Roosevelt Public Library

The Roosevelt Public Library was founded in 1934. The original location was a one room space at One Whitehouse Avenue. The community staffed the library and provided donated books. In 1938, the library relocated to a larger facility at 60 Washington Avenue. Then, in 1947, Reverend David D. Norris sold the current Nassau Road property to the newly formed Library Board of Trustees for just $10. Meanwhile, to meet the increasing demand for services and space, the Board of Trustees decided to relocate the library from Washington Avenue to Rose and Mansfield Avenues in 1948. Mr. John Halliday donated a structure for the new facility. Prior to construction of the 1994 permanent structure, the Roosevelt Public Library building consisted of a one-room converted garage with a dug-out basement where the physical limitations of the building only allowed for a maximum of 19 seats at reading tables. The building was filled, and every available closet, corner, and wall crammed to capaci...