Built in 1906, the Library is one of Onteora’s treasures. Designed by George A. Reid, the Canadian artist and architect of All Souls, the Tudor-style Arts and Crafts building boasts a live-in Librarian during the summer season who oversees thousands of books. The collection includes the Onteora Archives, books by Onteora writers, and a dedicated children’s room. Inside the front entrance is the Author’s Wall, where pictures of Onteora’s distinguished writers hang. Immediately below the building is the Candace Wheeler Wildflower Garden, dedicated in 1923 to Onteora’s founder and first gardener.
The Library hosts many lectures and programs for adults and children, as well as an annual summer fair.
Library Hours of Operation: July and August
Tuesday- Saturday 10:00 am - 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm- 6:00 pm
Sunday 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
LIBRARY EVENTS
Librarian
The Grenke-Vining family are all avid readers and proud to be the resident Library family.
Karen Grenke is a second generation librarian, hailing from Canada by way of Taiwan. She received her M.L.S. from Pratt Institute and her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College. She is the Library Co-Director at The Town School, a private school in Manhattan where she also serves as Co-Director of the Eco-Lab. She has been published in School Library Journal and twice been a panelist at Book Expo America. Karen is the winner of the Pratt Circle Award and has been nominated for the Jean M. Campbell Award for Outstanding Contributions to Reference librarianship and the Maher Stern Award for librarian service excellence. Karen is a company member of Nerve Tank Media and a recipient of an Audio Verse Award for Best Storyteller. She is a past President of the Hudson Valley Library Association and the current Co-Chair of the Education and Information Technology committee for the New York State Association of Independent Schools.
David Vining is a Santa Barbara native and a doctoral candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University. He teaches at Columbia Greenhouse Nursery School. His essays appear in the book 12 Museum Theorists at Play: Reflections on Theory and Practice. David received his M.S.Ed. from the Bank Street GSE, his B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and studied at Wadham College, Oxford University. He is an accomplished first tenor and has toured Europe and Russia in various ensembles. He is currently a member of the University Glee Club of New York City and the Crickets and a past board member of the UGC.
David and Karen’s twins, Harper and Stella, enjoy reading (particularly fantasy of any kind), all kinds of art, swimming, tennis, and spending time with friends and assorted cats. They wouldn’t say no to a dragon.
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