Much like its New York City brethren, Staten Island is a borough with a rich and unique history. Here at the St. George Library Center, we bring that history together to form an easy to use collection of resources ranging from the 19^th Century to the present day. This blog entry will be the first in a continuing series in which I spotlight various items from our Staten Island History Collection as well as discuss Staten Island related happenings. And of course, if you think of something that I haven't mentioned or would like me to blog about, don't hesitate to let me know in the comments section below.

Staten Island Advance Microfilm Collection

Within our Staten Island History Collection are housed nearly 2500 microforms of the Staten Island Advance, dating back to 1921.  These microforms hold an incredible collection of information from some of history's most memorable events.  In addition to world or national events you can also find the local information the Staten Island Advance has come to be known for. Using an index provided by the Staten Island Advance Online, users can search for articles in our microfilm collection that range from 9/29/1991 to the present.  Using one of our two microfilm machines located in the adult reference room, patrons can view and print (25¢ per page).

Richmond County Advance

The Richmond County Advance was the precursor to the Staten Island Advance, running from 1886 to 1910. Here at the St. George Library Center we have PDF files of the Ricmond County Advance for its entire run, from 1886 to 1910.  These files are freely accessible from the two database computers in the Reference room.  Patrons can print from both computers for 20¢ per page.

Staten Island History Collection - Books and Bound Periodicals

In addition to the Staten Island Advance on microfilm, we also house a growing collection of books and periodicals that pertain to Staten Island, past and present. Located in the adult reference room of the library, this collection consists of materials on local churches, parks, notable people from the island, as well as census data and even haunted places. Take a look below at a brief list of items from the collection, together with links to their records in the NYPL catalog (All items in the Staten Island History Collection are searchable using the NYPL catalog).

• The Bridges of Richmond County
• Staten Island Fairies (Yes, fairies)
• Alice Austen House: Museum & Garden, Staten Island, New York
• Historic Prints of Staten Island, N.Y. 1763-1898: A Reference Guide with Commentary
• Haunted History of Staten Island: Stories of Mysterious People & Places in New York's Richmond County

For a more thorough list, take a look at our Staten Island History Collection bibliography.  For more information about the collection and other resources provided by the library, check out our Staten Island History Collection Guide.

If you'd just like to take a look at what we have, don't hesitate to come on down.   All materials in the collection are available for browsing. Just remember, the materials in the Staten Island History collection do not circulate, so you'll have to scan or make copies of anything that interests you.

Maps and Atlases

We also have a number of historical maps and atlases in the collection, some which include census data, 1991 FEMA flood maps, and general sports and recreation maps.  We even have a Richmond County atlas published in 1907! Like the other resources in the Staten Island History Collection, our maps and atlases are available for in-house viewing, but cannot be borrowed.

The Future of the Collection

Our Staten Island History Collection is a growing and dynamic public resource that we want all patrons to use, whether it is for research or simply for curiosity's sake. If you have any questions about the collection you can leave a comment below or call us at 718-442-8560.