanie Krusa in an oral history interview. “It was really, as Suzanne once so wisely said, for the love of our children and the things that are available to them, we want to start a library.”
Stephanie and Suzanne were advised by the Suffolk Cooperative Library System to start the Friends of the Montauk Library, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It began to raise funds and awareness for the library through raffles, fundraisers, St. Patrick’s Day parade floats, programs, and other grassroots efforts.
Meanwhile, William DePouli and an energetic group of volunteers, including John Keeshan, Minnie Proctor, Richard Webb, Lynn Holmes, Barbara Borth, Audrey Grimes, and Albert Shapiro, formed the library’s first board of trustees.
Through the collaboration and dedication of both groups, the Montauk Library found its first home in the manse of the Montauk Community Church. The small cottage turned library was filled with books donated by other libraries, the bookmobile program, and financial aid from the Suffolk Cooperative Library System. Within a year, the library had 1,000 patrons and circulated 1,000 books a month.
As demand for library services increased, the Montauk community came together in support of building a larger library. In 1982, the community voted and approved the purchase of 2.5 acres of land just east of the town to build a new library. Voters approved a bond issue, and with the help of a federal grant, construction began on a new facility.
The architectural firm Susana Torre Raymond Beeler Associates designed the Montauk Library. The design was dictated by the hillside character of the property and aimed to protect the natural vegetation and wetlands to the west. By the time the new building opened in November 1991, the library already had a collection of 14,000 books.
Some 30 years later, the library again improved and expanded its facilities with a renovation opening to the public in 2022.
During National Library Week, we are celebrating not only what draws people into the library and how the library contributes to the community, but also how the community continues to come together to make its success a reality. This is evident again this year by the community’s attendance at our programs, high circulation numbers, and the passing votes for our annual operating budget this week.
Are you wondering how you can get involved in National Library Week?
Visit the Montauk Library and bring friends or family members along. Stop by the display showcasing Suffolk County libraries. Check out a book from our library-related fiction and nonfiction display. Watch a library-themed film on Friday nights at our Friday Classic Film Series. Encourage a friend to get a library card. Participate in one of our many programs, from children’s story time to adult fitness and wellness classes. Browse the shelves, join one of our book clubs, or use our business center for printing, faxing, and copying.
Do you have photographs of you, your friends, and your family participating in our programs or browsing the shelves? Submit them to our community slideshow celebrating 45 years at the Montauk Library, details are below.
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