Hendrick Hudson Free Library: A History

In 1937, the Association was formed and five trustees were elected. The library was issued a provisional charter by the Board of Regents of the State Education Department, Division of Library Development in 1938 and was established to serve the residents of Central District No. 3. After meeting all the state requirements as a Free Association Library in 1949, the Absolute Charter was issued.

The library operates independently of any municipal government and is instead governed by trustees who reside within the service area and are active library card holders. The trustees operate under established by-laws; their responsibilities are few in number but broad in scope and include: development of a mission statement and all other library and public policies; select, hire and regularly evaluate a qualified library director; maintain a facility that meets the community needs; and exercise fiduciary responsibility for the use of public and private funds.

After living in its new home for five years, it was determined by the library board that the children’s room needed a small addition and that the unfinished upstairs space should become a larger community room (named the Constance Dyckman Community Room in 2006); this work was completed in 2002.

In 2011, it was the teens who received a dedicated space in the lower level of the library and, in 2013, the second floor space was redesigned to provide additional study rooms, office space and a patron lounge with vending.

2017 brought with it big changes, with the opening of the 1200 sq. foot addition to the children’s library (2018 named the Leonora Roth Children’s Library), the installation of 289 solar panels, and the dedication of the Debra Appel Chomiw Rain Garden. Two of the three original public restrooms were completely refurbished in 2020 with generous support of a grant made possible by Assemblywoman Sandy Galef.