Books -- Some people still like to turn pages!

I read an article in today's New York Times that reports a brisk business and strong sales for many bookstores this holiday season.  While I am sure that Nooks and Kindles will be unwrapped by lots of people this year, Barnes and Noble reported today that this year's Thanksgiving weekend sales increased by 10.9 percent over last year.  Private book stores report similar boosts in sales.

What can this mean?  Does it mean, perhaps, that books are not dead?  Can it be that people still like to turn pages?  When I heard it reported recently on the radio (yes, I still have one of those too) that there have been technical difficulties with the new Kindle Fire, I took comfort in knowing that the only technical difficulty I have with my copy of Alice Hoffman's newest book, The Dovekeepers, is finding time to read it!

While we celebrate the advance of technology we still celebrate books.  Whenever I go into our book processing section, I feel a certain thrill at seeing all the new copies of the latest books lined up waiting for our patrons.  And while it's certainly a lot easier to carry one Kindle than the hundreds of books Amazon says a Kindle can hold, there's nothing like the tactile experience of reading a book.  Although I find it interesting that in advertising its new Kindle Fire, Amazon's description touts Kindle's  "movies, apps, games, music, reading and more."  Do you notice that reading is #5 on the list of five activities, right ahead of the all-purpose phrase, "and more"?

If reading is your number one activity, stop by the Library.  We can help you download books to your portable e-reader or if you'd like to avoid technical difficulties and turn some pages, we will help you find a book with pages to turn -- and we'll throw in a bookmark at no additional charge.

The Building still Needs Fixing!

Here is a list I recently prepared for our Library Board of the problems that exist in our Main Library. 

Building Plans

I have surveyed the building for areas and issues that are important to address and reviewed the engineer’s report submitted as part of the Dattner Concept Report.  The first several points listed below are taken from that engineer’s report, dated June 12, 2009. In the intervening 2 ½ years, all of these problems listed below have only become more pronounced.

Mechanical and Electrical

• The boiler, which would have a few more years of useful life, contains inherent problems, because of a poor installation which has lead to cracked sections and gasket leaks. In the last two years, we have paid significant amounts to repair leaks in the boiler.
•  The HVAC  system, as we know, has a tower that is no longer viable, reheat coils that are at the end of their useful life expectancy, and ventilation fans that are old and in need of replacement.  
• The electrical service and power distribution system, as described in the report, had yet to be tested to ascertain whether their condition is adequate.  However, the numerous power supply problems in 2011 alone indicate that the library does not have an electrical system that is adequate. Our electrician has made 9 service calls to repair problems ranging from new circuitry to replacing defective and inefficient light fixtures.  In addition all exit lighting is of the original installation.
• Fire Alarm System:  This system is of the original installation and is nearing the end of its useful life, according to the engineer’s report.  From personal experience, during the fire drill that was run at Main it took much longer to reset the system due to its age.  The pull boxes in Main are original and much smaller and harder to use than newer installations. 
• Roof and storm water systems:  Storm water is currently collected on flat roofs and drained through two 8-inch and one 10-inch storm leader which terminate on the lower level of the building discharging directly into Udall’s Pond.  All exposed piping appears to be in “fair” condition.
• The roof appears to be in fair to poor condition and the roof drains should be replaced when the building is re-roofed.  The roof under the cooling tower is not properly pitched and ponding occurs.  We have had numerous leaks in various places throughout the building which are repaired and sometimes re-occur in the same spots.  I have no reason to expect the storms we’ve experience in the last two years will diminish. 
• Domestic water systems.  Currently there is no backflow preventer provided on the domestic water service.  The insulation on the fittings needs to be examined to determine if hazardous materials have been used.
• Plumbing fixtures:  All plumbing fixtures appear to be in “fair” operational condition, but they are original and do not comply with the ADA requirements for the handicapped.
• Fire protection:  Currently the building is not provided with an automatic sprinkler system.
• Elevator:  our elevator has had numerous problems with power breakdowns and the door not opening and closing properly.  Many staff members refuse to ride in it, sending the book trucks up in the elevator and taking the stairs.
• Front doors:  The front doors have had their motor replaced in an attempt to make the mechanism work more smoothly.  It is old, slow and unpredictable and has been known to nip people in the leg when they close unexpectedly on patrons as they exit the building.

Other areas of Concern

• Community Room: Bulging panels speak to the age of the room, along with a Control Room that has an aging sound system, no capability of recording or broadcasting through our local cable station.
• Parts of the exterior stone façade have separated from the building and are being held together by wood supports.  Another section of the façade near levels has begun to separate in a similar fashion.
• Levels is not ADA compliant.
• The mezzanine is also not ADA compliant and built directly onto the book stacks below, leaving no room for adaptability and change.
• Children’s Room.  The collection has outgrown its size, with many stacks too high for young children to reach.
• The reference Area has, in effect, two spots for patrons to seek help, resulting in an inefficient use of staff and confusion for the patrons on where to go for help. There is also a great deal of space being taken up with microfilm cabinets, a near-obsolete technology.
• The History Room has a growing collection and will soon run out of room. 
• As many reference books are replaced on online resources, shelving can be reduced in the reference area, which would then beg for a redesign of the area.
• The A/V department should not be on the ground floor.
• The library needs a Young Adult room or area, with shelving, seating and computers.

An Ad-Hoc Committee is being formed to formulate a workable, acceptable plan for renovating this building.  Recently, the Board voted to stay within the existing footprint, so we will not be expanding our footprint.  But our 40 year old building still needs work!

If I've left anything out, please let me know.

Libraries Matter -- and Make a Difference

There was an interesting article in the New York Times the other day.  It was a profile of a new Children's Center built for the Queens Central Library.  Called "Discover!" and built at a cost of $30 million, it is a two-story addition built next to the Central Library.  The reporter described it as "all transparency and nonchalance.  Its facade, pierced by large windows opening the interior to the street, and vice versa, glows as day turns to night, acting like a beacon in the neighborhood and redefining a humdrum block."

The article had some interesting things to say about libraries, too.  "Today libraries double as centers for the elderly and toddler playrooms.  They're safe after-school havens for teenagers of working parents, with rooms set aside that are stocked with computers and, at a few branches like the Rockaways, even with recording studios."

"Libraries have become modern town squares and gathering places; they offer millions of New Yorkers employments counseling, English-language classes and, crucially, Internet access."

"To imagine that libraries could remain as they were half a century ago would entail wishing away the Web and the demands of old people, immigrants, the unemployed, schoolchildren and parents who want constructive places to keep their young children occupied at a time when public resources and political good will are in increasignly short supply."

We are indeed lucky to not only have one library in Great Neck, but a branch system as well, with four locations to serve you.  We know that libraries matter.  They can make a difference in many people's lives.

Dattner Architects: An Important Partner in the Library Project

We are proud to have the firm of Dattner Architects to design our new building.  Our Board has directed their professionals to incorporate best environmental practices into the project since its inception. That means a healthier, more energy efficient building, minimal site impact, and the opportunity to be a green and healthy neighbor to a clean and newly-dredged Udall's pond after decades of neglect. We owe the latter improvement to Nassau County’s dredging project that is scheduled to begin soon.

Dattner Architects have a long record of sustainable design projects, the latest of which was cited on The New York Times September 26, 2011 front page. The Times reported that Dattner is a design partner in a “green” Bronx housing complex which, "goes out of its way to be healthy."  In fact, for Dattner, incorporating green and healthy elements is not at all unusual.

When it comes to environmental respect, Dattner is also at the forefront. Our library addition will not be built on a wetland.  As clearly stated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Town of North Hempstead, the building project must stay behind a "line of non-jurisdiction" the DEC draws to ensure an environmentally sensitive area will not be disturbed by any building next to it.  This very issue was made clear to our architects from the start.  In response, Dattner designed the addition to go no further than the existing patio area to ensure our project stays as far from Udall’s pond as possible. 

As Dattner put together a cost estimate for this project, their firm listed some options for the Board to consider.   Some of these items that have been taken out of the project were removed for reasons our opponents often cite: cost considerations.  These will be considered by the Board as possible alternates if the budget permits.  But Dattner has assured the Library that bird friendly glass is part of the project. Both the Town Board and the Library Board recognize the importance of bird-friendly glass next to a bird sanctuary, which will attract even more birds once it is dredged.

 The Board has made clear that while the main library will be closed during construction, a temporary facility will serve the community during that time. Dattner has assured us that closing the main library will allow the project to be built most quickly, economically and safely.

Far from harming Udall's Pond, the renovation project and related site work will complement the County's dredging plan and insure the long term viability of the pond. As to the irresponsible claim by referendum opponents that the new addition might jeopardize the foundation of the existing building, this is not based on any facts according to Dattner.

      The Library Board considered the option of simply renovating the existing space without any expansion. Estimated to cost $13.5 million, this option would not have met some basic program improvements requested by the public and the Library.  We would have saved some money but not gotten what the community needs.  The Board feels that the option they approved in January, 2010 best represents a prudent balance between the community's wishes and resources, and will insure the long term future of the library.

Our opponents dispute the need for an expansion. They are entitled to their opinion. Over a decade worth of visioning studies, numerous architects plans, public hearings and surveys suggest otherwise.

Authors! Authors! Authors!

I got a chance to be part of the audience for out latest Authors at GNL program.  We invited Oscar Hammerstein III (AKA Andy) back for another talk  In his first appearance at GNL, in October, 2010, he focused much of his talk on Oscar Hammerstein I, the theater impressario who was instrumental in the building of much of Time Square. This time, he focused on his famous grandfather, Oscar Hammerstein, the great lyricist for such shows as "Showboat," "Oklahoma" and "The King and I."  Both of these remarkable men are profiled in Andy's book, The Hammersteins : a Musical Theatre Family. We have several copies in our collection.  Check it out!

It's clear Andy has the show-biz gene in his blood in his wonderfully enthusiastic presentation, complete with video clips of favorite songs, of the classic musicals that made Rogers & Hammerstein a duo that set the bar for musicals that told a story. And such stories they were, too.  They covered issues like race relations, culture clashes and always, the wonder and tragedy that comes with love found, lost and found again.

Andy told us that his grandfather insisted, from the time he first met Richard Rogers that he must always write the lyrics first and Rogers wrote the music to fit them.  I found that to be a fascinating tidbit.  He talked about the opening song for "Oklahoma" when Curley comes out and sings, "Oh What a Beautiful Morning," breaking the mold for "typical" opening numbers from musicals in the 1930's that always featured a chorus of dancing girls.

Audience members uniformly praised the program.  It was a celebration of music, family and the American Musical Theatre.  We were happy to have you back, Andy.

Next Sunday, October 9, we are gearing up for another wonderful program.  We are pleased to welcome Jimmy Breslin, Murray Polner and Robert Lipsyte who will be "Talkin' Baseball, Branch Rickey, and Journalism".  This event will be held at Saddle Rock School at 2pm.  We hope to see you all there.

Almost One Month Until Referendum

The proposed renovation and expansion project for the Great Neck Library will be put to the voters for approval on October 25, 2011 from 7 am to 10 pm.  Voter information is on our website or available by calling the Library.  If you are unsure where, when or how to vote, please call me.  Since it is the objective of the Library to disseminate accurate information, I would like to clear up some inaccurate information that is floating around the community regarding our referendum.

When you vote, and I sincerely hope you do, you will be voting on two amounts of money.  The first amount is $20.8 million – the maximum amount of the bond issue.  If construction prices continue to drop as they have over the past few years, we may not need to incur the full amount of this debt.  Approximately 2/3 of these funds will be used to renovate the existing 47,125 square feet of space, and the balance to construct an addition of 8,645 square feet.

You are also voting on the maximum debt service (i.e. total annual principal and interest payments) in the amount of $1,760,000. The actual debt service will depend on the interest rate at which the bonds sell, but is expected to be considerably less.  Although our Financial Advisor, out of an abundance of caution, advised the Library to use a high interest rate of 5 ¾.%, we in no way expect the rates to be that high.  In fact, tax-exempt interest rates have recently dropped to under 4%, and are not expected to rise any time soon.  So although there is an annual debt service amount included in the referendum, there is absolutely no intention to incur that level of debt. The actual number is expected to be closer to $1.5 million.

If the majority of our voters approve the referendum, the Library will seek out a temporary fourth branch. This location will not be as big as our Main Library is because there are no empty buildings with 47,000 square feet that can be easily transformed into a library.  So we will try to find something near Main, with as much square footage as possible.

We are not going to look for that space until the referendum is over.  Why? If the referendum fails, it would be imprudent to spend time looking for a rental space we would not need.  So while some of our residents might criticize this decision as a lack of planning, rather it is – and has always been – part of the Library’s step-by-step  plan.  In fact we are following every step of the plan the Board very carefully and clearly laid out over two years ago:

• Step 1:  Hire an architect.  Dattner Architects were hired in 2009. 

• Step 2: Hire a Construction Management firm.  Park East Construction was hired in 2009.  The Board made a conscious decision not to hire a separate firm to act as an “owner’s rep” since they are confident in Park East’s ability to represent the library and its best interests with all construction and other subcontractors.  Park East has earned their outstanding reputation in the many public library and school construction projects they have overseen to their successful completion. One of Park East’s jobs will be to supervise and scrutinize the budget on a continuous basis so that there are no overruns and to handle whatever surprises and problems crop up so they can be brought to our attention immediately and a solution can be obtained. The Board has every confidence they will both represent and protect our interests.  It is in their interest to do so.

• Step 3:  Adopt a concept design to be used as a basis for necessary approvals and preparation of a schematic design.  After much discussion at public meetings, the concept design was adopted in January, 2010 and immediately posted to our website.  To say that the library has no plans is inaccurate.  In my recent community information groups and visits to various Village Board meetings, I have presented those plans, complete with square footages for each function.

• Step 4: Obtain pre-referendum site plan approval by going to first the Board of Zoning Appeals to obtain our variances, which was completed in December, 2010.  Once the variances were obtained, the Library went to the Town Board for site plan approval.  That was granted in July, 2011.  The Library Board wanted to assure the public that our site plan was approved before they asked you to vote on the project.

On the subject of the site plan, the Library’s design is not disturbing wetlands or other green areas since we are building only on what is currently hardscape.  In fact, the site plan includes a redesign of the entire storm water runoff system to collect most of the oily and sediment laden surface water from the parking lot that has been running into and polluting the pond all these years.

The new library project has been designed, from its inception, with environmental stewardship in mind, by not encroaching on undisturbed portions of the site, and by incorporating modern, up to date storm water management techniques.  The project is an opportunity to anyone who is concerned with the long term ecological balance of the site to cheer out loud! 

• Step 5:  Referendum.  On October 25, you will be asked to vote on a not-to-exceed price: $20.8 million.  The Library must work within that budget, which has contingency amounts built into it, to complete the project.  If there is an overrun on one aspect of the job, another aspect will be scaled back.   

Once the referendum is approved, the architect will work within the approved budget to develop a schematic design.  The architect’s ideas will be brought to the board and the public for timely input.  Neither the architect nor the library board is asking for blind trust.  They are asking for your honest input.  The project will enhance our collections and programs; give us space to provide the services you deserve and retain the beauty of the present building and grounds.

While the architect is hard at work, the library will be hard at work too.  We will be finding space to rent for a temporary fourth location.  We will decide what books and other materials we will move to there, to other branches or to storage.  We anticipate expanded hours at the other locations during this transition time.  We will work with partners in the community to find space for children’s and adult programs as well as Levels.  Be assured that our active, vibrant teen programs at Levels will continue in a temporary home in the community.   

What will happen if the referendum fails?  We will go back to the drawing board, as the saying goes.  The building needs work, which no one disputes.  The board can decide to go back to you again with a vote on just a renovation or a smaller expansion than the 8,654 feet currently proposed.  Either way, you will be involved.  We are not asking for a “blank check” from you nor are we asking that you “trust” us.  We are asking for you to be involved and active in the project so that will give you the library you deserve and of which can be proud. 

The Future of the Library – Your Library

In his thought-provoking article, The Future of the Library, Seth Godin* describes the history and value of libraries over the centuries, and their future. A few highlights:

§         Before Gutenberg, a book cost about as much as a small house … only kings and bishops could afford to own a book of their own. This naturally led to the creation of shared books, of libraries where scholars (everyone else was too busy not starving) could come to read books that they didn't have to own. The library was a warehouse for books worth sharing.  

§         Post-Gutenberg, books are finally abundant, hardly scarce, hardly expensive, hardly worth warehousing. Post-Gutenberg, the scarce resource is knowledge and insight, not access to data.

§         Just in time for [today’s] information economy, the library ought to be the local nerve center for information … There are one thousand things that could be done in a place like this, all built around one mission: take the world of data, combine it with the people in this community and create value.  

If you still think libraries are obsolete today, consider these points:

§         Not everything is available on the internet; not everyone has Internet access

§         The internet complements libraries, but it doesn't replace them

§         Libraries and Librarians improve student test scores

§         Libraries can be surprisingly helpful for news collections and archives

§         Radio endures despite TV, film is in-demand despite video, telephones are increasingly popular despite email, and those who like paper books will continue to read paper books – despite publishers releasing so many e-books

§         Libraries are “less like warehouses and more like intellectual crossroads for working, learning, teaching, and new types of programs" [Source: U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, 2006 Symposium]

You may ask, “What has the Great Neck Library done for me and our community lately?” Ponder these 2010 statistics:

§         You gained access to 30,000 new books, 3,000 new DVDs, 1,400 new CDs, and 1,207 new downloadable ebooks

§         You accessed 770 new audio books via over 2,600 downloads

§         Adults and children borrowed 379,136 books, plus 190,846 non-book items

§         117 individuals attended one-on-one computer lessons and more took part in group computer lessons

§         5,657 children used library computers, and teens wrote 73 online book reviews

§         GNL presented 169 special family programs for 7,295 attendees of all ages

§         6,080 children (babies to second graders) attended 398 story times; 3,300 children in grades K-6 made 31 class visits to the Library; 1,073 children attended summer and winter reading

§         Our Levels teen group produced a made-for-TV teen discussion show, two musicals and a drama, and wrote and recorded original music; 9,949 teens

§         attended 881 program sessions

§         More teens than ever before took Levels’ free SAT Prep course

§         Over 8,000 adults enjoyed 326 cultural programs, including weekly matinees of recent and classic films, world-class performances chosen by our volunteer Music Advisory Committee, and monthly Bayview Book Club run by our librarians

On October 25, Great Neck Library patrons will vote on a $20.8 million bond. Its goal is to enable us to return our aging library to the levels of efficiency, comfort, safety and beauty that will support Godin’s vision for our community library. Based on current predictions, assessed home value and actual bond interest rate, this project will take anywhere from an extra $32 - $200 a year from your wallet. It’s for you to decide if the Library renovation is a good value for you and your family.

Polls are open 7 AM – 10 PM on Tuesday, October 25, 2011. If you live south of the LIRR, vote at Great Neck South High School, 341 Lakeville Road. If you live north of the LIRR, vote at Baker Elementary School, 69 Baker Hill Road. These may not be your usual polling places.

If you want to vote on October 25th but are unable to vote in person due to disability, vacation or work constraints, you can submit an absentee ballot. To obtain a ballot application, visit any Great Neck Library location, or call the Library (466-8055) or School District (441-4000). If you prefer to download an application, visit the School District website at http://greatneck.k12.ny.us (click Budget, then click Absentee Ballot).

If you have questions about the referendum or the future of the Library, please contact me at 466-8055 ext.200 or email at jbmarino@greatnecklibrary.org.

[* Seth Godin is the author of 11 books. Free Prize Inside was a Forbes Business Book of the Year in 2004, in its first two years of release. Purple Cow sold over 150,000 copies in more than 23 printings. The Dip was a Business Week and New York Times bestseller. ]

OOPS!

The Great Neck Library newsletter that most of you received today lists our referendum date in three different spots:  on Page 1, Page 2 and the Back Cover.  Unfortunately, on Page 2 the date is listed as "Monday, October 25" which of course is wrong.  It is on Tuesday, October 25, from 7am to 10pm.  We apologize for the error.  Let me assure you it was not intentional.  Our goal is not to confuse, but sadly, we did confuse some of you this time.

We now have the cost summary and cost estimate breakdown on our website on our Building Renovation Page.  As always if you have any questions, please let me know.  Shoot me an email or call and I'll get you an answer as quickly as possible.

It's finally September and the countdown to the referendum date has begun!  See you all at the polls.

The Lights are Back on!

As I write this post, I know that many of our neighbors are still without power and I want everyone to spread the word that all four locations of the Great Neck Library are up and running and here for you.  If you need to charge up your phone, your ipad or your laptop.  If you want wifi access or to use our computers, we are here for you.

I want to take a moment to thank our hard-working maintenance staff and the staff who have been manning the branches the past two days.  On Monday, we got Station and Parkville open and by Tuesday, Lakeville was back.  Today, we are all here for you.

I hope that you all survived Irene's wrath without too much damage.  Let's hope this is the last hurricane for Great Neck this year.

Great Neck Library to Hold Public Informational Focus Groups on Building Referendum

The Great Neck Library will be holding a series of informational focus groups throughout September and October in all Library locations to give members of the public the opportunity to find out about the building project, find out how to vote on October 25^th , ask any questions they may have and give any input into the building design which will begin after the October 25^th vote.

The meetings will be held in Main on Thursday, Sept 8, at 2:00 pm, Wednesday, September 14 at 7:00 pm; Friday, September 23 at 10:30 am and Thursday, October 6 at 7:00 pm.  All meetings will be held in the Multipurpose Room on the lower level.

Two meetings will also be held in each branch.  At Station, located at 26 Great Neck Road, 2^nd Floor in the Gardens at Great Neck Shopping Center, the meetings will take place on Wednesday, Sept 7 at 2:00 pm and Tuesday, September 20 at 2:00 pm.  At Lakeville, located at 475 Great Neck Road, the meetings will be on Tuesday, Sept 13 at 2:00 pm and on Tuesday, October 4 at 2:00 pm.  At Parkville, located at 10 Campbell St, New Hyde Park, they will take place on Friday, September 23 at 2:00 pm and Thursday, October 13 at 7:00 pm.

Registration is limited and required for the meetings.  To register for any meeting at any location, visit or call the Info Desk at 466-8055, ext. 202 or register online by going to our website, www.greatnecklibrary.org and clicking the “Program Calendar and Registration” link. When you reach the Program calendar, find the date you wish to register for and click the register button.  When prompted type in your library card number and hit submit. 

Summer Program Update

So far this summer, GNL has hosted two wonderful authors, Julie Orringer and Pete Hamill as part of our "Authors @GNL" series. They spoke to SRO crowds and were as gracious and open as we could have dreamed.  Julie Orringer, whose program I described in an earlier post, is pictured here.

On Thursday, July 21, Pete Hamill visited the Great Neck Library to discuss his latest book, Tabloid City, as well as his other writings, journalism and his life as an editor of the Post and the News.  The Community Room was packed, our overflow room was packed and still patrons hung around, even though they couldn't get into the program, just to meet him and speak to him.  He was charming and self-effacing and thrilled at the response. 

We were equally thrilled to have him.  We are looking forward to September, because Oscar Hammerstein III, also known as Andy Hammerstein, will be back to continue his discussion of his famous grandfather, Oscar Hammerstein and the world-famous Broadway musicals he helped create.  Mark your calendars for September 25th.

But it hasn't just been authors here at GNL this summer, we've also been thrilled to host three young musicians in our new series, "Music for a Summer Evening."  Joe Iadanza, who hails from Roslyn, appeared on July 12th.  Joe has an edgy, bluesy, Dylanesque sound, evoking many of the old themes of classic American Folk music with his original songs. We will soon have both of his CD's in our collection.  They are called, "Traveling Salesman" and "All in Good Time" but if you can't wait, try his website. It's a great place to get a taste of his style.  Matthew Fishstein is truly a rising star.  He appeared on July 19th and he plays a combination of different styles, combining original works with music by other composers. He uses the influence of his classical background to compose and produce unique jazz sound. You can catch him on YouTube
 To round out the series, Aliie Irsmambetova a talented young pianist played a wonderful program last night of romantic compositions from composers such as Brahms, Schuman and Schubert.  She enchanted the crowd with her wonderful interpretations of this music.

It's been a great summer so far.  Stop by and see for yourself.

Air Conditioning Has Returned

As we head into the really hot days of July and August, I am relieved to tell you that after 12 long hot days the library once again has air conditioning.  I want to thank each and every one of you for your patience and good humor during this trying time.  I especially want to commend our extraordinary staff who spent many long hot days with a mimum of complaints and a great deal of patience.  Through it all, they continued to serve you, our patrons, with their usual excellence.
As you may have noticed, we now have a rather large machine hooked up to the building by large hoses.  This is a temporary cooling tower which is functioning in the same way the cooling tower that broke down had functioned.  It is rather noisy and I apologize for the noise.  But the noisiest spot is the parking lot itself, but it's much less noisy across the street and across the pond, although it still can be heard.
So I hope you will stop by soon and enjoy our programs or check out a book.  We can once again promise what libraries always promise in the summer -- a cool place to be.

Date Set for Referendum

Major developments have taken place for our building project.  Last night at a special meeting, the Board of Trustees selected Tuesday, October 25th for the referendum for the library's building project.  This date has also been approved by the School Board, which is a necessary step since the School District is the library's taxing authority and hold all public taxing votes for us.
We are excited to take this enormous step towards realizing a goal that has been many years in the making. In the weeks and months leading up to this important date, we will make every effort to get you the information and facts you need in order for you to make an informed decision about the building project. 
We will explain what will be done and why we think it's important.  We will explain what it will cost and how you as our patrons will benefit from the investment we are asking you to make.
First comes site plan approval, scheduled for July 19th at the North Hempstead Town Hall.  If you're interested please attend.  And, as always, call or email me with any questions or concerns.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Update on Site Plan Approval

The Town Board was unable to hear the library's request for site plan approval as part of its June 14th hearing but they have scheduled a special meeting on July 19 to consider the matter.  It will take place at the same location, The Town Hall of North Hempstead, 220 Plandome Road, Manhasset on the second floor. 

Julie Orringer makes an impact at GNL

More than 250 people showed up on Monday night, June 20 to hear author Julie Orringer speak about her book The Invisible Bridge.  Chosen by the Authors @ GNL Committee as our 2011 Great Neck Reads choice, it clearly touched a chord with the many people who read it.
The story centers on Andras, a young Hungarian who arrives from Budapest in Paris to study architecture on a scholarship and the way his life is affected not only by the people he meets in Paris but how his life and that of his brothers is disrupted by the War and the Holocaust.  During her talk Julie told the audience how the book began as a story that Julie's grandfather told her about his own experiences as a young architecture student in Paris.
Julie spoke movingly and eloquently about the impact her own family's story had on her and the influences it had on her writing of the book.  She also spoke about the extensive research that went into its writing which lead to such an air of authenticity in the book.
After her talk, Julie graciously talked to the many audience members who wanted to share their own family stories and signed many books for the audience members who patiently stood on line waiting for their chance to meet her.
It was a singular evening and while it was a bit cramped and uncomfortable, the audience was clearly moved by the book and the author's appearance.  And after all, isn't that what libraries are all about?  They are here not just to store books, but to make the connection between author and reader as well as book and reader.  Those connections are what make us all stronger.

Baby it's hot in here!

As you may have noticed if you've visited us here at GNL in the last few days, we have no air conditioning.  And sadly, it's not the kind of air conditioning breakdown that can be easily fixed.  With a system that is 42 years old, our options are limited.
But here's what we hope to do.  We hope to get a temporary solution to the problem in order to provide cooling to the building so that we don't have to expend a great deal of money just prior to our planned renovation and expansion. I'll be working with our professionals and our board to find the best possible solution that is the most fiscally prudent.
This is just another example of what happens to a building after 42 years and why we must have the renovation we so desperately need.  Please be patient with us.  We don't like the heat in here any more than you do.

Know the Past, Find the Future

I'm reading the most wonderful book right now.  It's a gift from my daughter who, raised as she was by a librarian, knows a good book when she sees one.  It's called, Know the Past, Find the Future. The New York Public Library at 100.  In it, a variety of writers, essayists and comentators as well as some New York Public Library staff members pose with and most times, comment on an item they chose from NYPL's massive and varied collections.  There are works of art, books, poetry, restaurant menusm manuscripts, sometimes with the author's handwritten notes, librettos and historical documents  There's even a baseball card, chosen by and commented on by playwright Will Eno.  The print, or card, is called "Unidentified Baseball Player with Mustache" and the photographer is James Wallace Black.  It's part of the Photography Collections in the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art. 
As I read the comments on each item chosen by these writers,  I find myself eager to see the next item -- who chose it and what they have to say.  I'm disappointed with the contributors who didn't really contribute other than to pose next to the items they chose.
I found myself thinking as I was reading about the enormous collection that NYPL has amassed in its 100 years and how lucky we as New Yorkers are to be able to see it.  And as a New Yorker, anywhere in the state, you can have a library card from New York Public Library.  I have one right now in my wallet. 
We are lucky as New Yorkers to have the New York Public Library to call our own, along with our own local libraries. 
We are apt, in these difficult times, to take for granted those treasures we've always had and think they'll always be here for us.  Let's not do that.  Let's celebrate libraries and books and artwork and the wonderful writers whose works fill them.  They are what make the world a better place.

The Date is Set

As some of you might have noticed by now, the date has been set by the Board of the Town of North Hempstead for the Great Neck Library's site plan approval.

On June 14, as part of its agenda, the Town Board will consider whether or not to approve our site plan.  This is the last step before the Library can go to referendum.  It's a big day for all of us, as we move along this very long path to our Main Library's renovation.

I'll keep you posted!

A Love Letter to Libraries

I found this post on another blog entitled "She said, She said." and I could not resist sharing.  The author is Marion Roach.  When you're done reading, please go to her blog and tell her how much you enjoyed it.  She has given me her permission to reprint it here.


I WAS BORN in the Little Neck Branch of the New York Public library system. Right next to the card catalogue. That’s the way I remember it, and I’m sticking to that story no matter what, as well as to the version that I also came of age there, and engaged in all manners of important transitions in or because of the library. And do you doubt me?
Well, you may doubt that all these rites of passage were performed in that same library. And you’d be right. They were spread out over the libraries of my life, a sisterhood I remember with unsurpassable affection.
As soon as I could drive, I ventured into a library not my own; I crossed counties, into Nassau, having heard that Great Neck had a fine library. It did, right on a cove of Long Island Sound. A ringer, I found a carrel there and sat through high school. Not that my spooky American Gothic Architecture girls’ school didn’t have a library. It did, complete with a terrifying professional spinster librarian and dark, musty reading rooms. But now I had three libraries: My own, in Little Neck, my school’s and this secret one I sneaked to in Great Neck, pretending I belonged, and where I wrote a paper for my tenth grade honor’s English class in which I brazenly debated whether it was Samuel Bowles or Thomas Wentworth Higginson who was, in fact, the secret — until now! — lover of Emily Dickinson. My English teacher was appalled. She honestly thought that Emily, all those long years upstairs in her room, dressed in white, had been writing to God. Clearly my teacher didn’t know that Emily was a redhead.
Off to college. This added a magnificent library to my collection: St Lawrence Universoty’s Owen D. Young library, open at night, sometimes all night. What a haven. And then, on a semester in Nairobi, I discovered the University of Nairobi Library, high-ceilinged and stocked with European newspapers, and these ancient, fabulous colonial editions of things like folio editions of William Shakespeare’s sonnets, which I discovered just as I fell deeply in love for the very first time, sitting there afternoons in the library, pouring over these magnificent crumbly pages, reading Mr. Shakespeare and writing sonnet after sonnet to a relentlessly  undeserving man. Two more libraries under my belt, I was home for senior year, Thanksgiving, when I discovered the New York Public on 5^th Ave had what I needed for a college paper. Oh, the first time I climbed those lion-gated steps and discovered that people – me – could go there.
The January term of my senior year, I found myself in the library at the great University of Bologna, in Italy. After a bit of vino – they drank at that library, in the stacks! – discussing Emily Dickinson, with the library’s dashing, thought terribly scholarly, poetry expert and, as the party progressed, I remember we stood against the cool old stone wall and after some time, kind of slid to the floor, wineglasses in hand, reciting Emily Dickinson to one another, me in English, him in Italian. Oh, the good clean fun you can have in a library.
It was helpful that my first job out of college was at The New York Times, one of its best features being that it is around the corner from the New York Public. So it got a lot of use. I started to think of it as my library, cozying up to it after some time, as we grew more comfortable with one another.
In the course of writing my four books I have spent time in some lovely libraries, the New York Public, of course, but also the Folger, in Washington where Richard Kuhta, the librarian once surprised me, handing me something, down in the basement. It was the Bible Anne Boleyn carried on her wedding day. To be trusted to touch something like that meant to me that I had earned some esteem as a book person, someone who loved them I did. And so it was their research librarian, Elizabeth Walsh, who I turned several years later when writing my recent book, to explain to me the meaning of the red wig worn by Shylock on the debut of William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice.
I could go on, and frequently do on the topic of libraries, whose roles in our lives are many and varied, but are always positive. As one smart friend of mine said recently, “A library card is the most powerful hand held device you have.”
And yet I read that all over America libraries are under attack. In my home area this is certainly true. Albany, NY, residents will be asked to vote today on the proposed 2012 library tax levy that includes an increase of 32 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, for most meaning an increase of 91 cents each week for the privilege of fine library system.
You would think it would be a slam dunk. It won’t, despite the fact that the new budget will be one-time correction that follows a magnificent recent spate of building resulting in the opening of five new and renovated neighborhood libraries in Albany, the issuing of more than 10,000 new library cards, the acquisition of 86 percent more books, DVDs and other materials, and 244 percent more computers to maintain. Oh yes, and visits are up nearly 20 percent.
Me, I’ll be clutching a book to my heart all day, hoping for the very best from my upstate neighbors.

Building Buzz

As you probably know by now, we've been granted all our building variances by the Board of Zoning Appeals, the BZA.  What does that mean?  It means that the library can now go to the Board of the Town of North Hempstead and ask for an approval of our site plan.
Once we have that, we'll have cleared all the big hurdles on the way to a referendum, so we can get started improving your library.  Your Library Board will soon meet to pick a referendum date and work with their financial advisors to complete all the paperwork in order to have a successful referendum.
You have questions.  Please ask them, whether by phone, email to me at jbmarino@greatnecklibrary.org or by telephone at 466-8055, ext. 200.  I will do everything I can to answer them.

Libraries -- Still a Great Value

There has been a great deal of discussion these days not only about public institutions and the people who work there, including libraries, but the advent and explosive popularity of new technologies that might seemingly usurp libraries.  Those technological marvels, such as the Kindle, the Nook and other devices are nothing short of astounding when you think about it.  If you travel, as many members of my family do, and you love to read you’d be crazy not to have one.

The Nook, produced by Barnes and Noble, measures 8” by 5” and can hold literally thousands of books at a time. You can even borrow books from the library to download onto your Nook.  And when you get bored with reading, you can play chess, do a crossword puzzle, even search the web.  Who wouldn’t like that? If you’re lucky enough to have $249 in discretionary funds to buy one, please do.  And if you are not sure how to use it to download books, come into the library.  We have staff members who can help you with that.

Libraries, as cultural institutions and centers of learning, adapt to new technologies.  We don’t shy away from them.  When computers first came into wide usage in libraries, it was well before they were a fixture in people’s homes.  As each new viewing technology blossomed, from VHS to DVD, libraries adapted.  When digital movies become the norm, we will have those, too. 

People are surprised to learn that we offer books to download onto portable viewing devices and that we offer audio books to download onto your portable listening devices.  You can even download books directly onto your smart phone.

 
 Sadly, however, there are still thousands – probably millions – of people in America who do not own a smart phone; do not have $249 in discretionary funds and may not even have a computer in their homes.  Luckily for them, libraries are still here.  Despite the naysayers who think that libraries are not necessary and are going the way of the dinosaurs, libraries open every day across this country and help students with their homework, help the jobless find jobs, help readers find books and enrich their patrons’ lives every day with programs of all kinds. 

That kind of service to our patrons can be seen every day here at the Great Neck Library.  Just the other day, one of our librarians was sitting with a patron, explaining to him how to find something on Google maps, then showed him how to get directions to that location.  Every day, in Levels, teens can pitch an idea to the staffers who will then encourage them – and help them – to make it happen.  The result? Music videos, CD’s, artwork created on the computer and much more.  Walk into the children’s room on any day and ask for a book to read to your baby, toddler, preschooler or school aged child and chances are excellent that the librarians will suggest several.

Adding to the value of libraries are the programs we offer.  Here at the Great Neck Library, we have a hard working, volunteer Music Advisory Committee who produces several outstanding musical programs every year for our patrons to enjoy – all of them free.  We have had a different author come to the Library almost every month since July for readers to meet, hear about their works, their writing process and their plans.  We have an outstanding lineup of popular movies shown for free every Tuesday afternoon at the Main Library and on different days in the branches.  We also program to children from birth through high school.

The program listings that ran recently in one of our local papers included story hours at all 4 library locations, craft programs coordinated with favorite books, computer help and senior computer help at multiple locations, music recitals, art exhibits, films, staff-led book discussions at multiple locations, and a special dramatic presentation sponsored by the Brandeis National Meeting. This is a typical week.

You can’t get these very tangible and measurable benefits from a Kindle or a Nook. But you can get them from a library.