Since 1995, the Huntington Public Library has enjoyed a tremendous increase in circulation. It has been the recipient of numerous donations of books and materials, volunteer efforts, and diverse grants for books and programs.
Founded in 1976, the Huntington Public Library had its origins in the Lower Village when a resident with small children recognized the need for a town library. The old one-room Town Clerk’s Office was stocked with books from private donations and through the State Department of Libraries. The Library, run solely by volunteers, was open Mondays 2:30-4. In the 1980s, with increased hours, more residents began to visit the "little gem" on the Town Green. A children’s collection was created in the vault at the back of the building. Unfortunately, the Library was closed for 18 months due to vandalism to the building.
The trustees reopened the Library in 1994 when the collection was moved by volunteers to the first floor of the Huntington Town Hall. A year later, the Library had its first paid staff member who directed both the collection and related programs. With grant moneys and donations and through an appropriation in the Town’s budget, the number of books available for readers of all ages increased dramatically. Programs held at the Library were well attended. Another renaissance was underway!
Then, disaster struck! Mold in the Town Hall caused by leaking pipes forced the Library to close once again, thwarting the momentum in the circulation and programs and the Library’s visibility. The Library was able to be open for the summer months in a temporary setting at Brewster Pierce Memorial School and subsequently reopened in the recently renovated Fuller House.
When the Huntington Historical Society offered
the Union Meeting House in the Lower Village in 1994 for a permanent
home, the Board of Trustees made the decision to relocate and move the
collection from the Huntington Town Hall back to the Lower Village.
This decision involved a vote in 1999 by the town to move the library
and another vote in 2000 by the town to acquire the Union Meeting House
from the Historical Society for $1.
In 2003, the library moved from the Fuller House to the new addition
at the back of the Union Meeting House. In October of 2005, we
moved into the great room of the Union Meeting House.