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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Long Beach Public Library

Long Beach, New York

Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Long Beach.

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2Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

2007 to 2019Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

49,710Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Long Beach, New York.

Explore the past of Long Beach, New York through newspapers in the Long Beach Public Library's digital archive. Its two titles include material from 2007 to 2019.

You can open the archive using the link below.
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  • Selected titles

    Selected titles from Long Beach Public Library include “Long Beach Herald”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • A closer look

    Newspaper pages connect individual accounts with a wider story, preserving how events were reported and presented to the readers of the day.

Reporting from the time can reveal how people described the events, work and concerns of their day, placing a local story within the history unfolding around it. Whether you are tracing a family connection, exploring a local event or sharing history with a class, there is more to discover than names and dates alone. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Browse two titles and 49,710 digitized pages, with material from 2007 to 2019. This collection is shared through Long Beach Public Library's partnership with Advantage Archives. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.

Follow a family connection or a question about the community through the titles below and the history they preserve.

Long Beach Herald

46,050 pages from 2007 to 2018

Long Beach Herald

3,660 pages from 2018 to 2019

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About the Library

About The Long Beach Public Library

The Long Beach Public Library, located in Long Beach, New York, has a rich history of community involvement and support. The idea for a library began in January 1925 when the Woman’s Club approached city officials about the need for a library. After an unsuccessful attempt, they started a private club library for members only. In August 1926, the Long Beach Lions Club successfully started a free library in the Max Peck building at 137 East Park Street. Mr. Peck, a Lions Club member, donated the store to house the new library facility, which was open two afternoons a week, staffed by volunteer teachers, and stocked with donated books. The Lions Club, with the support of the Property Owner’s Association, invited local organizations, the City of Long Beach, and community members to form a united library association. The president of the Property Owner’s Association, Mr. Thurman, advocated for a city-supported library, while Laurits Sondergaard proposed a school district library. Progress was made with the establishment of the Charter. On January 6, 1926, the Lions Club and the Board of Education agreed on the establishment of a public library to be voted upon by taxpayers. On January 30, 1926, at the School Board Election, it was decided that Long Beach would have a Public Library funded by taxation and accessible to everyone.

Long Beach Public Library photo 1

Library History

The History Of The Long Beach Public Library

The Long Beach Public Library has evolved significantly since its inception. Initially started as a private club library by the Woman’s Club in 1925, the need for a public library led to the involvement of the Long Beach Lions Club. They successfully established a free library in August 1926, housed in the Max Peck building, thanks to the donation by Mr. Peck. The Lions Club, along with the Property Owner’s Association, rallied local organizations and the community to form a united library association. This collective effort led to the establishment of a public library funded by taxation, decided by a vote on January 30, 1926.

About the Community

About Long Beach, New York

Long Beach, located on the south shore of Long Island, New York, is a vibrant city known for its beautiful beaches and strong sense of community. The Long Beach Public Library plays a crucial role in the community, offering access to a wide range of resources and supporting the educational and recreational needs of its residents. The city's history is well-documented through the library’s extensive collection of local newspapers and other historical materials.

Long Beach Public Library photo 2

Local History

Did You Know?

Did you know that the Long Beach Public Library's digital archive includes the Long Beach Herald, which has been in publication from 2007 to 2018? This extensive collection provides a valuable window into the recent past of Long Beach and its surrounding areas, offering invaluable resources for historians and genealogists.

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Read a report in its time and place

A family name, a familiar street or a story passed down through generations can lead to a closer look at the history of Long Beach. The digital archive shared by the Long Beach Public Library offers a place to begin. When using historical newspapers, try alternate spellings and nearby dates, then read the surrounding page to place a local story in its time. Compare later reporting or another available title to explore different perspectives rather than treating one account as the whole story. Check nearby issues or another listed newspaper when available. Differences in timing and wording can add perspective to a story, while the issue date and surrounding articles help show what kind of account you are reading.

Follow a promising report into a nearby issue or another title where available. Compare dates and surrounding coverage; a single account is one perspective on a story. Use the surrounding account to shape your next question, while keeping each source's perspective distinct.

Keep the title, date, page, or item reference with each useful finding. Separate the words in a historical account from your interpretation, and note conflicting perspectives rather than choosing one too quickly. These notes help connect a local story to its evidence and show what remains uncertain.

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Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Long Beach Public Library, its community, and Advantage Archives. Together, these partnerships preserve local sources and give people a way to explore, learn from, and share the history around them.

Advantage Archives covers ongoing archive hosting, storage, development, and maintenance. The institution and its community do not pay a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or other recurring archive-service charge. Local history remains a community resource, not a subscription to maintain.

Would you like to see more of your community's history preserved and accessible? Start a conversation with your library, newspaper publisher, historical or genealogical society, museum, or school about the materials they would like to share and a possible partnership with Advantage Archives.

Learn about partnerships
Read All About It

Stories, research tips, and archive news

Read All About It connects archive research with the people and institutions preserving local history. Explore partner and community stories, project updates, research ideas, and perspectives on digitization, education, and working with primary sources. Use the articles as a starting point for your next question or a new way to share a discovery.

Newest published articles

March 18, 2025

It’s Your Community’s History, So Why Rent Something You Own?

We believe that history belongs to the communities where it was made - not locked behind paywalls or inaccessible due to budget restrictions. Subscription-based services and large content aggregators are generally more concerned with "content" and less concerned with the history that content contains. Their models typically involve a reoccurring charge for a plan that renews annually or licensing agreements with the library based on population served or circulation numbers. You are essentially Renting Access To YOUR History.
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