Voting for library budgets and trustees

On the same day, May 16, that Hewlett-Woodmere and Lawrence school district residents go to the polls for the school budgets and trustees, they could also vote on the library budgets and board members for the Hewlett-Woodmere and Peninsula Public libraries.

Both libraries have trustees up for re-election who are running unopposed for a five-year term beginning July 1 and ending June 30, 2022 — Sarah Yastrab, at PPL and Shari H. Braverman at HWPL. Both are their board’s presidents.

Peninsula Public Library
The proposed 2017-2018 budget for PPL is $2,943,460. While administrative expenses such as membership dues will remain the same, costs for library materials are up this year due to added services, Library Director Carolynn Matulewicz said.

“Our budget is basically flat with only a small increase staying under the tap cap percentage,” Matulewicz said. “We are one of the smallest of the 54 Nassau County libraries but each month our circulation is in the top two or three in the county,” she added.

Over the last year, Matulewicz said, the library began lending Wi-Fi hotspots on a weekly basis for people to set up when they are outside of hotspots, offered additional museum passes, upgraded their wireless printing service and expanded the e-book collection. “We look forward to continuing these in the upcoming year,” she said.

Sarah Yastrab has been on the board for six years and served as the president for the last two. “In addition to all the wonderful services PPL provides to the citizens of District 15, the library is working closely with the Village of Lawrence in an effort to acquire land for a new building,” Yastrab said. “This community deserves a state of the art library that can meet the needs of patrons of all ages and abilities.” 

Her priorities for the upcoming year include continuing to provide “relevant, inspiring and interesting content and programming” to the library’s patrons; to build on the library’s technological advances; “to remain a central hub in the community” where all citizens feel welcome; and continue the process of “finding PPL a new home.”

The deadline to register to vote is May 3 at 11 a.m. Call Lawrence district clerk Mohinder Bharaj at (516) 295-7032.

Voting takes place at Primary School at Number Two School at 1 Donahue Avenue in Inwood; Lawrence Middle School at 195 Broadway in Lawrence; Lawrence High School at 2 Reilly Road in Cedarhurst; and Atlantic Beach Village Hall at 65 The Plaza in Atlantic Beach from 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library
The proposed 2017-2018 budget for the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library is $6,358,606, an increase of $65,106 from the 2015-2016 budget.

The increase would cover the cost of library materials, resources and services including: books, CDs, DVDs, periodicals, electronic materials, online catalogue and cultural programs, library officials said. Building operations such as fuel and utilities; capital improvements; and buildings and grounds costs have a proposed increase of $35,699.

A voter registration day will be held on May 8 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Woodmere Education Center. Registration is also taking place through May 10 on school days between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. in Room 207 of the education center.
Residents may also register by mail after downloading a New York State Voter Registration Form from the Nassau County Board of Elections website or New York State website.