The History Collection of the Glen Cove Public Library contains a variety of library and archival materials: books; periodicals; artifacts; pamphlets; maps; microfilmed documents; records and manuscripts, and microfilm of local newspapers. Almost all of the items are directly related to Long Island history, in particular, to the history of Glen Cove and its surrounding communities. Robert R. Coles was a descendant of one of the five original proprietors of the community that was to become Glen Cove. He was an astronomer, historian, educator and major force behind the development of the collection. Manuscripts in the collection pre-date the founding of the community in 1668; photographs date from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, and newspapers on microfilm date from the nineteenth century.