Research Team Studies Free Public Library Movement

Four close friends produced one great documentary for this year’s National History Day contest at Huntington High School. Angela Abbatiello, Juliet Johnson, Violet Palacios and Lia Zivkovic created ‘A City of Readers: The Free Public Library Movement in New York’ and entered it into the Group Documentary category. The project captured second place locally and is headed to the Long Island regional finals at Hofstra University.

“The New York Free Public Library Movement was pivotal within the development of societies,” according to the process paper submitted along with the project. “We chose this movement because it’s a great representation of this year’s theme, ‘Revolution, Reaction and Reform.’ The movement demonstrates reform in the actions taken to improve education and literacy by initiating free access to books and information provided by libraries. It also exemplifies a reaction toward social inequality, given many U.S. migrants couldn’t afford access to private libraries or an education. Overall, the New York Public Library Movement played a tremendous role in influencing various societies by promoting equal opportunities for all.”

Now in its 131st year, the New York Public Library is spread across 92 locations in Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx. It is the largest public library system in the United States.

“We began to research this movement by starting with the core from the New York Public Library’s own website,” the project partners wrote in the process paper. “There, we were able to find the basic facts, timelines, and descriptions of important people involved. Primary images like blueprints were also accessible. Prior to moving forward with our solely websites, we checked two books out from our school library about the New York Public Library and the history of America’s society.”

The four research partners are all exceptional students in their own right. They all participate in the high school’s club and athletics programs.

“We contemplated what app we would be using to actually produce our documentary, eventually deciding on iMovie,” the process paper states. “We had used it last year and were comfortable editing. The app iMovie was perfect for combining our research, visuals, and narration into one presentation of the Free Public Library Movement. As a group of four, we worked closely and took turns researching, editing, selecting images, and recording narration. We also incorporated primary sources and conducted interviews at the New York Public Library including some modern perspectives of the importance and impact of public libraries. Throughout the editing process, we revised our script and adjusted visuals to ensure we clearly communicated our argument and highlighted the importance of the movement.”

This year’s National History Day contest showcased students spread across grades 6-12, who submitted exceptional projects in a variety of categories consistent with the 2026 national theme of “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.” Students spent months researching and developing their entries and welcomed the attention that was showered upon them during the awards ceremony. Participants entered projects in categories ranging from research papers to individual and group websites, exhibits and documentaries.

“The Free Public Library Movement in New York transformed access to education by replacing private, fee-based libraries with free institutions open to everyone,” according to the process paper. “This movement began in response to industrialization and the mass migration that pursued. The movement provided immigrants with safe havens to learn and adapt to their new lives, as well as provide the working class with opportunities and knowledge. Initial opposition from wealthy elites hindered the movement’s progress but support from philanthropists, and eventually the government, allowed the movement to succeed and reshape the city.”

Teams of teachers served as judges for each category and spent hours evaluating the projects, many of which were displayed prior to the announcement of this year’s award winners. The annual history initiative seeks to make history more relevant for students and requires them to use a variety of practical and creative skills during the development of their projects.

“The Free Public Library Movement in New York is historically significant because it made books and information free and accessible to everyone,” the process paper concludes. “Ultimately transforming access from the privileged of the wealthy into a public right. By providing materials and learning resources, libraries became a huge factor in people’s lives, especially for students, workers, and immigrants. They served as a setting for self- improvement and growth in a rapidly growing city. The purpose of the Free Public Library Movement in New York remains meaningful today because since 1895 branches have combined to form a large public system, creating multiple libraries across the state that continue to provide public services, and serve as a welcoming space for everyone of all backgrounds and ages.”

To view the award winning documentary, visit this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mfh6NNUAsewBo9wcXStp7xYjGhA-ch0S/view