Introduction
The Smithtown Library in Smithtown, Long Island, NY, can trace its beginnings to 1907 when materials were housed in Judge Lawrence Smith's law office. Between 1909 and 1912 the collection was moved to a separate small building and then to the Epenetus Smith Tavern. The first permanent library building opened on August 12, 1912. That building was moved to its present location in 1950. In 1952 the library was chartered as a municipal library, the only one in Suffolk County. An addition was made to the original building in 1953, again in 1967-68 and again in 2011-2012. The Smithtown Library consists of the four buildings located in Smithtown, Commack, Kings Park and Nesconset.
History was made on November 6, 2001, when Smithtown residents cast their ballots in a town-wide referendum and chose by a large margin to separate from the Town of Smithtown and become an independent Library. History was once again made on April 30, 2002. On that day, the Smithtown Library Special District held its first Budget Vote and Trustee Election. Residents elected a seven-member Board of Trustees. This new governing board took office on July 1, 2002. The residents that serve on the Board are all volunteers. Their terms of office are three years in length. The Library Director works closely with the Board of Trustees in governing the Library System which is the largest on Long Island and ranks tenth largest in the State of New York.