Senate Resolution No. 3090

BY: Senator THOMAS

COMMENDING the Garden City Public Library upon the
occasion of celebrating its 65th Anniversary

WHEREAS, Library programs provide the means for individuals to enter
a lifetime of learning while gaining cultural understanding and the
enhancement of global communication skills; and

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize that
the quality and character of life in the communities across the great
State of New York is reflective of certain exemplary library
institutions whose purpose is dedicated to serving the community and the
needs of its citizenry; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commend the Garden City Public Library upon the occasion of celebrating
its 65th Anniversary; and

WHEREAS, In the late 1940s, a group of women from Garden City
organized a private library for the community; they took courses in
librarianship and ran the library by themselves; and

WHEREAS, With the support of local organizations and merchants, and
the steadfast dedication of the founders and the generosity of many
donors, the library opened its doors to the public for the first time in
1952, under the able guidance of Librarian Frances Hinsch and Chair of
the Board of Trustees Irwin Smith; and

WHEREAS, Due to its great success, the community voted to make the
library public and part of the village in 1955, and its first Director
was Jacqueline Danelle; and

WHEREAS, The Garden City Public Library was first housed in the
former building for the Garden City Company, but by the early 1970s, the
demand for library services grew so much that village residents approved
a proposal to build a new library structure that was four times the size
of the original; and

WHEREAS, In 1985, under the helm of Director Alan G. Roeckel, the
Library came into the electronic age, with a computerized catalog and
other online databases available to patrons at various points within the
building and remotely via its website; and

WHEREAS, On Saturday, April 19, 2008, the Library hosted a
Renovation Celebration to mark the completion of a renovation and
expansion project; Board Chair J. Randolph Colahan cut the symbolic red
ribbon and welcomed the public to the Library's new facilities, which
included a redecorated periodical/reading room, a larger quiet study
area, an expanded young adult department, and a new audio-visual center
and computer lab located on the lower level; and

WHEREAS, Today, under the luminous leadership of Director Marianne
Malagon, who is supported by the Chair of the Board of Trustees J.

Randolph Colahan, and Trustees Lola Nouryan, PhD, Charles J. Murphy,
PhD, Peter D'Antonio, PhD, and Germaine Greco, the Library has over
160,000 holdings including books, periodicals, films, and other
audio-visual materials; and

WHEREAS, The Garden City Public Library has been an invaluable
resource for residents of the Village of Garden City for 65 years;
people come to the Library to connect, discover and learn through story
times, book group, and various programs for all ages; and

WHEREAS, A vital part of its community, this remarkable institution
has continually strived to provide outstanding service to a diverse
population of neighborhood residents; and

WHEREAS, The success enjoyed by the Garden City Public Library is in
direct correlation to the efforts of the many individuals who have
supported the development of the Library over the years; and

WHEREAS, Equally commendable are the Garden City Public Library's
superbly-skilled staff, whose involvement is and has always been
characterized by an impressive commitment, an unbridled enthusiasm, and
an uncompromising standard of excellence in all of their efforts on
behalf of the library and the population it serves; and

WHEREAS, Steeped in a proud and distinguished history, the Garden
City Public Library may take just pride in its purposeful growth, as it
looks forward to continuing to serve the educational, cultural and
intellectual needs of the community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend the Garden City Public Library upon the occasion of celebrating
its 65th Anniversary; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Marianne Malagon, Director, Garden City Public Library.