The Cold Spring Harbor Library & Environmental Center was first organized in 1886 by a group of local philanthropists. The Library was housed at the Cutting House and consisted of a small collection of books. In 1899 the Cold Spring Harbor Village Improvement Society was founded (to improve the living conditions of the village) and eventually took over the running of the library in 1913.
Community donations made possible the construction of a building in 1913 which overlooked the harbor from the corner of Shore Road and Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor. The library outgrew this space after about 60 years.
In order to meet the new space requirements, the library rented room from the Cold Spring Harbor School District in the old East Side School building on Goose Hill Road, receiving its Absolute Charter from the New York State Education Department in 1975. This 7,000 square foot space eventually proved inadequate too and when the school district informed the library that it would not renew the lease when it expired in 2006, the library undertook its second major capital campaign.
In 2000, the library entered into an agreement with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for a long-term lease of five-acres of the newly created Cold Spring Harbor State Park. On August 9, 2006, the library moved into its current home, a beautiful new 26,500 square foot facility overlooking the harbor, at 95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor. The building is located in Cold Spring Harbor State Park, which is part of the New York State Park system, and is home to the northern trailhead of the Nassau Suffolk Greenbelt Trail.
Today the library is an active hub for the over 8,500 residents of the communities of Cold Spring Harbor, Laurel Hollow, and Lloyd Harbor. We offer not only books and other materials, but also hundreds of events and programs each year.
Mission Statement
The mission of the library is to serve and promote the informational, cultural, educational, and recreational needs of our community. We create a welcoming environment with a friendly, competent staff and introduce children and adults to the joys and rewards of reading and using their library. We use appropriate technologies and provide new resources to meet changing community needs. We provide services that help assure all members of the community equal access to information. We reach out to the community to build cooperative relationships, promoting a sense of ownership in the library.
Board of Trustees
COLD SPRING HARBOR LIBRARY BOARD
- Vincent Parziale, President
- Richard Schuster, Vice President
- Dana Lynch, Treasurer
- Dr. Edward Price, Secretary
- David Berman
- Sandra Capek-O’Grady
- Chris Hadjandreas
- Robert Hughes
- Nicole Prizzi
- Janice Rochstein
ADMINISTRATION
- Dr. Roger Podell, Executive Director
- Diane Scinta, Assistant Director
Board Meetings
The Cold Spring Harbor Board of Trustees meets monthly on the first Monday of the Month. (No meeting in August.)
- July 7, 2024 – Annual Meeting
- September ,
- October ,
- November – Audit Review
- December
- January – Draft budget review
- February – Adopt Budget
- March 4 2024 – Deadline for candidate petitions
- March 18, 2024 – Budget Meeting & Meet the Candidates
- April 1, 2024
- April 9, 2024 – Budget Vote & Trustee Election
- May 5, 2024
- June 2, 2024
- July 7, 2024 – Annual Meeting