Digital Collections

The library maintains an electronic collection of photographs on Flickr. Photos include interior/exterior shots of Dowling's historic grounds, memorials, Fortunoff Hall, art contest award winners and presentations, library interior, library events, and librarian presentations.

Historic Oakdale is a collection of digitized postcards and photographs documenting the history of Oakdale, Long Island. Drawn from the holdings of Dowling College Library's Archives and Special Collections, these images range in age from the late 1800's to the mid-20^th century and capture the rise of the great estates along Long Island's South Shore, as well as the development of a small community.

The Listening Tour of South Shore History is an online guide to interviews and stories from the Library's ongoing podcast, Omnibus. Click on the map of Long Island to download MP3 files featuring the voices of local historians, authors, and people involved in preserving and promoting the history of this area of New York State.

The Long Island Estates page provides map locations and details of cultural institutions from 1860 - 1930, built in the period known as the Gilded Age. A detailed bibliography is also provided by Dr. Mary Abell, Professor of Visual Arts, Dowling College.

Join us in creating a place for the local history of the South Shore to live online. The librarians at the Dowling College Library Archives and Special Collections are working to digitize and make public the content of its collections. Therefore, the Long Island South Shore History Wiki currently has an emphasis of content weighted towards history that has occurred since the beginning of the Gilded Age (circa 1860). As the site grows, earlier local history will be included. If you have information to share about what you see on the wiki, please share your knowledge and memories by contributing directly to the wiki or simply leaving comments.

The map of the Vanderbilt Estates displays their locations and provides links to information about the homes that were built by and/or owned by members of the Vanderbilt Family during the Gilded Age.

The Reading Room features favorite reads from faculty, staff, and students. Looking for a good book to read or do you want to join the discussion about currently featured works, then take a look and post your comments.