78.0°,
Mostly Cloudy North Valley Stream library election March 4
Voters will choose among Elmont, Valley Stream and Malverne
Residents of North Valley Stream will vote on March 4 to determine which library will serve the community for the next five years. Residents will choose among Henry Waldinger in Valley Stream, Elmont and the Malverne Public Library.
For the past four years, the Elmont Library has served North Valley Stream.
The 14,000-square-foot Henry Waldinger Library offers more than 50 programs and services, and Director Mamie Eng said there is something for everyone. “Even with limited space, we can fit a zoo of people in here,” Eng said. “This library handles its finances in the most economical way.”
Eng said that one of the library’s major draws is its programs and services, which reflect the cultural diversity of the community. Since it is a smaller branch, she added, residents get to know one another, and she has watched many library-goers grow from child to adult. “It’s a family atmosphere here,” she said. “We know all the people that come to the library, most on a first-name basis.”
Trustee Joan Carter said that many children in North Valley Stream attend Valley Stream schools, so it’s only natural for them to use a library in their community. “They identify with Valley Stream,” Carter said. “They can feel a sense of belonging.”
The Waldinger Library budget is $1.2 million, and its per capita cost is $40, which means that North Valley Stream residents would pay $40 per person in taxes for library services. That is the lowest per-capita tax cost in Nassau County, according to the Nassau County Library System.
The 60,000-square-foot Elmont Memorial Library offers 88 programs per month, from yoga classes to art services. It has a 430-seat theater where off-Broadway shows and other musical programs are performed each month. According to Director Maggie Gough, the Elmont facility has one of the largest book budgets in Nassau County, which helps it maintain a wide selection. It has large-type books, Gough said, as well as books on tape and volumes that are downloadable from the Internet. “It’s new innovations for old technology,” she said.
