I am neither a historian in the academic sense nor, in State government but
I do appreciate the worth of the extensive private collection and its value
for future use.

I live in East Hampton where its library holds a most important collection
of books, journals, documents, provincial records, diaries, scrapbooks,
maps, and letters related to life in and history of Long Island (where East
Hampton is located), East Hampton, and the State.

The collection, known as The Long Island Collection, resides in a fireproof
wing of its own with its own librarian. Morton Pennypacker started the
collection in the 1920s (I think)  when he was a librarian in a town much
further West on Long Island. In time, he came out here and found himself
librarian of the East Hampton Free Library.

Eight years ago, my book on this town was published. Ninety-eight percent of
my research was done in that room. Needless to say, the book began with
Cabot setting sail on the Half Moon and concluded with an event in 1993. The
time line history with narrative was about much more than one community.
Brief though the individual ones were, its dated contents offered a history
of this country

If anyone at the non-profit wants to discuss the importance of acquiring the
historian's library, I recommend that he/she calls Diana Dayton. the young
librarian of the Long Island Collection, at 631 324-0222. Diana is a
descendant of one of the founders (1648) of East Hampton.

Nancy Hyden Woodward





on 4/17/02 12:41 PM, Richard Frisbie at [log in to unmask] wrote:

> Colleagues
> A mid-sized not-for-profit wishes to purchase a
> regional NY historian's extensive library. They
> asked me if I knew anyone in the academic and/or
> State government who could comment on the
> importance of keeping such a resource intact for
> future researchers. Anyone?
> --
> Richard Frisbie
> dba Hope Farm Press & Bookshop