Curious about what happened here in the past?: In East Patchogue, Medford, North Patchogue, Patchogue, the Pat-Med Area, in Brookhaven Town, in Suffolk County, on Long Island (as a region), or in New York State? This website is a great place to start, browse, read, explore, answer questions, do a little research...
Overview
The Celia M. Hastings Local History Room is located on the Main Floor (Terry Street side) of The Patchogue-Medford Library, next to the Quiet Study Room. It contains an eclectic reference collection, emphasizing history of the Long Island Region and the Patchogue-Medford Area. Its Long Island Reference [Regional, County, Town, Village, Village Cluster, & Outer Island history] and New York Reference [State history] book collections, are complemented by its Long Island periodical, genealogy, map & atlas, postcard & photographic, vertical file, oral history, and archival collections. These are rounded out by this Local History Website, an well-organized, expanding series of over 100 web pages under geographic and subject themes, with chronologies, digital materials, and many handy links. Here are a series of web pages related to New York State, the Long Island Region, individual L.I. Counties (including Suffolk), the 10 Towns of L.I. (proper), including Brookhaven Town, L.I.'s Outer Islands, its numerous Villages (incorporated and unincorporated), the Patchogue-Medford Area (its villages, and their history); along with links to digital editions of many local history classics (usually full-text, searchable, downloadable), both from digitized PML holdings and outside sources. A growing selection of online local history reference tools serve both those casually browsing and those doing historical and local genealogical research. This website has been designed to serve many people from many perspectives. Occasional Audio & video resources, PowerPoint presentations, and historic images esp. in Digital PML, are featured. The Local History Room also features mounted works, occasionally changing exhibits & displays (often tied to current historical commemorations), and a variety of free handouts (primarily in-house publications, nearly all of which also appear online). See the tabs that appear under the Home Page for a more detailed Description of Collections and Services, a Self-Guided Tour of the Local History Room, information on our Local History Website, or to contact a librarian, ask a question, make a constructive suggestion, or to set up an appointment.
Local History Room Mission
The purpose of the Local History Collection is to provide the community with a reference collection on selected aspects of the history of Patchogue, Medford, Brookhaven Town, Suffolk County, Long Island, and New York State, in various formats and media, including but not limited to texts, photos, audiocassettes, and electronic resources, and to create and improve the tools that promote its accessibility. Approved by the Board of Trustees, October 2002.
Local History Room Hours
Contact the Adult Reference Desk to make an appointment, or contact the Local History Room.