In 1907 the New Dorp Community Library, which circulated books from the Trinity Parish House, was established by local volunteers.By 1909, it had become a "station" served by the Extension Division of the New York Public Library. The NYPL Travelling Library (later known as the Bookmobile) deposited books there for circulation, and exchanged these for new publications every few months. The local community took responsibility for the development of a permanent collection of books, the provision of library facilities, andthe staffing of the library. The New Dorp Library Committee was formed to carry out these tasks.
In 1910, the library was moved to a real estate office on Rose Avenue, owned by James Watson Hughes, a prominent local resident. When Mr. Hughes required the use of this building in 1916, a garage owned by Emil Peterson on Sixth St. was remodeled to accommodate the library. The library remained there for the next ten years.
In 1920, at the request of the New Dorp Library Committee, the New Dorp Library was made a "sub-station" of the New York Public Library. The NYPLprovided the books and staff for the library, but the community provided and maintained the library building. In 1925, the responsibility for the building was taken over by the New Dorp Board of Trade.
In 1926, the New Dorp Library became a sub-branch of the NYPL,which meant that the NYPL assumed full responsibility for the library. As a sub-branch, the library was given a larger stock of books and the library hours were extended. To accommodate the expansion in service, the library was moved to a store-front building at 180 Rose Avenue and re-opened on Novemebr 14th. During the same year, a lot at 155 Third St. was given to the NYPL by Mrs. Isabella O. Hughes as a site for a permanent New Dorp Library. She also contributed $30,000 for the construction of a building, with the understanding that the library would be named after her late husband. The "James Watson Hughes Memorial Library" was opened on March 26, 1928.
In 1954, the New Dorp sub-branch was made a Branch Library, which resulted in a larger book stock and longer hours. In order to accommodate the expanding service of the branch, the library was moved to a new building at 309 New Dorp Lane in 1972.
The following have served as branch librarians at New Dorp: Miss Burke (1910-1920), Laura Davie (1920-1925), Emma Suzanne Fischer (1928-1936), Mrs. Dunwoody (1937), Genevieve Wells (1937-1939), Cornelia E. Stroh (1940-1942), Genevieve Wells (1942-1943), Ellen M. Fitch (1943), Miss E.P. Blakkestad (1944), Mary T. Howe (1945-1946), Muriel H. Bedell (1946-1949), Genevieve W. Bedell (1949), Florence M. Hildebrandt (1953-1955), John S. Robotham (1955-1956), Charlotte W. Fleck (1957), Honnora Santoro (1958), Genevieve W. Bedell (1958-1963), Ruth Kronmiller (1963-1968), Eleanor Ayoub (1970-1988), Monica Denison (1988-1990), Dorothy Davison (1990), Katherine Todd (1992-1993), Mark McCluski (1994).