It has been 100 years since the Locust Valley Library opened its doors to patrons. On Saturday, May 10, the library celebrated its 100th birthday with a tree planting on the front lawn and an ice cream/face painting social in the community room. Library staff and residents were on hand to witness the first shovels placed in the ground for the planting of the new cherry tree.
“The tree planting is the first step in updating our library,” said Library Director Kathy Ray Smith. “We have plans to renovate our community room inside, update our AV equipment and trim the plantings that are overgrown in front of the library.”
More than 30 local residents showed up for the event, including 6-year-old Briggs Dubuque, who helped pour the first buckets of water for the planting of the tree.
“I am very happy to help, but I’m also looking forward to the ice cream and face painting,” said Briggs.
President of the library board Chad Brisbane said that the library originally opened its doors further down Buckram Road in 1908.
“The first library in Locust Valley opened in 1908 and was moved to this location in 1914,” said Brisbane. “From 1914 to 1918 it served as a multipurpose community room and isolation ward and in 1924 opened more as a community center and a meeting place for the fire department.”
Brisbane added that to there will be “a lot of good things to come,” as far as updating the building including landscaping the front and rear portions and renovating the nearby tennis courts.
