Dedication ceremonies for Sara Delano Roosevelt Memorial House were held at the main campus on November 22, 1943. In the 1934 photo of the library (at right), we can see comfortable seating, oriental carpets, furniture and china imported from China, as well as art work that includes a portrait of FDR, a portrait of family ancestor James Roosevelt (1760-1847), and photos of Springwood, the family home in Hyde Park.įollowing Sara’s death, during the years 1943 to 1992, the house operated as Hunter College’s Sara Delano Roosevelt Memorial House. Roosevelt’s mother, was in continuous residence in the house from 1908 to 1941, and would have used this room regularly as a library for entertaining family and friends. These rooms functioned as much as social centers for the residents of the house and their guests as places for reading or letter writing. Most wealthy families had libraries in their homes in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The library also includes books and video (DVDs) featured in Roosevelt House book discussions. The library’s collection holds over 2,000 books on the Roosevelts, the New Deal, contemporary history, public policy, human rights, and war and peace studies, as well current newspapers and periodicals. Once the personal library of Sara Delano Roosevelt, today the SDR Library serves as a student study center for students taking classes at Roosevelt House in public policy and human rights courses. Students involved with Roosevelt House are encouraged to respectfully read, visit, and relax in this space. The historic Sara Delano Roosevelt Library is a student space on the 2nd floor of the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute. Click here for weekly calendar of open hours.

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