By ALEX COSTELLO and AMANDA HOFFMANN
The community will vote on the proposed budget May 19, when the Oceanside School District budget is also up for vote.
The 1.4 percent increase to the budget would, according to the Library Board of Directors President Angela Iovino, lead to a 1 percent increase in the tax levy, or about $3-$5 for the average Oceanside home, which paid about $245 in library taxes last year.
“For what they get,” Iovino said, “we think it’s a pretty good bang for the buck.”
The library services portion of the budget, which includes $269,500 for books — the same amount that was budgeted last year — increased $18,950 to $568,300. Administrative services dropped nearly $20,000 to $182,825 and building maintenance costs rose nearly $10,000 to $229,830, The budget also designates $150,000 for capital improvements, including $55,000 designated for furniture in the library, $5,000 for a storage annex and $20,000 for annex equipment. The budget also includes an increase of $23,644 in salaries and an $18,800 increase in employee benefits, including retirement, social security and medical insurance. The increase in some benefits was tempered by decreases in others, such as workers’ compensation, life insurance and disability insurance.
Together, salaries and benefits make up the single largest portion of the proposed budget at nearly $2.7 million. The library, which is hailed as the 6th largest in Nassau County in terms of the amount of materials circulated, has about 50 part time employees and 30 full time workers. In 2008-09 the director's salary was $125,239, the assistant director's salary was $90,228 and eight full-time librarians were paid salaries ranging from $38,745 to $72,835. No members of the Library's Board of Directors were listed in the 2009-10 budget as receiving a stipend or salary.
"The increases are just to cover cost. We anticipate a drop in state aid and that is reflected in the budget," said Library Director Evelyn Rothschild. "We lowered costs when we could. We feel that a one percent increase in the tax levy is a modest increase that enables us to continue giving the best library service in the most fiscally responsible way."
Some of the increases, Rothschild said, are because the library participates in an interloan program with other Nassau County libraries, so that residents can access materials owned by other libraries. "We share resources that way because no one library can purchase every book," said Rothschild. The cost of the program increased because participating libraries pay for a driver, vehicle and gas to bring the materials back and forth.
Modern libraries aren't limited to books, magazines and newspapers. The Oceanside library has an extensive collection of DVDs, CDs, audiobooks and even video games, said Rothschild. In addition to those collections, the library offers a high-speed Internet connection and WiFi and users can access audio books that can be downloaded to hand-held devices like iPods. The library also hosts concerts, lectures, movies viewings, storytimes and discussion groups.
One innovative new program Rothschild said Oceanside was quick to implement is a free pass program where residents can request passes to visit popular NYC museums free of charge.
The library also offers unique programs like an online tutor that can interact via instant message to assist students and adult learners with science, math, English and even Spanish homework questions. "It's a brand new service, but student use of the program increases every month," Rothschild said.
Rothschild said the library has acknowledged the current economic situation and has made a commitment to focus increasingly on providing job-search assistance programs. This includes workshops for resume writing and computer skills and career councillors to lecture on how to find work in a tough economy.
"I really want people to know what a bargain the library is, considering the rich variety of what we offer," said Rothschild. "Times are tough but we believe we play a central role in helping people to curtail their leisure spending because we offer so much for the entire family."
Comments about this story? AHoffmann@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 269.
