Yonkers Public Library
library in Yonkers, New York, United States
The Yonkers Public Library in Yonkers, New York, currently consists of three branch libraries. The main branch is 'Riverfront Library', which overlooks the Hudson River and New Jersey Palisades. Riverfront Library is located in one of the former Otis Elevator factory buildings and is across the street from the Yonkers Metro-North Hudson line train station. The branch opened in September 2002, and has approximately 75,000 square feet of space. The other two branches of the Yonkers Public Library are the Grinton I. Will branch, and Crestwood.
The Yonkers Public Library is a founding member and the largest member of the Westchester Library System (WLS), a consortium of 38 libraries serving the residents of Westchester County, New York. The Yonkers Public Library operates with a budget of over $11 million, 104 staff members, and a collection of over 420,000 books and other materials. The Director of the Library is Jesse Montero and the President of the Board of Trustees is Nancy Maron.
History
The Yonkers Public Library was chartered by the state of New York on February 9, 1893. Having been formed in 1883 by the consolidation of five public school libraries, the Library called various sites home between the years 1883 and 1904.
The public source identifies “Yonkers Public Library” as library in Yonkers, New York, United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Yonkers, Public and Library.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Yonkers Public Library”, the useful work is to connect “library in Yonkers, New York, United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q8055088. VIAF identifies the subject as 126016600. Authority coordinates are 40.936, -73.901. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2002, 1893, 1883 and 1904.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Yonkers Public Library”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Yonkers Public Library primary sources, Yonkers Public Library archive and Yonkers research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Yonkers Public Library”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Yonkers Public Library” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.