Friday, January 30, 2009

HPL's History Program - Abe Lincoln in the 21st Century

On Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 3pm in the main auditorium, Huntington Public Library will celebrate one of America's greatest president's 200th birthday! We welcome David Houston, the popular and versatile actor, in this original portrait of our most literary president, Abraham Lincoln. The script is adapted from Lincoln's writings and speeches - which reveal a witty and wise statesman who speaks to us as if he lives today and understands our most pressing, confusing, and amusing concerns. You will be touched and enlightened by what you hear.

In addition to this wonderful program, visit the Abraham Lincoln display on the main floor in the periodical room. We will showcase unique items from the Mary Talmage Local History Collection. It will be on display throughout the month of February.

If you have a question regarding the program or exhibit, feel free to call the Adult Reference Desk at 631-427-5165 x251.

Monday, January 19, 2009

NARA


The National Archives and Records Administration, also known as NARA is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for preserving and documenting both government and historical records and making those records available to the public. They offer insight into the lives of people, their families and our history. Because the records at the National Archives come from every branch of the Federal government, almost all Americans can find themselves, their ancestors, or their community in the archives (NARA).

NARA has a well organized page for genealogists and family historians. It's arranged by research topics or types of records. The most commonly used records for research are military, census, immigration, naturalization and land records. Visit the website, http://archives.gov/ and explore the wealth of information available to you. Start your research online, or visit the Northeast Regional Archives in New York City at 201 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Digital Sanborn Maps


Huntington Public Library is proud to announce the acquisition of Digital Sanborn Maps for use within the library. Over 100 years ago, the maps were created for assessing fire insurance liability in urbanized areas across the United States. Today they are a valuable source of historical information. The maps include street names, building numbers with physical descriptions, street widths and more. Their research potential is endless and for genealogists and local historians they can be used to locate ancestor's homes and neighborhoods.
HPL's collection includes many urban areas throughout New York State including maps of Huntington in the following years: 1886, 1892, 1897, 1902, 1908, 1914, 1922 and 1930. The map above displays a section of Main St., Wall St. and New York Ave in 1902.
Come visit the library and browse this wonderful new resource. It can be accessed within the library through our homepage, click on Our Databases and scroll down to the link for Sanborn Maps. If you would like instruction on how to use the digital collection, stop by the Mary Talmage Local History Room during the designated hours (listed above), or call (631-427-5165 x261 or 250) or email huntingtonhistory@gmail.com to make an appointment.